Carolina continues as special place for Colorado aide Pratt

RALEIGH, N.C.» It has been 25 years since Colorado assistant coach Nolan Pratt was drafted by the Hartford Whalers.

“I do remember that draft day and it does seem like that long ago. … Time flies for sure,” Pratt said.

The former NHL defenseman was back in a building this weekend he helped open as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes in 1999. Pratt wasn’t in Raleigh long. He was part of the Sandis Ozolinsh blockbuster trade in the 2000 offseason.

“I had some good friends in Colorado at the time, so when I found out I was traded, my first thought was I was going to win a Stanley Cup. And we did. Seeing what it took to win was something I carried with me the rest of my career.”

Pratt was then traded to Tampa Bay, where he won another Cup, while Carolina won hockey’s ultimate prize in 2006.

“It was a thrilling experience to be in Carolina opening a new building. Helping start a franchise here are memories I hold dearly.”

Not bad for a fifth-round pick.

Getting back into shape. Defenseman Tyson Barrie played in his sixth game since missing a month with a broken bone in his hand. After easing back into the lineup Barrie’s minutes have increased to more than 20 per game.

“I feel good,” Barrie said. “The first game or two I was just trying to get my timing back. I’m ready to help this team win some games coming down the stretch.”

Barrie finished dead last — 888th in the NHL – with a minus 34 rating last season. He has turned his game around with the third-most assists on the team.

“We need guys who can move the puck and can skate like Tyson; it helps so much with the pace of our play,” said coach Jared Bednar. “We did a nice job without him but to have him back in there, it’s just another guy with a set of tools on the back end that can produce offense and help run the power play. He’s been pretty good but I think he can elevate his game more, especially with some of our injuries we have. We need some guys to take it to a new level in order to continue to win.”

The long, long road. Colorado is in the middle of playing 13 road games out of 16. And while the Avs have been money at the Pepsi Center lately, the road for the youngest team in the NHL has been a different story.

“We’re trying to focus on getting to our game for 60 minutes,” Bednar said. “It has been a challenge for us here lately. We just don’t seem to have the energy or the get-up-and-go that we have at home. It has been noticeable. We’ve played portions of road games well, but we haven’t found a way on the road to replicate it.”

After Carolina, the Avs are at Buffalo on Sunday before returning home to face Montreal on Valentine’s Day.