Bourque hopes a rough road leads to long stay in Colorado
ST. LOUIS» Gabriel Bourque was drafted by Nashville in 2009 at age 18, broke into the NHL with the Predators during the 2011-12 season, became a mainstay forward and then helped the team make the playoffs in 2015. Great start. Then he turned 25. Suddenly, he became a journeyman forward, primarily playing in the American Hockey League but keeping his family on its toes with an occasional NHL call-up.
Signed by the Avalanche as a free agent in 2016, Bourque hopes his journey keeps him in Colorado, where he can settle in with his wife and two young children, ages 4 and 2. Lately, it’s looking like the compact, 5-foot-10, 206-pound winger has found a home with the Avs, for whom he has played 23 games for this season — including the last 11 — and tallied two goals and two assists.
Bourque, 27, has been playing left wing on a line with rookies Tyson Jost and J.T. Compher and is a primary penalty killer for one of the best special-team units in the league. While the Avs complete a three-game road trip Thursday against the St. Louis Blues, Bourque’s family members are in Denver — hoping they won’t be relocated again to San Antonio, where the Rampage of the AHL is based. Bourque began the season with Colorado’s AHL affiliate.
“It’s tough. This year is tough — a little tougher than last year, too,” Bourque said of moving his family. “(It was) only my wife and
I. No family around. It’s kind of hard to stay at hotels with two kids, not knowing where to go, which school to put them in. But it’s my life. My wife knows what’s going on. She accepts it. She enjoys every moment.”
Despite his irregular tenure in Denver, Bourque is a leader on a young team. Linemates Jost and Compher are 19 and 22, respectively. It seems the youth movement could use a high-character veteran on the third or fourth line.
“I feel really good, playing on a line with Josty and Compher,” Bourque said. “We create a lot of chances, and for me, the more games you play in a row, the better you feel. I’ve been on the penalty kill, and that’s been really good lately. I just want to continue to do my thing and hopefully I’m in the lineup every night.”
The Avalanche traveled to St. Louis after having its 10-game winning streak end Tuesday in a 4-2 loss at Montreal.
Colorado had the day off Wednesday and will reconvene for a morning skate Thursday at the Scottrade Center.
After the game, star center Nathan MacKinnon will head to Tampa, Fla., for the NHL AllStar Game, and the other members of the team will begin a three-day break.