I spoke with Avalanche rookie Dennis Everberg before the team left for the current four-game road trip. Thought this would be a good time to give a little background on the newcomer since Wednesday is an off-day before Thursday night's game in Ottawa.
A 6-foot-4, 205-pound right wing, Everberg is 22 and from Vasteras, Sweden. Undrafted, he signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Avalanche as a free agent in April after collecting 17 goals, 17 assists and 30 penalty minutes in 47 regular-season games with Rogle in Sweden. He had eight goals, three assists and 12 penalty minutes in 16 playoff games.
"It was kind of a breakout season for me," said Everberg, who in 2012-13 with Rogle had five goals, three assists and 47 penalty minutes in 55 games. "My style is to skate really hard, skate fast and go to the body all the time. I have to keep on doing these things and improve every day."
Everberg's play drew the attention of the Avalanche's European scouts, but even he acknowledged being surprised when he was offered a contract.
"It was really fun to hear about the interest," he said.
Everberg made his first visit to Colorado when he attended the team's development and rookie camps before training camp started and had to adjust to the mile-high altitude.
"That was a surprise to me," he said. "But it's good when you go on the road, you feel light. I like it here, it's beautiful with the mountains and everything. Everyone on the team is really nice to me and welcomed me very well. It's really good."
Everberg made the Avalanche roster in part because three forwards -- Patrick Bordeleau, John Mitchell and Jesse Winchester -- are recovering from various injuries. But it also helped that Everberg is a big forward, a high energy guy who can skate and isn't afraid to go into the hard areas of the ice to track down pucks or to shoot.
Like previous free-agent signees defensemen Nate Guenin and Nick Holden last year, Everberg was expected to start the season with the Lake Erie Monsters in the AHL, but he played well enough in camp to earn a place on the roster.
Not only is Everberg taking regular shifts, he's playing on a line with Gabriel Landeskog and Ryan O'Reilly after skating on the fourth line in the season opener.
"It's something I wanted all the time, something I was working for my whole childhood," he said of playing in the NHL. "I still need to work hard and make something happen out there. It's awesome. I love playing with those guys. They're really good players and it's a good feeling to play with them. I need to skate, forecheck and hit hard, get the puck for those guys to make plays and score some goals."
Everberg is averaging 10:20 in ice time through four games. He has eight shots on goal and is looking for his first NHL point.
Everberg is well aware of how popular another Swedish-born player, Peter Forsberg, is in Colorado, not that anyone is expecting him to follow in his footsteps to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
"I just want to work hard and do my best," he said. "It's pretty exciting to be on the same team that he was."