David Jones (ice Hockey) - Playing Career

Playing Career

While playing with Minor Junior team the Coquitlam Express of the British Columbia Hockey League, Jones was drafted in his first year of eligibly as the Colorado Avalanche's last pick in the ninth round of 2003 NHL Entry Draft, 288th overall. After being selected to the BCHL First All-Star team he committed to play collegiate hockey at Dartmouth College in the ECAC. In his third season with the Big Green in 2006–07, he led the team with 44 points becoming just the third player in Dartmouth history to be named Ivy League Player of the Year, while also earning a selection as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.

After completing his junior year with the Big Green, Jones decided against returning for his senior year, signing a two-year entry level contract with the Avalanche on May 21, 2007. He was initially assigned in his first professional season of 2007–08 to the American Hockey League (AHL) with affiliate the Lake Erie Monsters before being recalled by the Avalanche on December 20, 2007. He made his debut the following night in a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers on December 21, becoming the lowest selected Avalanche draft pick to play in the NHL. Highlighted by his skating speed despite of a large frame, Jones scored 30 points in 45 games with the Monsters before his was again recalled for a third time and stayed with the Avalanche for the remainder of the season. On March 11, 2008, Jones scored his first career NHL goal in a 5–2 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers. He also tallied two assists and was named as the first star of the game.

Injuries limited most of Jones' first full season in the NHL, and his third season with the Avalanche showed much promise. After scoring ten goals and six assists for 16 points in his 23rd game of the 2009–10 season, injury found Jones again on November 28, 2009, in a 3-2 shootout loss against the Minnesota Wild. He tangled up with Minnesota's Chuck Kobasew at center ice and landed hard with his knee in an awkward position just before teammate Paul Stastny tripped over him. He left the Pepsi Center with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and would miss the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.

Jones returned to complete his first full healthy season for the Avalanche in 2010–11, and despite losing a glimpse of his speed from his repaired ACL, he was rewarded with playing a career high 77 games and tied Matt Duchene for the team lead in goals with 27.

Given a one-year contract extension on June 29, 2011, Jones initially got off to a slow start in the 2011–12 season before responding with a strong second half to reach the 20 goal plateau for a second consecutive year, largely in part to establishing a partnership playing with longtime line-mate Stastny and the newly acquired Jamie McGinn to end the year. With the option of potentially exploring free-agency, Jones was instead signed to a four-year contract keeping him with the team through the 2015–16 season, on June 7, 2012.