Getting To Know: Devon Toews

Devon Toews has been a stabling force for the Colorado Avalanche blue line this season, being solid defensively while also contributing in the offensive end. The defenseman is in his first campaign with Colorado after the team acquired him in a trade from the New York Islanders on Oct. 12, 2020, just days after his wedding to now wife Kerry.
Born in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Toews went the college hockey route and played three seasons at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, helping the Bobcats to the NCAA National Championship Game as a junior in 2015-16. It was with Quinnipiac that Toews began to develop into the player he is today on and off the ice, and he is still close with many of his former QU teammates to this day.

Toews was selected by the Islanders in the fourth round at No. 108 overall in the 2014 NHL Draft and spent two and half seasons with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League after turning pro. He made his NHL debut on Dec. 23, 2018 and scored his first goal four games later, in overtime nonetheless, to give New York the win versus the Chicago Blackhawks at the historic Nassau Coliseum.
In his first full NHL campaign in 2019-20, Toews recorded 28 points (six goals, 22 assists) in 68 contests before adding two goals and eight assists in 22 postseason games during the Islanders' run to the Eastern Conference Final.
Having signed a four-year contract extension with the Avalanche on Oct. 27, Toews is looking forward to exploring the state and helping his new club in its championship pursuit. The 26-year-old recently talked with ColoradoAvalanche.com about his transition to the team, developing his game throughout his career and much more.
What were your initial impressions of the Avalanche at the time of the trade and have those changed since you've joined the team?
"I guess the initial reaction from just around the league and not being able to play the Avalanche too often out East was it was a high-flying, fast-paced, fun team to watch. Not a fun team to play against, but a very fun team to watch. Coming in and having the time to skate and practice and get familiar with the team and how they like to play, I completely understand why they are so fun to watch and it's fun to play with too. I don't feel like we sacrifice defense for offense, it's both ends of the rink, all five guys working together. It's been a lot of fun for me so far."
What was the day like when you heard you got traded?
"My wife and I got married on Saturday and Monday we got the call (about the trade). Pretty shocking for my wife and I. We were still emotional with the wedding and everything just happening there and that just being over with, and to get that kind of news] thrown at us was emotionally tough for us to deal with. Not so much the trade, but all the friendships and the people we met in New York and on Long Island; having my wife's family in New Jersey, they were close. Just losing those kinds of pieces was tough for us, but as the days went by and we learned where we were going and the type of place Denver is and Colorado as a state in general--a wonderful place for a family and for us as young adults to kind of spread our wings--and kind of get to know the area is what we're excited about."
**At your wedding, in lieu of favors you instead [made a donation to Hockey Fights Cancer after one of your Quinnipiac teammate's mother passed away earlier that summer from cancer. How much did that mean for Sam Anas and for you and Kerry?
"Sam Anas was with Iowa (Wild's AHL club) for the last few years and now he's with St. Louis' organization, and he's one of my best friends from college. We've been really close over the years, both trying to navigate the life of playing pro hockey. He's from Potomac, Maryland, so his parents came to a lot of games (at Quinnipiac), and his mom always brought us muffins and snacks and took care of us and made sure we were doing OK. She was always kind of a mother figure for me being so far away from home. She was always so sweet and so generous to us. She unfortunately lost, I think it was her fourth battle of breast cancer. Just a complete warrior and someone that we looked up to, a lot of us looked up to. Just with how she fought the good fight and stayed with it and was always able to have a smile on her face and loved her kids and family so much. So to be able to do that for him and put a smile on his face was one of the special moments for the wedding, for sure."
How much of a relief was it to sign that contract with Colorado and know that you have some security for the next four years?
"It was kind of just a settling factor for my wife and I. We wanted a little more term on any kind of deal. We knew with the kind of offseason that it might be a little tougher to do, but Joe and his staff were great and we were able to work something out there. I think both sides are happy with it, and we're happy to be in Colorado for the next four years and potentially even longer. It's just nice for us to go somewhere and know that you're a little more settled and a little more relaxed with that."
Have you been able to explore Denver or Colorado at all since you've been here?
"We actually haven't really. We have a 6-month-old puppy (English Cream Golden Retriever), so the farthest exploring we've been doing is different parks and let him roam around and find what he likes. We're hoping in the offseason to do some hikes and get up in the mountains. My wife has family that's from Steamboat Springs, so we're hoping to get up there for sure."
Why did you decide to play college hockey at Quinnipiac?
"Growing up, I feel like the WHL Bantam Draft is the biggest deal in Canada, in the Western Hockey League at least. It's a big deal and everyone shoots for that to try and get drafted. I think I was 5-foot-2, 102 pounds my draft year, so everyone passed up on me even though I had a really good year, my team was one of the best in Western Canada. So we got a lot of exposure, but my size didn't check out and that was kind of what everyone was looking for at that time; it was people that were going to grow and be big and strong. The game has obviously changed from that a little bit more the last few years.
"For me, the college hockey route came my way from my coach in Surrey, Matt Erhart--he played at Quinnipiac under Rand Pecknold, so he kind of got the foot in the door there. When I went to visit the school, it was the perfect fit for me. It was a smaller school, everything kind of built around being a community and looking out for each other and small class sizes, very personable professors and teachers and staff. Coming from a smaller town and knowing the community well growing up, it kind of fit with me and that kind of atmosphere. And the education was second to none at Quinnipiac, and I don't think I could have made a better decision."
How did the college game and then the AHL help prepare you for the NHL?
"At Quinnipiac, just the opportunity to train and get in the gym more than major junior was something that stuck with me. Then in the American League, it's known as a developmental league, and I really do think it is. It's a good stepping-stone. A lot of people thinks it's a demotion, but to me it's a stepping-stone to get you where you want to be at the right time. I was fortunate to have a good staff at Bridgeport during the time that I was there and helped develop me and give me the opportunity to grow and succeed and kind of mold my game there. Both of those routes are fantastic routes, and I'm very grateful that I had positive experiences with both."
Did you have a moment where you were like, 'Wow this is the NHL'?
"I think the moment that stood out to me and was the coolest experience was that my first goal was an overtime-winner, so that was something so cool. With it being at home at the Coliseum and just how crazy it got afterwards was kind of a cool moment that you don't see. You score overtime winners in the American League or wherever else and you don't really get that kind of response as you do at the NHL level."
What was your earliest hockey memory?
"I don't have too many memories growing up playing, but certain memories for me, in Canada, was watching the [World Junior Championship]--it's is always such a fun event. Everybody kind of gathered around TVs, whether you're at the rink, in between your games or rushing off after practice to see what the score would be. That was the kind of moment that was so fun to be around and get behind and kind of energized you to want to play and keep pursuing the game. I don't care that I never got an opportunity to play in a World Junior, I'm just grateful that I was able to have that excitement in my life and be able to watch it and experience it and kind of root for those guys."
What is your pregame routine like?
"I don't really do too much. A lot of guys nap, I don't. I feel like I get too drowsy with it. Usually just watch an episode of Entourage every game day; it is something in college my roommates and I would do. That was kind of our pre-game routine, watch an episode of Entourage, and I've kept that with me. There are a few other guys, pro guys in our group that have kind of kept that trend as well."
Do you have a go-to pregame meal?
"I'm pretty simple. I'm not too picky, it's kind of whatever's there, but if I had to cook something it's usually based around rice and some sort of chicken. It doesn't have to be the exact same thing, spice or recipe, every single time, but that is usually something I base it off of. It's usually just a little bit lighter than other things you can eat or other guys like to eat. Obviously get a salad in there as well, get some greens."
What do you like to do away from the rink on days off?**
"During the season off days for me are just times when you got to recover. The season is so grueling as is, it's just a recovery day to me. Something just to relax, lay down. Usually there's something that needs to be accomplished (around the house) and I'm willing to do that, or I'll be the one to get up early with the dog and take him for a walk on those kinds of days if need be. So to me it's just more of a day to relax and kind of catch up with family."