Teenage defenseman Sam Girard took the call from Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic late Saturday night in Nashville, where Colorado had just played the Predators. Sakic was calling from the NHL GM meetings in Montreal, and he essentially told Girard, 19, that he was on his own, that the team would no longer put him up at a Denver-area hotel.
It was the exact eviction notice Girard was hoping for. He was grateful, and began inquiring about where he would live in Denver, where the Avs play six of their next seven games.
Girard’s three-year, entry-level contract kicked in when he stepped on the ice in his 10th NHL game Sunday at Detroit. On Tuesday after practice, following a day off in which he and his girlfriend looked at nearby apartment buildings, Girard said he was “very, very happy” to put hotel living behind him.
Acquired Nov. 4 from Nashville in the three-team trade that sent Matt Duchene to Ottawa, Girard, 5-foot-11 and 162 pounds, had been living out of a hotel since late August, before reporting to the Predators’ training camp. He will now live with his girlfriend at a rented property in the Cherry Creek area.
“I’m very happy about that. It was my goal at the start of the season to stay in the NHL,” Girard said in front of his locker stall, which used to belong to Duchene. “I want to stay here with the boys, with the organization. I’m at my place here. I look forward to the rest of the season.”
Girard is playing with Erik Johnson in the top pairing at even strength and he’s quarterbacking the No. 1 power play. He has logged more than 21 minutes of ice time in each of his five games with Colorado, including a career-high 24 minutes, 20 seconds in Sunday’s 4-3 overtime win at Detroit.
“He’s an impact player for us,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “Even at a young age, he does a lot of things real well. He’s helped our back end in a lot of ways, so I’m glad we’re keeping him. He’s going to get a chance to grow here with the group.”
Johnson, 29, enjoys playing with Girard and doesn’t expect he will be demoted at any time this season.
“I don’t see that happening at all. I never thought it would happen before that 10-game mark,” Johnson said. “I think he was here to stay after that first game we played in Sweden. He’s clearly showing he belongs and I think if you asked any of the forwards over there what guy you want to be on the ice with in the offensive zone, I think they’re saying G. He gets them the puck on their tape and off they go. I love playing with him so far. It’s been a lot of fun. I don’t think we’ve played in our own zone much. I don’t think we’ve gotten hemmed really once.”
Indeed, Bednar likes the Girard-Johnson pairing. “They’ve been good. They both move the puck real well. They both have the ability to skate out of trouble,” Bednar said. “EJ is a little heavier and closes plays out. Girard defends with positioning and his stick.”
Girard could still be sent back to his junior team in Quebec, but the Avs would still be on the hook for his NHL salary of $728,333. So that’s highly unlikely. Assuming Girard reaches his 40th NHL game this season, it will count as an accrued year of service toward the seven years required to become an unrestricted free agent.
