Final Grade 2014: Joey Hishon, #38

It's hard to not tear up a little when you think about Joey Hishon's minutes on NHL ice. No, he didn't light the place on fire. But that's not the point. He played. He put on an Avalanche sweater and played three NHL games, in the playoffs no less. (Someone out there owes me a beer, btw. Step up, son, and eat that crow!) After two years and 41 days of pain, anger, and doubt—all due to the errant elbow and bad judgement of Brayden McNabb—Hishon's dream finally came true. It was an emotional moment for not just Joey, his family and friends, but also for Avalanche fans across the globe. Some people didn't think it would ever happen, but everyone is thrilled that it did.

As for his performance, it was filled with typical rookie, just-called-up-yesterday moments, but there were times when you saw it. You saw why he was picked 17th overall when nobody thought he'd go sooner than the second round. You saw his vision and creativity. You saw those hands that can make world-class plays out of nothing. He got his first NHL point in the playoffs, an assist on Jamie McGinn's first period goal in Game 7. Moreover, he was so close to getting a goal of his own a couple of times. No matter what happens from here, no one can take that away from him.

Avalanche

Stats (Playoffs)

Grade

B+

Staff Comments

c6hor8: For his debut, I though he was great.

mfured20: HISSSHHHH!!  I was so pleased to see him out there.  And with the way that he played, I think that he will earn himself a spot on next year's roster, easily over Carey or Malone.  However, he was coming into a tough situation.  I know that.  And he did play well, in his limited time out there.  But as comfortable as he looked, he didn't do that much in his 6 min/game ice time.  It was more like a taster for next season.

Mike: His get-up-and-go level was high, he has some sick hands (the assist on McGinn's Game 7 goal was awesome).  Size, speed, and health will always be a concern, but he did what a callup is supposed to do in the playoffs, IMO.

Cheryl: It's no secret that I've been a fan of Hishon's since the Avs first drafted him. That random pick piqued my interest, so I've followed his career ever since. There's always such a big "if" with frequently injured players as to whether or not they can stay healthy enough to make a roster and stick with it. I have to believe Hishon will. He has such tremendous skill that can truly help the Avalanche. Conceding the "if", I think he can steal a spot on next season's roster. He's good enough. He obviously has enough dedication. And the organization finally said, "Yup, the kid's ready" when they called him up for duty. He averaged just over 6 minutes per game against the Wild, evidence that Roy trusted him. Surely they gave him some tips for off-season training. All I can say is this: Is it September 15th yet?

Monsters

Stats