Rookie Rewind: Tyson Jost

ColoradoAvalanche.com is profiling players who just completed their rookie seasons with the organization. This installment takes a look at forward Tyson Jost.
Tyson Jost got a taste of the NHL at the end of the 2016-17 season, but he experienced his first full campaign this past year--including all the ups and downs that are in an 82-game slate.
He accomplished several firsts during his six-outing preview the previous season, including playing in his first game on March 30, 2017 at Pepsi Center and tallying his first goal a week later on April 6, 2018 versus the Minnesota Wild.
The then 19-year-old propelled those early experiences into a full rookie campaign that produced 12 goals and 22 points in 65 contests.

He picked up his first point of the season in the second outing of 2017-18 with his first career NHL assist on Oct. 7 at the New Jersey Devils. Four days later in Colorado's home opener versus the Boston Bruins, the 5-foot-11, 191-pound center recorded his first goal of the campaign.

The early part of the new year had its challenges though for Jost, as he battled a lower-body injury throughout training camp and the early part of the season that hindered his practice and playing time--a critical part to a young player's development.
Jost was sent to the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League on Nov. 16 for a two-week rehab assignment to get him back up to the speed. He produced a goal and an assist in five contests with the Rampage before being recalled on Nov. 26 and spending the remainder of the year in Colorado.
On Feb. 1, Jost returned to his old stomping grounds and made an appearance in front of his family and friends in a game at the Edmonton Oilers. Jost is from St. Albert, Alberta, a city just 25 minutes away from Edmonton, and the Oilers were the team he grew up watching.
"I always watched Hockey Night in Canada, [Toronto and Montreal were] always on. I remember as a little kid that I was pissed off because they were always playing when my Oilers should have been on," Jost said after playing in Canada. "It is awesome. It is a great atmosphere, and you can tell how much the country loves their hockey."
February continued to be an exciting month for Jost. He finished second on the team with four goals during the month and recorded his second multi-point game on Feb. 6 versus the San Jose Sharks (his first came on Jan. 6 against the Minnesota Wild). In addition, Jost tallied his first career game-winning goal in that contest versus the Sharks to help the Avalanche win in front of the home crowd.

"I think you look at my last 10 games, and I was pretty due for a goal. I had a lot of chances and was getting unlucky," Jost said after the Feb. 6 game. "I was trying to stay positive, and it does get frustrating when you have all those chances and they're not going in, but I'm just sticking to the process and working hard, and good things were going to go in for me. I was happy with tonight but not satisfied. There is a lot of season left and I still think I can bring more so I am excited for what is ahead."
Jost developed into a key player for the Avalanche during the remainder of the year. He recorded nine of his 12 goals from Feb. 6 until the end of the season (31 games), which was the fourth most on the club during that span.
The forward added another career first late in the campaign, registering his first multi-goal game at the Anaheim Ducks on April 1. Both markers occurred in the second period, as he scored his first goal on a power play 1:04 into the frame and then finished off a 2-on-1 with Alexander Kerfoot for his second tally 11 minutes later.
In the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Jost tallied his first NHL postseason point with an assist on Gabriel Landeskog's power-play marker in Game 4 of the series versus the Nashville Predators. The rookie went on to appear in all six games of the Avs' playoff run.
"It was pretty cool. I got a taste of what playoffs were all about and experience on how the crowd really rallies behind the home team, it was really exciting for us," Jost said, reflecting on his first playoff experience. "I know I was really excited and you get quite a bit of butterflies, but it is just stuff you dream about as a kid. I remember watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and it is just kind of cool sitting on the bench and taking it all in."

Following the NHL campaign, he joined Team Canada for the 2018 IIHF World Championship and recorded four goals and six points in nine games.
After a full season in the books and having another summer to train, Jost will look to make an even greater impact for the Avalanche in 2018-19.