Colborne ready to face his former team

Cut to its core, so much of Christmas revolves around anticipation. The waiting, the expectancy. Staying patient for the big day, the big arrival.
Well, the Calgary Flames won't be sliding down a chimney wearing jolly red suits with fluffy white trim. They'll actually be touching down at Denver International Airport - a time zone or two outside the city centre - via charter aircraft, decked out in business attire.
And, by design, they're a full two days late, on the 27th.
No matter. Joe Colborne is itchy with anticipation anyway.
"Anybody who tries to tell you it isn't a little bit special, I guess, to play against your old team the first time,'' he acknowledges of tomorrow's Flames-Colorado Avalanche post-Xmas clash at the Pepsi Center, "is lying.
"I'm looking forward to it. I have so many close friends there that I stay in touch with - Johnny, Monny, Booms, Staj.
"We had a pretty close-knit group, I loved every second and had a great time.
"How could it not be special?"

Kid Calgary is Kid Colorado now.
He's gone through the re-acclimatization process before, of course, starting out in Boston before moving on to Toronto and then here.
But this reunion, this can't help but feel different, carry a deeper emotional resonance.
Calgary, after all, is home. The place Joe Colborne established himself as an everyday NHLer, maturing professionally as part of the franchise he grew up supporting (as a kid, he cried when Al MacInnis was offloaded to St. Louis).
Living the local dream.
"Its going to be a little - well, more than a little - strange seeing those guys circling in the warmup at the other end,'' he concedes.
"That playoff run we went on (in the spring of 2015) is something we'll remember forever, that binds you together. Such a great time for all of us.
"Just seeing everybody … the equipment guys, the medical guys, people behind the scenes, is going to be fun.
"But it's part of the business. Everyone goes through it once or twice in a career."
Naturally enough, given his ties to this community and franchise, Colborne keeps tabs on all things Flames.
One thing that's been extra gratifying to him is the Moose's Troops program established by goaltender Brian Ellliott, in support of the military. It's a seamless transition from the Colborne's Forces initiative the lanky centreman had spearheaded during his tenure here.
"I was really excited to hear from Candice (the Flames' Executive Director, Charitable Foundations and Community Investment, Candice Goudie) that he had reached out to her, hoping to do something,'' says Colborne. "The reason I got involved is because I didn't think we as Canadians do enough to thank our military, thank our troops for the sacrifices they make.
"So it's great to see Brian and his wife, with their background, step up in the way that they have. It's a big commitment. To come right into a new city, a new team, a whole new situation, pick your whole life up, and then jump right into an initiative like that just speaks to how good a guy he is."
It's no secret the Avalanche have struggled this season. With a 12-20-1 record, they sit last in the Western Conference's Central Division. But amid those struggles, Colborne sees plenty to be optimistic about.
"I'm loving the city of Denver. I'm pretty familiar with it from my days at the university here.
"Obviously we're not having the success we want but outside of the lack of wins, it's been awesome.
"As a group, we just haven't performed the way we've needed to. It's not from a lack of effort. We're fighting to turn this thing around.
"We've put ourselves behind the 8-ball, to say the least but there's no shortage of leadership in our room."
Among that number, count 39-year-old all-time Flames' icon Jarome Iginla, among Colborne's growing-up heroes.
"I heard all the stories about how great a guy he is,'' Colborne marvels, "but until you actually get the chance to be his teammate and know him on a personal level you can't understand how true those things are.
"A lot of times the media over-hype that type of thing but he's every bit as good as advertised. Such a down-to-earth guy. You get to see up close why he was such a great captain and is still such a great leader. After 19 years or whatever it is he's played now.
"It's incredible to watch. To see how he handles the fanfare and, too, to see how he's handling going through this rough stretch we are at the moment.
"He shows up every day, refusing to let anything take the smile off his face. He's one of the hardest workers at practice. Just a great example for myself and the rest of the young guys. Yeah, we're fighting it, but he refuses to let it get him down.
"It's been pretty special for me, getting to know him."
As everyone 'round these parts is doubtless aware, Iginla recently reached the career 1,500-game mark in regular-season.
"The games," reminds Colborne, only 1,240 behind of the slam-dunk Hall of Famer, "are the fun part.
"Think of all the pre-game meals he's had. I mean, chicken or steak? That's hilarious.
"Think of all the pre-game warm-ups, all the practices, all the game-day morning skates, all the plane rides … the wear and tear on the body.
"Just amazing. And it's the work he's put in that's allowed him to do it."
The work is all there in front of the former Kid Calgary and his Colorado mates as they endeavour to somehow claw themselves back into the playoff frame here out West.
The holiday break is over. The squabbling re-commences.
Christmas, the chance to see and visit with old pals, came late for Joe Colborne this year.
"As I said, so many friends there,'' he reflects. "I probably spent more time with those guys than with anybody else in the world over the last three years.
"It's the hometown team I grew up supporting, the organization that gave me a chance to go out and prove I could be a good NHL player.
"I have so much to thank them for.
"I battled against those guys so often in practice.
"Now I get to go out and do it for real."