Gaunce’s offensive skills excites the Avs

The Colorado Avalanche may not have had a selection until the second day of last month’s NHL entry draft, but that doesn’t mean the team’s brass wasn’t excited with the 50th overall selection.
With that pick, the Avalanche selected Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors’ defenceman Cameron Gaunce.
“It was a very deep draft,” Avs’ chief scout Ted Hampson told NHL.com. “We feel that we added a good young group to the Avalanche roster and we’re looking forward to watching them develop.”
Hampson, and other members of the Avalanche hierarchy, were no doubt intrigued with Gaunce’s promising offensive skills.
In only his rookie OHL season, the 18-year-old Gaunce had 10 goals and 30 assists in 60 games.
His statistics were good enough for the OHL to name him to the all-rookie team as a defenceman.
The 6-foot-1, 203-pound Gaunce was also the recipient of the 2007-08 Majors’ Tim Horton Defenseman of the Year Award.
dwiner@mississauga.net