T.J. Fast Leaves Pioneer Hockey Program
Sophomore withdraws from DU to pursue other opportunities
DENVER - Sophomore defenseman T.J. Fast (Calgary, Alberta) has left the team and officially withdrawn from the University of Denver to pursue other opportunities, announced today by two-time National Coach of the Year George Gwozdecky.
DENVER - Sophomore defenseman T.J. Fast (Calgary, Alberta) has left the team and officially withdrawn from the University of Denver to pursue other opportunities, announced today by two-time National Coach of the Year George Gwozdecky.
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Fast tallied four assists in 19 games for the No. 7 Pioneers (15-7-2, 9-5-2 WCHA) this season. He finished his DU career with 11 points on one goal and 10 assists in 58 games. Fast is a 2005 second round draft pick of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings.
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From: DU Athletics Website
2 comments:
No word or rumors yet why TJ left DU so abruptly.
TJ played in all 39 games during his freshman season. This year he played in 19 of 25 games and missed one game with an academic suspention.
One of the problems may have been that DU has played in so many close games this season. In close games Gwoz likes to go with Thomas & Butler down the stretch, so there's less time if you're mired on the third line. Factor in the emergence of Brookwell & Seabrook this season and ice time becomes scarce. Also consider that by using four fowards on the PP unit and five forwards against Wisconsin in the Third Period it may have been the breaking point for TJ...
Best of luck to TJ now and in the future. He was a solid steady contributor to the Pioneers and will be missed by the fans.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/ncaa/article/0,2777,DRMN_23932_5269300,00.html
"An unexpected change of heart has left the University of Denver hockey team thinner along the blue line, as sophomore defenseman T.J. Fast has informed coach George Gwozdecky of his decision to leave the program.
Fast had sporadic conversations with Gwozdecky during the past two months about his growing unhappiness but, according to Gwozdecky, Fast told the coach he intended to remain with the program before the holiday break.
Fast evidently changed his mind while spending the holidays in his hometown of Calgary, Alberta, and informed Gwozdecky on Monday of his decision to leave school and play Major Junior hockey full time.
"This has been kind of ongoing the past couple months," Gwoz- decky said. "T.J. has been figuring out what he wants to do with his academic and hockey careers. If I was surprised, it was because he flip-flopped."
As a freshman, Fast recorded seven points and was one of six DU players who appeared in all 39 games.
A second-round selection of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2005 draft, Fast was a healthy scratch for five games earlier this season, a period that became a source of his dissatisfaction, but he had played in the past 11 games and finished with four assists in 19 games.
Fast's departure likely will mean more opportunities for junior Zach Blom and sophomore Julian Marcuzzi."
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