At the age of 27, Jared Aulin has rekindled a love affair and is on the comeback trail.
Aulin, a former captain of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, hasn’t played a full season of professional hockey since 2005-06. But in a little more than a month he’ll be going to training camp with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Three years without playing pro and one year of playing university hockey . . . I fell in love with the game again,” Aulin said Thursday.
Aulin, who played four seasons with the Blazers, was a second-round pick by the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL’s 2000 entry draft. Aulin later was traded to the Los Angeles Kings and it was in their training camp, in September 2003, that his problems really began.
Two things happened that fall, both of which had a telling affect on Aulin.
He injured his left shoulder, an injury that would drive him from the game after a 13-game stint with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons in 2006-07.
Also, Los Angeles scout Ace Bailey was killed in one of the 9/11 hijackings.
In hindsight, Aulin feels those things took a real toll on him and that he badly needed a mental break.
“The tough times I went through with the shoulder injury and Ace Bailey passing away in L.A. — he was the guy who scouted me to get traded there . . . it was good for me to get a mental break and get a taste of real life,” Aulin said.
It wasn’t easy walking away from the game that had meant so much to him, especially when he felt there still was so much to accomplish.
...
Aulin had an agent send faxes to all NHL teams and follow that up with phone calls. He admits he didn’t expect to hear from anyone and was, in fact, prepared to check out the European market.
Which is when the Columbus Blue Jackets called.
Don Boyd, their director of hockey operations and player personnel, remembered Aulin and convinced general manager Scott Howson that signing him was worth the gamble.
“I was ecstatic,” Aulin said, adding that he is a different person than he was during his first go-round.
“I’m really confident right now and working really hard,” he said. “With age comes maturity and discipline . . . it’s been a great summer.”
Aulin has spent much of the summer skating “with some pro guys” and “shooting at some NHL” goaltenders.
“I’ve been trying to get on the ice as much as I can because I think that’s the biggest thing,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’ve lost any skill, that’s for sure.”
He also admitted to feeling a touch of desperation because, as he put it, not many “guys can say they’ve had a second chance.”
“I’ve always felt like I’ve had something to prove at the highest level and I just haven’t done that yet,” he said. “If I train hard and put myself in a situation where the opportunity is there, I can make the best of it.
“It just seemed like it wasn’t meant to be at that time. Now I’m more mature and I’ve got no excuses and I’m grateful . . .”
And if things don’t work out? Will he be able to walk away knowing that he won’t be coming back?
“Yeah . . . but I don’t think it’s going to come to that,” he said. “I’m confident that things will be fine. I don’t think I would put myself in this position to make a comeback if I didn’t think I could.”
Actually the entire article is a fantastic read, just read it there
I like this a lot. One of these camp invites has to make an impact on the team sooner or later right? We have a hole on the 4th line center and hopefully Aulin can step up and fill it. He had a 108pt season for The Blazers (8 years ago). He was also traded for Anson Carter at one point.
"They're giving me a huge opportunity. Not many hockey players get a second chance to make a career of something -- not many people, in general, get that second chance to pursue a career they were pursuing earlier -- so that's always in the back of my head.
"They've gone out on a limb to give me an opportunity and I'm not going to embarrass them. I believe in myself. I wouldn't have put myself in position to make a comeback if I didn't have that confidence."
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"I guess with age comes maturity and discipline and mental toughness, so I know what the game is all about," Aulin said.
"I just love the game of hockey and felt that I was fortunate to have a career in it before. I'm hoping to fulfil that dream again."
Good luck to him - sounds like a potentially feel-good story. Would he stick around to play in the 'Cuse I wonder?
OT and to nitpick just a bit -- The linked story references two things happening in the fall of 2003, and cites as one of them scout Ace Bailey's passing among those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Maybe I'm goofed on the timeline...
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"Every game, every point is a necessity." -- Ty Conklin, January 2007
"I'll have a chance to compete for the post of first issue. This is the most important thing." -- Sergei Bobrovsky, June 2012
I liked what i saw of him in LA, really unfortunate that he hurt his shoulder before the start of the season that year in LA. I know he would made the club. He injured it sticking up for Cammalleri at a prospect game, a large player was trying to push Cammalleri around and he came to help out. good guy wish him luck!
I liked what i saw of him in LA, really unfortunate that he hurt his shoulder before the start of the season that year in LA. I know he would made the club. He injured it sticking up for Cammalleri at a prospect game, a large player was trying to push Cammalleri around and he came to help out. good guy wish him luck!
Yep, that's exactly how he did it in. Any decent resources out there to keep tabs on Jackets camp? Or is here pretty much as good as anywhere?
