| NAME: |
Braydon Coburn |
| NHL/AHL: |
Atlanta Thrashers / Chicago Wolves |
| POSITION: |
Defenseman |
| HT: |
6-5 |
| WT: |
220 |
| BIRTHDATE: |
Feb. 27, 1985 |
| BIRTHPLACE: |
Calgary, Alberta |
| DRAFTED |
Atlanta, 2003, 1st Round , 8th OA |
Braydon Coburn has his hand over the hot stove now.
Unquestionably the Atlanta Thrasher's top defensive prospect, got a glimpse of his future, when the club summoned him for a nine game stint earlier this season. It put his dreams in perfect 20-20 focus.
Drafted in the first round in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft as part of the Thrashers’ plans to boost the defense to compliment their team’s offensive talents, Coburn is experiencing the pressure, high expectations, and demand to develop quickly that come with being a primo prospect.
“It’s like [when you’re] a young kid, you really don’t know how hot it is until you put your hand there,” said John Anderson, Head Coach for the Chicago Wolves. “Being at this level can be overwhelming on the personal side. People don’t know how much pressure is on these kids to perform.”
Anderson has been there: The Toronto Maple Leaves first round pick in 1977, he relates to the expectations, even though he seldom discusses his playing career with his team. Players like Coburn have to experience it for themselves. So far, Braydon takes it all in.
“My experience in the NHL was good,” Coburn said. “I really got to see what I need to do in order to play at that level every day.”
Coburn attributes faith in his own ability as an essential growth and survival tool.
“You’ve really got to develop confidence to play at that level,” Coburn said.
It’s that confidence that Anderson is charged with making sure that his young future star possesses when he leaves the relative safety of the Wolves’ den in Chicago.
“The reason he is not in the NHL yet is because he still needs to work on his game,” Anderson said. “Once he learns to make the right plays at the right times he will advance. He is capable of doing that because he is just that good
"“When he is skating in full stride and he is breaking strong with his speed, it’s very hard to stop a guy like that.
Coburn is beginning to live up to his wealth of potential.
-Jason Blasco
