Hard work got Logan O’Connor into Denver’s lineup and kept him there until he signed with the Colorado Avalanche in 2018.

That same work ethic in and out of season catapulted him into the NHL full-time in 2020, and it helped him carve out a key role on the Stanley Cup champions this past spring.

Still, the former Pioneer was all too happy to enjoy a day off in Calgary on Aug. 10. That was the day Stanley visited.

Logan O’Connor enjoys a special Cup of coffee on Aug. 10. Photo courtesy of the Colorado Avalanche

“It was nice to share it with friends and family there,” O’Connor said recently at DU’s Pro Camp. “(My DU teammates) were really happy for me. If they were in that situation I’d be happy for them. We have good camaraderie.”

It’s also been nice to enjoy the aftermath in Denver, O’Connor’s home away from home and the place where he also won an NCAA title in 2017. He and John MacMillan, uncle of current DU assistant coach Tavis MacMillan, are the only two Pioneers to ever achieve the college-pro trophy lifts. John MacMillan won the Cup twice with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1960s.

A significant portion of O’Connor’s summer has been devoted to working out with DU alumni under the watchful eye Matt Shaw, DU’s senior associate athletic director of sports performance. The workouts are taxing, but plenty of time remains for catching up, which is particularly important to O’Connor and the class he entered DU with. There are four others who still play professionally – Troy Terry (Anaheim Ducks), Dylan Gambrell (Ottawa Senators), Blake Hillman (Hartford Wolfpack/AHL) and Jarid Lukosevicius (Abbottsford Canucks/AHL).

“Our group is super close,” Terry said. “I don’t think you see many of the other classes after they’re done still come back here every summer as a class.”

It’s easy to see why.

“We hang out all the time, whether we’re golfing, working out or skating together,” O’Connor said. “Since we’ve left, nothing has really changed. They were all supportive throughout the run (the Avalanche) went on. At times they’d leave me alone, they understand there’s a lot going on. Other times when we had a break they’d send nice messages.

“We have a close camaraderie, chemistry and competitiveness – we push each other throughout the summer. We want the best from one another, and everyone is willing to go to work when we’re together.”

Terry was quick to point out that work has been the constant in O’Connor’s upward career trajectory, which had a humble beginning at DU. O’Connor was a part-time player (23 games) on Denver’s 2015-16 Frozen Four team before taking on a regular role for the 2017 National Champions.

“I was freshman roommates with Logan, and I watched him come into DU and struggle to get into the lineup,” Terry said. “I went through it with him, and it was a hard year for him.

“Then I watched him sophomore year get better and play every game. Junior year, same thing. When you see a progression like that it’s because he works so hard. … As a class we’re very competitive with one another. We all saw how hard he works. Then he gets to pro hockey and just took off. It wasn’t a surprise to us. You can see he has the skill, but when you watch his work ethic you just knew.”

It not only took O’Connor to the NHL, but to the League’s peak. It was an accomplishment he and his peers have relished.

“Just to see it all play out for him and make it to the NHL, we were all so happy for him,” Terry added. “Now he’s made a good career for himself. Then watching him win a Cup … I’m his neighbor so I was up close and personal for most of it. It was really special for me personally as well as our whole group.”

“It’s been pretty incredible,” he said. “I honestly don’t know if it’s truly set in yet. Maybe post-career when I’m thinking back on things it might set in a little more. At this point in the summer the celebrations are over. I’ve had time to reflect on it a little bit and enjoy it in the moment.”

The pro camp, which included two dozen-plus NHL and AHL players, served as a reminder of something else.

“It’s time to turn the page and focus on the next year,” O’Connor. “We have to try to do what we can to get back to same level. We’re going to have a target on our backs, not unlike what DU will face as a champion. I think it gets harder and harder going forward.

“We’ve got do do the things that can continue to give us success.”

For O’Connor and his teammates past and present, and for the Pioneers for that matter, that process is well underway. It all starts with what has carried O’Connor and his peers to this point: hard work.

©First Line Editorial 2022