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Finger proving he belongs

Defenseman paid dues; Avalanche is reaping dividends

Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News

Published March 27, 2007 at midnight

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There are times when Jeff Finger can be excused for pinching himself.

After all, as a 27-year-old who still hadn't made it to the NHL, he acknowledges it might have been a good idea to start contemplating a career change.

But Finger stayed the course and stuck it out in the minors for 3 1/2 years, a decision that is paying off for him and the Avalanche.

"It's a dream come true for every guy in my shoes," said Finger, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound defenseman. "I've been working my whole life for this. I've been playing hockey since I was 4 years old."

Finger, who is from Houghton, Mich., has been a pleasant addition to the blue-line contingent and has contributed to the 10-0-2 run the Avalanche will take into tonight's game against the Vancouver Canucks at the Pepsi Center (7, Altitude).

"The previous two times, we were looking for a 'D' from down there he was injured," coach Joel Quenne-ville said. "The timing has been tough for him. We always thought he could play up here."

Finger has proven it in the 16 games he has played since his Feb. 17 recall from the Albany (N.Y.) River Rats of the American Hockey League. He has collected one goal, two assists and an impressive plus-10 plus/minus rating while averaging about 14 minutes of ice time.

Finger has been solid in his positional play, has given the Avalanche a physical element and Quenneville hasn't been leery of using him to kill penalties and in the late stages of close games.

"He's playing important minutes, hard minutes," Quenneville said. "He's not easy to play against, too, which we like. He makes direct plays, handles the puck well and he controls the puck area with a little bit of personality, an attitude."

Finger played three years at St. Cloud (Minn.) State before leaving school to turn pro in 2003. The Avalanche had selected him 240th overall in the 1999 NHL draft when he was playing for the Green Bay (Wis.) Gamblers in the United States Hockey League.

Finger started his pro career with the Reading (Pa.) Royals in the East Coast Hockey League before moving on to the AHL, where he skated for the Hershey (Pa.) Bears, Lowell (Mass.) Lock Monsters and Albany.

While in Lowell, he met his girlfriend, Caroline Fotiu, the daughter of former NHL tough guy Nick Fotiu. It became a long-distance relationship when the Avalanche switched its AHL affiliate after last season from Lowell to Albany because Caroline works as a pharmaceutical sales representative on Cape Cod.

The distance is even farther now, but the relationship is thriving and so is Finger in the NHL.

"You just have to keep believing," he said. "It's a cliché and you probably hear the same thing from a lot of guys in my position, but all you can do is keep believing and keep going. . . . It was a long time coming and I'm just excited that I got this chance. It's been going good."

SKRASTINS NOMINATED: It took a badly sprained knee to keep Karlis Skrastins from extending his NHL playing streak record for a defenseman beyond 495 games, a run that began in 1999 and ended Feb. 25 when he couldn't play in Anaheim.

Skrastins, who estimated he once played about 30 games with a broken wrist, has been nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the Colorado chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Each PHWA chapter nominates one player for the trophy, which is awarded to the NHL player deemed to best exemplify perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Masterton, an All-American at the University of Denver, was a member of the Minnesota North Stars when he died Jan. 15, 1968, as a result of a head injury.

Avalanche players have nominated Ian Laperriere for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which is awarded by the Board of Governors to a player for leadership and for making a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to the community.

The late Frank "King" Clancy was an NHL player, coach, referee and executive and is in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Canucks at Avalanche

• When: 7 tonight.

• Where: Pepsi Center.

• TV/radio: Altitude; KKFN-AM (950).

• Leading scorers

Vancouver (45-23-7) G A P

LW Daniel Sedin 33 42 75

C Henrik Sedin 10 63 73

LW Markus Naslund 22 33 55

C Brendan Morrison 19 28 47

C Bryan Smolinski 16 26 42

Coach: Alain Vigneault

Colorado (39-29-7) G A P

C Joe Sakic 34 56 90

RW Andrew Brunette 25 51 76

C Paul Stastny 25 44 69

RW Milan Hejduk 30 31 61

RW Tyler Arnason 16 30 46

Coach: Joel Quenneville

• Injuries: Vancouver - C Josh Green (knee) and C Ryan Kesler (hip) are on injured reserve; D Mattias Ohlund (elbow) is out; D Sami Salo (groin) is day to day. Colorado - D Patrice Brisebois (back surgery), D Jordan Leopold (wrist surgery) and C Pierre Turgeon (calf) are on injured reserve; D Karlis Skrastins (sprained knee) is day to day.

• Sidelight: The Avalanche has gone 3-0 against the Canucks at the Pepsi Center this season by the cumulative score of 10-5.

• Notes: The Avalanche is on a 10-0-2 run since Feb. 27, which includes a 3-0 record at home. . . . The Canucks are 4-0-2 in their past six games and 9-1-2 in 12 games since March 1.