Colorado Avalanche Prospects Become Firefighters

The Colorado Avalanche concluded prospect development camp with a team-building activity — firefighter training.

The first three days of Colorado Avalanche prospect development camp consisted of mostly on-ice activities and a spin class to teach the young men about heart rates.

Read More about Prospect Development Camp:

• Impressions
• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3

The Colorado Avalanche always conduct some sort of team building activity during the development camp. One year, they had the prospects go gallivanting across Denver in a scavenger hunt that culminating in trying the local specialty, Rocky Mountain oysters (fried bull balls).

This year, the team-building activity was less, ah, culinary and more rigorous. The prospects participated in firefighter training.

It all took place in Poudre County:

At the Poudre Fire Authority Training Facility, the prospects suited up in full firefighting gear, minus the the oxygen mask. In all, the equipment weighed 50 pounds — so of course, Justus Annunen and the other goalies had a distinct advantage. (Goalie equipment supposedly weights 50 pounds, though new technology is said to have made it lighter.)

Even during firefighter training, the Avs want to check prospects’ conditioning:

The prospects went through three stations, or drills, for firefighter training. Station 1 consisted of the firefighter rescue drill. In this challenge, the prospects paired off. Their objective was to crawl next to each other with one person keeping track of the wall with the other scanning for fallen firefighters or victims.

For Station 2, the prospects strapped and looped on more tools. Their objective here was to climb five stories and use the hose to aim for a green bucket on a nearby power line.

The players continued to be in good spirits — especially Sampo Ranta:

The prospects might consider making these photos into a firefighter calendar:

Well…. aim isn’t everything?

When the water is stronger than you:

Station 3 consisted of the pig crate challenge, which is meant to simulate a fallen building. The prospects were supposed to navigate a tight maze without getting their equipment snagged.
Station 3

The prospects had a lot of fun with the pig crate challenge.

Oh, Cale:

Oh, Nikolai:

The prospects completed the pig crate challenge quickly. So, the training center offered the next difficulty level. Not all the prospects chose to participate. Those who did, though, came out the other side drenched in sweat.

Travis Barron did not find the drills easy:

During the training, prospects had to keep moving. If they didn’t, an alarm went off. The alarm signals if a firefighter has fallen. However, to deter trainees from just chilling, they have to drop and do 25 push-ups if anyone’s alarm goes off during the drills.

Remember, this is in 50 pounds of firefighter gear.

Nonetheless, though the training was grueling, and the prospects were sweating profusely at the end, they had a great time.

If you follow our prospects, your Instagram feed might be flooded with firefighter photos today…

Full squad:

At the end of the day, the Colorado Avalanche prospects got to engage in a round of golf at the Pelican Lakes Golf and Country Club in Windsor, Colorado.

And in the end… golf:

After this team-building activity, the prospects went on their way. Some, like Cale Makar and Shane Bowers, are returning to college. Some, such as Nick Henry and Petr Kvaca, will be returning to their major juniors or pro teams. Some, such as Martin Kaut and Conor Timmins, will be joining the Colorado Eagles next season.

It’s safe to say, though, that these Colorado Avalanche prospects will remember their time at this prospect development camp. And firefighter training may well have been the highlight.