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For a team that has shown a penchant for trading top prospects away for proven NHL talent, life in the Toronto Maple Leafs developmental system has its ups and downs.  For Carlo Colaiacovo, rated by Hockey’s Future as Toronto’s top prospect, the roller coaster has been even more of wild ride of emotions than for the average player.

Grabbed by the Leafs in the first round, 17^th overall in 2001, Colaiacovo has been in the spotlight since his days with the Erie Otters of the OHL.  As a member of two silver medal winning World Junior teams for Canada, the soon to be 22-year-old defenseman from Toronto has also been in the national eye during his career.

In four brief appearances with the NHL Leafs over two seasons, Colaiacovo has recorded a pair of assists, one coming in each season.  Since turning pro and joining the St. John’s Maple Leafs in 2003-04, the 6’1 188lb rearguard has amassed an impressive point total.  In 83 games with the Baby Buds, Colaiacovo has totaled 44 points, not bad for a blueliner who’s had significant injury problems getting in the way of his development.

The most recent mishap to strike Colaiacovo occurred on December 7^th in a game against Grand Rapids when he was struck in the ear by a shot, breaking a bone in his head and sidelining him for the past five weeks.

Hockey’s Future had the opportunity to speak with Carlo during the second intermission of St. John’s tilt against the Edmonton Road Runners on January 12^th. Despite his frustration with not being in the line-up, Colaiacovo was eager to talk about a number of subjects ranging from his injury, the organization and where he fits in the big picture.      

HF:  Tell me about the injury and how it happened? 

CC:  I blocked a shot in the ear and suffered a broken mastoid bone in the back of my head, some temporary ear damage, I was deaf for two weeks and it’s been a slow healing process but hopefully it won’t keep me out too much longer.

HF:  What is your expected return been set at?

CC:  I don’t know.  I’ve got a good week of skating under my belt now but it hasn’t felt too great, I’ve been off for a month.  Everyone was hoping for this weekend, including myself, but after these few days of practice it hasn’t been feeling the way I had hoped it would.  I think with another few more days of hard skating and practice with the team it will get me back ready to play.

HF:  What was the original prognosis?

CC:  They told me at the time that it would be a month at least.  With this kind of injury, they didn’t really know what kind of damage there would be at first because there was a lot of swelling, a lot of blood and they couldn’t really define what was really wrong with it.  After the healing process started they had a better idea of how long it would be but it’s really about how I feel and I haven’t been feeling as great on the ice as I expected I would be. 

HF:  Has flying been a problem for you?

CC:  At first it was.  At the time of the injury it kept me in St. John’s for a week and my first flight was pretty painful.  Coming here to Edmonton on the flight, I slept through most of it and I didn’t experience much pain.  Right now it’s all about getting back into game shape and felling 100 percent out there.

HF:  It doesn’t look like there’ll be a NHL season but hypothetically, if there was, would you prefer to stay and develop in the AHL for the rest of this year or move right up to Toronto if there was room, obviously taking money out of the equation?

CC:  My main goal is to play in the NHL and if there was a season then that’s what I want to work towards.  For the time being I’m in St. John’s trying to get better every day, playing a lot, the team is doing well and right now there are a bunch of us just concentrating on whom we are playing for and playing as a team and trying to win every hockey game.

HF:  Are you physically bigger and stronger than you were last year?

CC:  Absolutely.  This summer I really focused on working my hardest, getting strong, getting my conditioning higher than it’s ever been.  Last year I learned that I was going to play a lot, l tend to log 25-30 minutes a game and I need to be at my best every night so that’s what I prepared for.  Hopefully when I get back in the line-up I won’t be too far behind and I can step right in.  I was told I needed to get stronger and play stronger and those are really the basic things that I have concentrated on this year; being stronger on the puck, be tougher in my own end, play more defensively.

HF:  Has the added mass enabled you to do those things better?

CC:  Yeah, and the other thing that helps is the great bunch of veterans in the room that help us younger guys be better each day. 

HF:  Brad Boyes was a buddy of yours from your days in Erie.  What were your feelings about seeing him traded out of the Toronto system last year?

CC:  Two years ago now.

HF:  You’re right… time flies.

CC:  Yeah, I was the trade deadline talk last year!  (laughs) Obviously in our junior days when we were both representing the Toronto Maple Leafs we were really excited about the future, but it was really tough and a little bit disturbing on both of our parts when he got traded.  But, it’s the business of the game and nothing that either of us could control.  I hope the best for him and he does the same for me too.  We’re good friends off the ice as well when we’re back home and we keep in touch, motivate each other to be better all the time and hopefully we can continue to our goals with different teams.

HF:  That’s the way it goes in this sport and it’s something you’ll probably have to get used to.

CC:  Yeah it is as you can tell with the NHL’s lockout it is a business.  As players we can’t control the decisions that management makes, we just have to abide by them.

HF:  What’s the worst butchering you’ve heard or seen of your name?

CC:  (laughs) It’s pretty funny because growing up, you name it, it was butchered.  I can’t even think of how many different ways but I think the funniest thing is when they pronounce it with an ‘A’ on the end when there’s an ‘O’.  I don’t know where they get the ‘A’ from.  It’s something that I laugh about all the time when I hear people say it but I guess after talking to a lot of people it’s easier to say once you’ve heard it than when you first read it.

HF:  With a name that gives people so much trouble to say, I imagine you have a lot of different nicknames then.

CC:  Coco, Cola, Collie, Carlos… you name it. 

HF:  For those who haven’t seen you live, can you describe your style of play?

CC:  I’ve really tried to concentrate on my defensive game this year because I’ve always been known as more of an offensive defenseman but I’ve always know myself that I need to get better in my own end.  I’m a guy who logs a lot of minutes, plays the power play and is know to be pretty offensive.  I don’t really want to critique myself in any way though, I just want to go out and be the best I can each and every night to help the team win.  

HF:  You mentioned the trade rumors of yourself last year.  Where do you think you fit in with this organization, one that has shown a willingness to trade youth because they can afford to buy players off the free agent market?

CC:  I think I’ve survived two trade deadlines only because they want to see me play here.  I’m really happy and thrilled to still be a part of this organization because there really is no other place I’d want to play.  I clearly stated it last year that Toronto is where I want to play and so hopefully the (CBA) gets settled one day and I can make my way up there.

HF:  Is there much communication between St. John’s and Toronto, and Mr. Ferguson in particular?

CC:  Yeah, there’s always that communication but not as much this year because of everything going on.  They do what they have to do to make sure that we’re developing the right way and getting the things we need to be the best we can be.

HF:  What has the public’s reaction been in St. John’s to the news that the team is leaving for Toronto for next year?

CC:  As great as St. John’s has been to the team, I think a lot of players will say that it’s been pretty disappointing the way things were handled this year.  The team announcing that they were going to move before this season started I think really ticked off a lot of fans out there.

HF:  Understandably?

CC:  Understandably.  It’s pretty disappointing though that the support hasn’t been that great.  We, as players, really need that comfort of playing at home and this year…we’re really hoping that when we get back there’s going to be that support for us there.  It’s something that we haven’t had so far this season but I think we all agree that the city still supports us but we hope our attendance will grow.

HF:  Has there been a significant drop off in attendance?

CC:  You can tell on some nights.  We’re averaging 1500-2000 people, whereas last year it was 3000-3500.  Like I said, it’s disappointing because this year we have a winning team and we’re fighting for the division and we want to do our best as players to put a winning product on the ice there in the last season to make it a memorable one.

(Note:  Official AHL numbers list average attendance in St. John’s this season to be 4808 which is actually a very minor increase from the 2003-04 average of 4799 people.  It should also be noted that these figures are based on ticket sales and not dropcount in Mile One Stadium.)

HF:  Are you looking ahead to next year at all and the thought of playing closer to home and family or is that too far ahead still?

CC:  Personally, yes!  I’m really looking forward to next year but that’s next year and let’s finish this year off first and make it a memorable one for the fans in St. John’s after the 13 great years that they’ve supported the Leafs organization and we’ll let next year worry about itself.

HF:  Being from Ontario I assume that the Leafs were your team as a kid?

CC:  Absolutely.  Growing up in a family that watched Leafs hockey on a Saturday night and hoped each year that they’d win the Stanley Cup. There’s a lot of people dying in Toronto to see a Stanley Cup, it’s been such a long time and I’m one of those people so I feel even more special thinking that I might get the chance to celebrate that one day. 

HF:  What do you and the guys do to keep entertained on the road, especially on a long road trip like you’re on right now?

CC:  This year it’s been crazy with the schedule we’ve had.  We’re in the middle of a 26-day trip.  In a way it’s good because you spend more time with the guys and share team unity and stuff.  We play cards, go out, anywhere we are we try to find something to do for entertainment.  The toughest part is that when you’re gone for a long time you’re living out of a hotel, living out of your suitcase, eating out every day, that’s the tough part about it but we try to make the best of a worst part of every situation.

HF:  Which friends from junior do you still keep in contact with no matter where they’re playing now?

CC:  A lot of my Erie buddies because that’s where I spent four years of my life.  Chris Campoli (NYI), Brandon Cullen (ECHL), Mike McKeown.  That Erie Otter Memorial Cup team run we had was pretty special and so we still keep in touch.  Even with the Team Canada days, you keep in touch with those guys too.  That team camaraderie, guys learn to always stick together. 

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