Tonight's trip into Rogers Arena will be as close as it gets to being home for Victoria's Tyson Barrie.

Slated to make his fourth National Hockey League start since joining the Colorado Avalanche, the 20-year-old will have upwards of 20 friends and family members in attendance in Vancouver as the Avs take on the Canucks.

"The first game I played in Colorado was pretty special, but this is going to be a close second to that," admitted the defenceman, who was called up from Lake Erie of the American Hockey League 10 days ago.

"I've watched a lot of games at GM Place, I guess Rogers Arena now. It will be cool playing in front of friends and family," said Barrie, who is looking for his first NHL point, after collecting five goals and 24 assists in 46 AHL games.

What better place to collect it than in a familiar building. "That would be great. It's been really fun so far," said Barrie, whose parents, Len and Kristy, were on hand for his first two games in Denver. He also flew his sister Victoria in for a weekend contest.

"I'm getting more comfortable every game.

"It's a learning experience. Obviously, it's a great league, so hopefully I keep improving. The guys [opponents] jump on you quick.

It's hard to describe, but if everyone is where they're supposed to be, it makes it easier.

"It's a bit of an adjustment, but I thought the first two games I played well and made some strides. The last game I didn't play as much, but we'll see what I have to look forward to."

His father Len, a former NHLer himself, liked what he saw after an emotional and nervous start to his son's NHL career.

"The first game, I think I was more nervous. It was like you had emotional feelings before a big game and you had no part in it, so you had nowhere to go to put those feelings," said Len.

"He got through the first period and played pretty well. He didn't look like he was out of place at all and he adapted pretty quickly.

"It's like Tyson said, the biggest thing is you're seeing the name on the backs of jerseys of guys you've watched on TV - guys like [Jonathan] Toews and [Patrick] Kane. You realize where you are, but you don't have time to think because everything is going so fast."

After facing Chicago in his first game, he'll be at Rogers Arena tonight against a team his father played his first-ever NHL game against. Tyson Barrie is also paired up on defence with Shane O'Brien, a former Canuck.

"He's a great guy," said Barrie, who is averaging almost 15 minutes a game in ice time. "He's taken me under his wing and shown me the ropes."

mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com