Prospect Q&A: Ty Lewis

Ty Lewis signed with the Colorado Avalanche prior to the start of last season after going undrafted the previous two years. He attended the Avs' 2017 development and training camps before inking a deal with team on Oct. 3, 2017.
The Brandon, Manitoba, native has played the past four seasons with his hometown Western Hockey League squad, the Brandon Wheat Kings, and is now preparing for his first year of pro hockey. The 5-foot-11, 177-pound left wing recorded 191 points (84 goals and 107 assists) in 190 career contests with the Wheat Kings and tallied 100 points (44 goals and 56 assists) while being an alternate captain on the club this past season. He also helped Brandon win the WHL championship in 2016 and earn a berth into the Canadian Hockey League's Memorial Cup tournament.

He recently talked with the ColoradoAvalanche.com about joining the organization and getting ready for the upcoming season.
How would you describe this past season when you led the team with 100 points?
"It is kind of a cool accomplishment. I think our team had a good season in general. We had a good first half. Unfortunately, our whole division decided to get loaded up and we got younger at the trade deadline. I thought the young guys did a great job of stepping up and building. It was a really tight-knit group so that really helps out, and I got to play with some really good hockey players on our line. Our chemistry and skill level really helped me out."
What is your favorite hockey memory and why?
"I love to win. That's why I play hockey because I'm a very competitive person so winning the WHL championship was a cool thing for me. Just experiencing winning and what a winning team is like, and as you get older it becomes more important. That is why everyone is here in Colorado, to help the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup. I think the WHL championship was a great feeling of what it takes; guys are tired and banged up, so it was cool to have that moment."

What are you looking forward to this upcoming season?
"I just love the game of hockey. I think trying to take the next step to the next level is going to be fun. The pace gets a little faster, and everything happens just that much quicker and the game gets a little harder. I like the challenge and just playing and putting a lot of work in this summer and working to try and match that pace. Hopefully things will work out to where I play for Denver."
What have you liked about Denver and Colorado so far?
"It is a great city, it's beautiful here. The altitude here took a bit of getting used to with the cardio stuff, but the city has been great. The people are super nice, and the fan base is amazing."
When did you know hockey was the sport for you?
"My dad had me on skates at a pretty young age; he grew up in a hockey surrounding. He had me skating at 3 years old and playing at 4, so it's a part of my family. My dad has helped me over the years build on my game, and he coached me until I was 14. He's a pretty smart hockeyman and runs a hockey school and is a pretty knowledgeable guy. I grew up with it and stuck with it ever since."

Who were your hockey idols growing up?
"I really respected a lot of guys growing up. Growing up in Brandon, I was a huge Wheat Kings fan so watching guys like Matt Calvert (another Brandon native). You know as I get older, my favorite teams changed to the ones in NHL, but there are just so many skilled hockey players and everybody there is just so skilled and talented. I like guys with skill in their game, like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, and what they have done for the game and have brought to the game. I have always tried to learn from guys like that, and I'm just trying to get better."
Who do you model your game after?
"As a kid watching the Wheat Kings and being family friends with Matt Calvert, it was him. I have skated with him over this summer a lot. I grew up watching him and idolizing him. He is a hardworking guy and he skates hard, and I think that's the biggest part of my game is to work hard every day. I think he does a good job at that. I just try to make the right plays at the right time, and I think he does that really well also."

What is your favorite activity to do in the offseason?
"I'm a huge golfer in the summer. I golf a couple times a week with my buddies."
If you didn't play hockey, what job would you want to have?
"I don't know. My dad is a teacher, so if hockey didn't work out probably a gym teacher or something with an athletic background. I would probably even take over my dad's hockey school one day if hockey didn't work out."