LetsGoDU

Corbin On Verge Of Dream

(left) JD Corbin only goes full speed, which forces slower defensemen to commit penalties or give up odd man rushes

By Mike Chambers
Denver Post Staff Writer

For a Colorado native, J.D. Corbin's hockey career has been surreal, a tale a youngster at a Denver-area rink might conjure up as a dream.

The Littleton product spent his junior-A years at the U.S. national development program in Ann Arbor, Mich., then won consecutive championships for the University of Denver as a freshman and sophomore.

Now a senior and assistant captain for the Pioneers, Corbin's next move could take him to his ultimate goal, one that was established when the NHL returned to Colorado in 1995.

Corbin could become the first Colorado native to play for the Avalanche. The Avs selected the speedy and hard-hitting center/winger in the eighth round of the 2004 draft.

"I've been here three years and I'm comfortable here. For me, it's fun," he said. "It's great to play in front of my family, first and foremost, because before DU, they didn't get to see very much while I was in Michigan.

"Obviously, the responsibility as a captain is an honor. It doesn't have

anything to do with being from here, so I don't think about that."

His strengths are speed, puck control and overall athleticism. He is one of DU's fiercest hitters but one of the least prone to be sent to the penalty box.

Corbin, 21, participated in the Avs' prospects camp this summer and produced the longest standing long jump and most pull-ups.

Corbin envisions himself in the NHL as an unselfish, third-line winger and penalty killer like Antti Laaksonen, one of three former Pioneers playing for the Avs.

"A quick guy, good penalty killer, able to use his speed to create opportunities," Corbin said.

DU coach George Gwozdecky likes the comparison to Laaksonen, one of the Avs' fastest players.

"No question, he's one of the fastest guys I've ever coached," Gwozdecky said.

Corbin has played the third-line, penalty-killing role for DU. This season, he is expected to create more offense while playing on the second line with sophomore Patrick Mullen and junior Ryan Dingle.

Corbin enters tonight's Western Collegiate Hockey Association opener at St. Cloud State with nine goals and 49 points in 120 career games.

Gwozdecky is confident Corbin isn't looking too far ahead.

"I think J.D is mature and smart enough to realize that his major responsibilities as a captain for us is that he performs and the team performs," Gwozdecky said. "If that happens, good things will happen to him in the future."

If Corbin's professional hockey dreams don't pan out, he will have a good education to lead him. The straight-A student and two-time WCHA all-academic honoree shared the Dr. Art Mason Award for DU's top scholar-athlete with goalie Danny King in 2005-06.