Add it up — it’s a full season.
Of course, it took a few servings to get there.
Joe Colborne, the other night in Phoenix, stepped into his 66th contest for the Calgary Flames. Toted up with his sniffs in Toronto — look-sees of one game, 10 games, five games — he has now exactly 82 NHL appearances on his resume.
“No, I didn’t know that,” said Colborne, grinning. “But I’m still a rookie. Those guys” — pointing specifically to dressing-room neighbour Brian McGrattan — “won’t let me be anything other than that.”
Offensively, career numbers are relatively modest — eight goals, 20 assists.
But it’s worth noting that the Calgarian, operating these days with Sean Monahan and Michael Cammalleri, has banked nine points in his last dozen outings.
“Recently I’ve started to feel . . . I don’t want to say ‘turning the corner,’ but just getting a comfort level that’s going through the roof,” said Colborne. “Playing with good players . . . with Monny, you start to develop chemistry and you start to learn where he is. Same with Cammy, who’s playing on a pretty special level right now.
“I’d say probably the last five, 10 games — maybe since the Olympic break — I’ve felt like I’ve been able to start asserting myself a little more. I’ve been getting some points on a pretty regular basis. But that comes with playing with good players.”
For the centre-turned-winger, there have been dryspells this winter.
Two point-less patches of seven games. Another that stretched to eight.
But, as Colborne has shown, hay can still be made.
“In (2008-09 at the University of Denver), I went almost the first half of the (freshman) year with two or three points,” he said. “All of a sudden, it just started to click . . . and I just started going point-a-game, point-a-game, and I took it from there. Same thing in the AHL (in 2010-11). I think I had two points in my first game (with Providence), then I went forever without a point. It was like, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing here.’ Then, it started to click.
“It’s kind of a maturation, I think. Just getting a comfort level with the style of play, the speed.”
Besides, insists Colborne, for someone in his shoes — first full season in the NHL — it’s not always about statistics.
“It’s more about earning the trust of the coaching staff,” said Colborne. “That’s something I’ve been able to do, especially recently. They’re starting to throw me out in situations near the end of games, in power play situations, in critical spots where earlier in the year I wasn’t getting thrown out there. That has less to do with (offensive) numbers than trust issues.
“That’s what I think is most important in terms of becoming a career NHLer.”
Ben Hanowski has seen this movie before.
College kid, quickly signed, rushing to his NHL destination and being immersed in a brand-new world.
A year ago, that had been the mop-haired Hanowski.
This week, it’s Ken Agostino, who inked a two-year entry deal Monday. The left-winger’s senior season at Yale University is over — now comes the great unknown.
Any advice for Agostino?
“Take it all in stride and learn from everything . . . and watch the older guys who have been doing it for a while,” said Hanowski, who, like Agostino, was part of the return from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the swap for Jarome Iginla. “Soak it in and enjoy it. It’s still hockey. The more you can relax with it, the better you’ll play.”
Agostino, who turns 22 next month, produced 132 points in 134 games for Yale.
But it’s not only the hockey that will be an adjustment.
“At the college level, you have your one reporter that follows the team,” said Hanowski, a product of St. Cloud (Minn.) State University. “Here, you’re going to have 20. Playing in the NHL in Canada is something that you don’t see in the States, right? With all the media and stuff like that. All the attention is on hockey up here.”
C-NOTES: C Corban Knight, after seven games with Calgary (one goal, one shootout winner, 47.1 faceoff efficiency), has returned to AHL Abbotsford . . . G Karri Ramo (knee) and LW Jiri Hudler (upper body) skated before practice. “Karri still needs more time,” said coach Bob Hartley. “He’s not at 100 per cent.” . . . Flames prospect Johnny Gaudreau, for the second straight season, was named the conference’s player of the year by the Hockey East Writers and Broadcasters Association. A Boston College junior who recorded 36 points in 20 conference games, Gaudreau was a unanimous selection.