LOVELAND — Ivan Ivan knows it is going to come up at some point.
Teammates, coaches, fans, media members … eventually, someone is going to ask him about his name. It’s never mean-spirited, but people are always curious.
“It is funny,” Ivan said. “A lot of people think my parents hate me or something. I find that pretty crazy. If my parents hated me, they wouldn’t let me play hockey. It’s one of the most expensive sports.
“My parents wanted me to be special, so it’s not a common name.”
Ivan took an uncommon path to the NHL this season. He’s trying to defy pretty long odds, but it’s exactly the type of development success story the Colorado Avalanche needs as the franchise tries to find supporting cast members for its high-priced core of elite talent.
After a promising start to his first NHL season, Ivan spent the second half of the year readjusting to life in the AHL. Now, he’s trying to help the Colorado Eagles chase down a Calder Cup championship, with an eye toward becoming a more permanent part of the Avs’ plans next season.
“When we first saw him at rookie camp and (summer development) camp, we were seeing some tools and we got a little excited,” Eagles coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “You want to be realistic because it’s just rookie camp, but we knew we had something. Getting to know Ivan as a player and a person, he’s been coachable. He wants to learn. He wants to prove he belongs. And he just continued to work every day.
“He’s persistent. It’s been a great find for the organization.”
Marek Ivan played in the WHL as a teenager. His professional career in North America was brief, but he spent two decades playing in Europe, mostly at home in Czechia.
When his eldest son was mapping out his path, he wanted to follow in his dad’s footsteps. So Ivan left home for Cape Breton in the QMJHL in 2019.
His first season was an adjustment, but Ivan felt like his second year would be a lot better and help him find a place in the 2021 NHL draft. But the COVID-19 pandemic that cut his first season in North America short was unrelenting.
He spent the 2020-21 season on loan with his hometown club, which is in the third division of Czech hockey. Ivan practiced a lot and then practiced some more. He played a total of five league games, plus some time at the Czechia world juniors camp.
“It was tough, especially after coming home from playing in Canada,” Ivan said. “I knew I was ready for a big season, but it…
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