Trevor Cheek

History

2009-10: Trevor Cheek, who hails from Vancouver, Washington in the Portland area, skated for the Arizona-based PF Changs U18 team in the Midwest Elite Hockey League. In 48 games he scored 36 goals with 24 assists and had 62 penalty minutes.

2010-11: Cheek made the Calgary Hitmen in training camp as an 18-year-old in what was a rebuilding year for the defending WHL champions. In 57 games he scored 10 goals with 15 assists and was minus-15 with 37 penalty minutes. One year after finishing with the league’s best record, the HItmen were last in the Central Division; winning a league-low 20 games.

2011-12: Cheek attended the San Jose Sharks’ training camp before returning to Calgary for his second season in the WHL. He scored 23 goals with 26 assists in 67 games and was plus-6 with 75 penalty minutes. The much-improved Hitmen made the playoffs after finishing second in the Central Division. Cheek scored 3 goals with 1 assist and was minus-2 with 4 penalty minutes in the five-game series with Brandon.

2012-13: Cheek participated in Carolina’s development camp before returning to Calgary and ended up playing for three WHL teams in his overage season. He played one game with Calgary before being traded to the Vancouver Giants in September and was obtained by the Edmonton Oil Kings in January at the WHL trade deadline. In 71 regular season games between the three teams he scored 32 goals with 28 assists and was plus-12 with 57 penalty minutes. Edmonton finished first in the Central Division and advanced to the WHL finals against the Portland Winterhawks. Cheek played 15 playoff games and had 8 goals with 8 assists, finishing plus-17 with 14 penalty minutes, but missed the final series against his hometown Winterhawks due to an undisclosed injury he suffered in the Eastern Conference finals against Calgary. Cheek signed a three-year entry-level contract with Colorado in April, 2013.

2013-14: Cheek skated for Colorado AHL affiliate Lake Erie in his first pro season. He made steady progress after seeing limited ice time early in the year before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury in March. Cheek scored 3 goals with 5 assists and was plus-1 with 30 penalty minutes in 46 games. Lake Erie missed the AHL playoffs; finishing fourth in the North Division.

Talent Analysis

Cheek is a jack of all trades but master of none type of player. He can be slotted anywhere in the top-nine and has even played defense in the past. His size allows him to be used to screen goalies in front of the net on power plays and also as a shot blocker on penalty kills.

Future

Cheek attended his second training camp with the Avalanche before returning to AHL affiliate Lake Erie to start the 2014-15 season. A staple of the Monsters' bottom-six in his first season he is battling to stay in the lineup again this season. Never expected to be much of a scorer when he was signed by the Avalanche, his ability to play at the NHL level will be predicated on consistent, two-way effort and the ability to provide physical play all over the ice.