Peters reflects on prospect camp experience with Colorado Avalanche

Incoming Acadia Axemen goaltender Brayden Peters is set to return from the NHL’s Rookie Face-Off Tournament with the Colorado Avalanche with some positive lessons he can bring to the ice in Wolfville.

After spending his entire junior career with the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Calgary Hitmen, coming off a 41-game season with a save percentage of .909, the prospect camp served as strong preparation for his rookie season in the AUS.

“My experience so far has been amazing, getting to talk to the coaching staff and working with their goalie coach and getting another way of thinking the game and ways to improve my own game that I can take back with me and work on my own,” said Peters. “I’m hoping that I’ll be able to bring back some of that knowledge and be able to progress my game further than I would on my own and be able to make an impact with the Axemen once I return for our season.”

Peters said the opportunity to join Colorado for the came when their scouting staff reached out to him over the summer to gauge his interest in the tournament. His goal going into the camp was to make a name for himself among all teams in attendance and accelerate his progression on the ice.

“Coming to a pro camp where everything is a bit faster and more skilled it will help me improve quickly and get a step ahead for when I come back to Acadia,” he said. “My long-term goal is to also make a name for myself and hopefully have a few pro teams notice me while I’m here (at the tournament). Maybe it can lead to a connection sometime in the future if I make the jump to pro hockey at some point. By playing at Acadia it gives me the opportunity to keep playing at a high level with really talented guys, but also get an education that can support me later in life as well.”

The Axemen open their exhibition schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 19 in Halifax against the Dalhousie Tigers before returning home to host the Queen’s Gaels on Thursday, Sept. 21.

Puck drop against Queen’s is 7 p.m. with tickets available here.