Colorado Avalanche Send Conor Timmins Home for Recovery

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Conor Timmins is heading back to his family home in Canada to continue recovering from recurring concussion symptoms.

The Colorado Avalanche have sent defenseman Conor Timmons back home to Ontario to “rehab.” Per Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, Rick Sadowski of HockeyBuzz and CBS Sports, the rehabilitation is for concussion symptoms.

Timmon suffered a concussion in Game 5 of the OHL Playoffs in May while still playing for the Soo Greyhounds. He seems to have suffered the injury after a big hit. It also appears he returned to the game. He was held out from Game 6.

Timmins traveled to Colorado for Prospect Development Camp at the end of June. He was held off of on-ice activities. CBS Sports reported at the time that it was “due to a concussion.” (They were quoting Chambers.)

Timmins joined the unofficial August practices, and by early September he was “almost back to full strength,” per Avs insider Adrian Dater. However, he seemed to have suffered some sort of setback because he was listed for the Rookie Faceoff prospect tournament, but he was held out of it. He was unable to participate in any of the on-ice activities at Rookie and Training Camps.

Conor has been skating here and there. He skated before one of the Captain’s Camp days and again at training camp:

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However, per Dater, the prospect was “frustrated” after leaving the ice. Again, he was on the ice before the practice at Fan Fest, but he didn’t participate in any of the activities.

Before the season started, the Colorado Avalanche put Timmons on non-roster injured reserve. The team stated he was week-to-week at the time. They also reported that he would recover and probably have to go through his own version of a development camp that included some time with the AHL Colorado Eagles.

Now, though, the team has sent him home for a bit. Coach Jared Bednar stated Timmons “is just not progressing as much as we would like,” adding that the team sent him home to “spend some time and continue to rehab.” The plan is to bring him back to Denver later.

When asked if Conor had experienced a setback, Bednar responded, “A setback, I don’t know. We want to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to help him get better.”

Bednar added:

"“He’s been here for a long time, he’s not skating with the team every day. I think getting home to see his family and sort of get rejuvenated … then we’ll bring him back and see if that can help him along a little bit.”"

The Colorado Avalanche are about to embark on a four-game road trip that takes them to the East Coast. They’re scheduled to leave tomorrow, October 15, and be gone until October 22, when they’ll likely fly home after their game in Philadelphia.

Is that the rationale for sending Timmons home — a week’s break with family while the team is outside of Denver anyway? Hopefully. I hope a little fresh Canadian air will clear Conor’s head.

It’s not so simple as that, though, and I won’t type the names that come to mind when you think of the Colorado Avalanche and concussions because it won’t be like that. I’m sure it’s more like when Gabriel Landeskog suffered his concussion and couldn’t be around flickering lights. Maybe something about skating just bugs Conor right now.

I want this kid to do so well. It’s not just selfish because I want him to improve the Colorado Avalanche. Whenever I compile prospect profiles, some stick with me. Conor Timmins just seems like a good egg, and I want him to fulfill his dream of playing in the NHL, of playing for the Avs.

So, let’s all send healing rays up to Ontario. We should all want to see Conor Timmins in burgundy and blue.