J.T. Compher’s Busy Summer: From his youth team to the Avs, hockey development is important for the forward

DENVER – As J.T. Compher stepped off the ice from a summer skating session, he was all smiles.

The 6-foot, 193-pound forward had been hard at work during the offseason after having an impressive first professional campaign in 2016-17 for the San Antonio Rampage and Colorado Avalanche.

Compher started the year with the Avalanche’s American Hockey League affiliate in San Antonio and went on to spend four months in the AHL, appearing in 41 games while scoring 30 points (13 goals and 17 assists), before getting recalled on March 1 to Colorado. His NHL debut came the next night at the Ottawa Senators, and he never went back to Texas as he finished the season with the Avalanche.