(above) Joe Colborne just spent a week at the Bruins Development CampFrom: Telegraph & Gazette
by Bud Barth
Bigger isn’t always better in hockey, as former University of North Dakota player Brandon Bochenski learned in the summer of 2007. While trying to improve his lot with the Bruins, he packed on 15 extra pounds of muscle, lost whatever speed he had and wound up throwing that weight around as a power forward mostly in the American Hockey League.
That, however, isn’t likely to be the case with “Jumbo” Joe Colborne, Boston’s first-round draft pick last year and the towering, 6-foot-5 exception to the averaged-sized wanna-B’s at the just-concluded third annual Bruins Development Camp at Ristuccia Arena.
Colborne, taken with the 16th pick overall in 2008, has added 10 pounds since last year’s development camp. There were even reports that he had grown an inch to 6-6, but those aren’t true.
“It just depends who’s the one measuring you,” the 19-year-old sophomore-to-be at the University of Denver said with a grin. “I’ve heard myself (mentioned) anywhere between 6-4 and 6-6, but the official (figure) is 6-5 and 206.2 (pounds), as of two days ago.”
The extra weight (he was 196 last year) has more places to go on his larger frame, so Colborne — unlike the 6-1 Bochenski — hasn’t been slowed down at all.
“If anything, I feel a lot faster than last year,” said Colborne, who looked pretty slick on the Ristuccia ice surface. “I haven’t put on a lot of fat weight — it’s been all muscle and a lot through my legs. I still haven’t put that much muscle on my upper body yet, but the biggest thing I noticed is my legs — I had to go buy new jeans and stuff like that.”
It hasn’t gone unnoticed by Don Sweeney, the Bruins’ director of player development and the man overseeing the camp.
“He has gotten stronger and … that first step is much more explosive,” Sweeney said, “and that’s only going to benefit him. As guys try to bear down on him, he’s going to be able to push through that, and a year ago I wouldn’t necessarily have agreed he could do that.”
Physically, Colborne wants to become like Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby — at least below the waist. “His legs are monstrous,” Colborne said.
Style-wise, the Calgary native said he always was a fan of another Jumbo — ex-Bruins center Joe Thornton — but he wants to pattern his game after Anaheim center Ryan Getzlaf, who is coming off a 91-point season (with 25 goals) for the Ducks, not counting 18 points in 13 playoff games.
“I’m a bit more of a shooter than Thornton is, but I try to pass first,” said Colborne, who had a pretty good freshman season at Denver (10 goals, 31 points in 40 games). “Getzlaf has a great mix, he’s tough out there. … He’s the complete package right now, probably one of the top players in the world.”
Colborne, who really is nicknamed Jumbo, said he bolstered the physical part of his game at Denver. He did so partly by adding weight — “I wasn’t quite the lanky kid I was at the start of the year,” he said — and also by adding confidence.
“Coming from Junior A, a lot of people were doubting whether I could play at a higher level or not,” he said, “but by the halfway mark of the year, I was really kind of coming into my own and answering those questions myself.”
While Colborne is excited about Denver’s chances of winning an NCAA championship this winter — the Pioneers finished 24-12-5 last season but have “three stud defensemen” coming in as recruits — he can’t get the NHL out of his head.
“I want to be a Bruin as fast as I can,” he said, “so whatever path they (Bruins) want me to take, I’m kind of at their whim.
“If I’m there (at Denver) for four years, I won’t be too happy.”
That, however, isn’t likely to be the case with “Jumbo” Joe Colborne, Boston’s first-round draft pick last year and the towering, 6-foot-5 exception to the averaged-sized wanna-B’s at the just-concluded third annual Bruins Development Camp at Ristuccia Arena.
Colborne, taken with the 16th pick overall in 2008, has added 10 pounds since last year’s development camp. There were even reports that he had grown an inch to 6-6, but those aren’t true.
“It just depends who’s the one measuring you,” the 19-year-old sophomore-to-be at the University of Denver said with a grin. “I’ve heard myself (mentioned) anywhere between 6-4 and 6-6, but the official (figure) is 6-5 and 206.2 (pounds), as of two days ago.”
The extra weight (he was 196 last year) has more places to go on his larger frame, so Colborne — unlike the 6-1 Bochenski — hasn’t been slowed down at all.
“If anything, I feel a lot faster than last year,” said Colborne, who looked pretty slick on the Ristuccia ice surface. “I haven’t put on a lot of fat weight — it’s been all muscle and a lot through my legs. I still haven’t put that much muscle on my upper body yet, but the biggest thing I noticed is my legs — I had to go buy new jeans and stuff like that.”
It hasn’t gone unnoticed by Don Sweeney, the Bruins’ director of player development and the man overseeing the camp.
“He has gotten stronger and … that first step is much more explosive,” Sweeney said, “and that’s only going to benefit him. As guys try to bear down on him, he’s going to be able to push through that, and a year ago I wouldn’t necessarily have agreed he could do that.”
Physically, Colborne wants to become like Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby — at least below the waist. “His legs are monstrous,” Colborne said.
Style-wise, the Calgary native said he always was a fan of another Jumbo — ex-Bruins center Joe Thornton — but he wants to pattern his game after Anaheim center Ryan Getzlaf, who is coming off a 91-point season (with 25 goals) for the Ducks, not counting 18 points in 13 playoff games.
“I’m a bit more of a shooter than Thornton is, but I try to pass first,” said Colborne, who had a pretty good freshman season at Denver (10 goals, 31 points in 40 games). “Getzlaf has a great mix, he’s tough out there. … He’s the complete package right now, probably one of the top players in the world.”
Colborne, who really is nicknamed Jumbo, said he bolstered the physical part of his game at Denver. He did so partly by adding weight — “I wasn’t quite the lanky kid I was at the start of the year,” he said — and also by adding confidence.
“Coming from Junior A, a lot of people were doubting whether I could play at a higher level or not,” he said, “but by the halfway mark of the year, I was really kind of coming into my own and answering those questions myself.”
While Colborne is excited about Denver’s chances of winning an NCAA championship this winter — the Pioneers finished 24-12-5 last season but have “three stud defensemen” coming in as recruits — he can’t get the NHL out of his head.
“I want to be a Bruin as fast as I can,” he said, “so whatever path they (Bruins) want me to take, I’m kind of at their whim.
“If I’m there (at Denver) for four years, I won’t be too happy.”
10 comments:
I'm honestly getting a bit tired of all to Colborne/Bruins talk. Yeah, he was a high draft pick, and yeah, he has great potential, which only became evident in the second half of his freshman year. But he better have a tremendous sophomore year in Denver to justify all this attention he's getting.
Jumbo: you gotta prove that you've got the talent and strength to be a college hockey star, before we buy into your potential as a pro. Get tough in the corners, score more clutch goals like you did against CC in the Springs, and lead DU to the Frozen Four. Then there will be something to talk about.
you're an ass
and probably not too smart, either
I was just recently told from a friend working the the Bruins camp that the team is going to make an offer this week and he will likely be jetting the Pios! Go Bruins!
Oooo...grease up the rumor mill!
If he goes, it wasn't meant to be. Joe would be an important element, but there are a host of players who are more important than Jumbo to a title run, including Rhett, Tyler, Ostrow, Maiani & Wiercioch.
Sorry I got your panties in a bunch, Mrs. Colborne! I do hope to see your son in a DU uniform next fall!
Honestly, after all the hype about Colborne going into last season, I was a bit disappointed with his play. No doubt he has a lot of potential, but in my mind he still has a lot to prove at the collegiate level. The NHL hype is way too premature. I hope he'll be a Pioneer in October.
I doubt Boston has any intention of signing Colborne yet. He's too young and still very much a project.
I would be shocked to see him sign before this season.
Colborne is probably 2 years away from being a serious NHL prospect.......No way in hell he's gone this year.
Those who watched Colborne last season saw a big-time recruit who started a bit slowly but came on as the season progressed and finished with 31 points--not a bad season at all. Did he live up to all the hype? Probably not. Was he a disappointment? Absolutely not. He had a solid year and seemed to grow in confidence and maturity. Gwoz seemed willing to play him all situations as the season went on, and Colborne had some nice moments.
IMHO, Joe needs at least one more year of college, probably two. I saw him on campus earlier in the summer and he's still a tall skinny guy who needs to fill out and get a lot stronger. He looks like a guy who could easily be 220-230, but he's got some beefing up to do.
Physical maturity aside, I would say he also needs to up his "compete" level on a more consistent basis. I think he learned a lot last year and was much more willing to throw his weight around and battle for pucks as the season went on, rather than just being content playing in space. He certainly has the skills and intelligence to be great.
i thought that big joe came on huge the second half of last year, and even moreso down the final stretch. He was clutch. Somebody mentioned the CC goal in teh springs, and i think there were one or two others. The wisconsin series?
One thing was clear when joe first stepped on the ice last year, he was a great passer with vision. As the season went on he showed a much more complete game that I became more and more impressed by.
I'm not sure I would place maiani and ostrow above colborne in terms of importance. Joe will see a ton of ice time at regular stenghth, pk and pp. Either way, they are all about equal in importance to me. The only player i put in a different category is Chevy...maybe Wiercioch too.
A lot of interesting topics being covered in these comments.
Bruins are probably making Colborne an offer, but it doesn't mean he'll accept it. The Isles made Rakhshani a nice offer and even threw in some AHL promises.
At the end of the day, if the "offer" doesn't include a firm timetable to be in the Bruins lineup in the NHL by a certain date, its probably all smoke.
That being said, this is a nervous time of the year for Pioneer Nation in regards to Wiercioch, Colborne and any other high draft picks. Anything can happen and nothing would be a surprise.
Colborne is a unique talent and if he has a huge year at DU and is able to add weight during the year, maybe he'll command Bozak-type dollars at the end of the season and make the Bruins lineup in April. Hard to say.
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