Guest post by Matthew Linsky (@MLinskyHockey) of Inside Hockey:
Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Boston’s newest off-season acquisition Jarome Ignila have the potential to be one of the most dynamic lines in the NHL this season. A combination of skill, speed, size, and strength, the trio displayed their diverse skill-set this morning in the second day of on ice training camp practice. Another standout trio was that of Matt Fraser, Carl Soderberg, and Craig Cunningham, who put the puck in the net on a number of occasions, all players battling for a spot on the NHL roster. Loui Eriksson showed off his undervalued speed in many drills, while Johnny Boychuk had a strong day defensively. All in all, it was another smooth practice for the black and gold, who prepare for their first preseason game Monday night in Montreal against long-time rival Canadiens.
We all fall in and out of love throughout the course of our lives, but for some, our greatest love finds us at a young age and never leaves. The love of the game came early and fast for St. Louis Blues‘ defenseman Ian Cole, pushing him towards an NHL future, one stride at a time.
“I obviously got into hockey at a young age like most guys. My dad played his whole life, not at a high level, but started getting me out there around 2-years-old, teaching me how to skate, the whole backyard rink thing, which was nice,” Cole remembered. “You obviously love doing it, fast forward a little bit more and I was put on a team. But it was definitely my dad that got me into it. It was his influence that got me out there, but once I fell in love with it, it was all over.”
Many successful players stem from families who have deep roots in the game, a sentiment that rings true to this day for Cole.
“Hockey is a family affair, my younger sister played all the way through high school, now she’s in college. My dad plays, although he just had hip surgery, so he’s on the metaphorical IR right now. My parents try to watch pretty much every game and they try to get down to St. Louis when they can. My mom loves it, so it’s definitely a family affair.”
For Cole, it was his fathers relationship with the sport that forged an early desire to stick with it. The good times between the pair span more than a father son relationship, but at a younger age, a player- coach one as well.
“When I was a kid, maybe 5 or 6, my Dad was my coach the first few years, he told me I was only allowed to score a goal a period, it was about teamwork, so I could only go end to end one time a period,” said Cole. “I was kind of mad at him about that, I liked to score goals but he put a rain on that unfortunately. It was kind of funny though, I was so mad about it and now, I’d give anything to score a goal a period.”
While family lends a glove in the development process, growing up, you love the game from a fan perspective as well. Idolizing players is all in a days work for a kid and Cole was no exception.
“Growing up in Michigan, I was obviously a huge Red Wings fan, a Steve Yzerman and Nick Lindstrom fan. I would say either of those, probably more so Lindstrom being that I’m a defenseman, he’s an absolute legend. Growing up, if I could have skated as anyone, it would’ve been him, he always struck me as interesting.”
The desire to defend the blue-line isn’t always at the forefront of a players mind, occasionally it needs a little coaxing. The drive to be a forward is often negated by lack in skill or space in the lineup. Switching positions when you’re young is normal, finding the right place on the ice takes time, but when you do, you never switch back.
“I started out as a forward, I switched when I first started playing AAA, I played a year up with the older kids and I was a forward, the coach was pretty much saying that I wasn’t good enough to be on the team as a forward, but they needed a defenseman, I don’t know if that’s actually what happened, but that’s how my dad recalls it. The coach said it a bit nicer than my Dad did,” Cole said with a laugh. “We’ve got a lot of forwards, but you could switch to defenseman. I was maybe 10 and that’s why I got switched to defense, obviously it’s what I am now. When I was younger, I probably created more offense than defense – I could kind of see things. I’m not as offensive now as I was in my younger days, but I loved it playing defense and I never switched back.”
Dedication to succeeding comes from more than just the player, but the support network surrounding them on any given day. In the world of hockey, it’s the continued role a parent plays that ups the ante on the success rate.
Credit: Notre Dame
“My mom and my dad, kind of cliche to say that honestly. You can’t say enough about hockey parents that drive you everywhere and sacrifice so much time and money to let you do something that you love to do,” said Cole. “Obviously a lot of parents do it, but in my eyes, hockey parents are the best. My parents have been huge and influential in how I’ve approached my personal life, hockey life and career, they’re my biggest role models.”
Support aside, often advice helps mold a young players mindset, benefiting development both on and off the ice.
“My mom always used to say ‘be sure to open as many doors as you can’, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. It’s about being able to keep balance in your life, try to be academically inclined, I went to Notre Dame and my parents were a big component in that,” Cole said. “Not specifically that school, but the premise of going to college or university. My mom always said to give yourself options, focus on what you want to do and where you want to go in life. It’s about going through life with the opportunity to do things you want to do and not be forced into doing things that you don’t. I’ve definitely tried to open as many doors as possible, not only in hockey, but life in general. Great advice given by my mom.”
Taking the route similar to many of his American NHL peers, Cole found himself playing within the U.S. National Development program from 2005-2007. Cole’s time spent within the NAHL effectively led to being drafted 18th overall during the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by St. Louis. In 2007, he became a member of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame, a university well known for it’s hockey team boasts both a prominent and memorable time in Coles’ young development.
“I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything, we actually just had a pro camp at Notre Dame, all the guys that are playing pro now went back and skated together. It’s a great group of guys, really cool to keep in touch with them and see them, more so than just the camp.,” shared Cole. “The whole climate of college hockey is awesome, you have the academics which are great, you get a college degree which is fantastic, Notre Dame was a high quality college degree. But the whole aspect of the lifestyle, learning time management, the amount of time you spend working out, you’re living with your teammates, you’re able to workout a lot more and develop mentally speaking. It’s a great opportunity for kids, I don’t think I’d be as well rounded as a player or as a person if I didn’t go to college or Notre Dame more specifically.”
Automatically skyrocketing into NHL success is a course of action held by few. More often than not, logging ice time in the American Hockey League is a necessary occurrence. An experience that Cole recounts is bouncing between the NHL and AHL at the beginning of his career and crediting the AHL for a significant learning opportunity.
Credit: Rivermen
“My first year I was up and down a lot, some ridiculous amount, nine times I think. I was called up, sent back down. My second year, I got called up halfway through and ended up staying up for the second half of the year. Last season, it was the lockout so I started down in the AHL, once the season started, I went back up for the remainder,” recalled Cole. “With the time I spent down there, it was great for me. This most recent season with the lockout enabled me to go into the NHL season already having played half a season – it was a great tune up. I was able to play in every situation, 30 minutes a night. The team wasn’t as successful during the first half as we would have liked, but me personally, being able to play that much and come into the NHL season ready to go was awesome, I enjoyed. The AHL has less of a business feel, you hone your skills and you’re put in situations that you might not necessarily be in in the NHL. Hangout with the guys, living with them, forming relationships, a great time too.”
At just 24-years-old, a list of accomplishments already floods Coles’ resume, but it isn’t the memories that fans can see on paper that come to mind, it’s the priceless moments that come spilling out when asked to share what he considers his greatest achievements thus far.
“There are a lot of great achievements throughout my career, if you can call it that,” laughed Cole. “When I was in college, my freshman year we went to the Frozen Four, played in a national championship game which was an amazing experience. Unfortunately we lost, but still it was a great experience. I’ve played in World Juniors twice, once up in Ottawa against Canada on New Years Eve which was the most electric building I’ve ever played in, Scotiabank Place was shaking, it was intense. Playing your first NHL game, your first playoff game, you’re faced with so many situations where you just want to pinch yourself and say ‘Is this really happening?’ Those are just some highlights.”
Credit: Blues
Not being in a Canadian city, or an original six team where hockey is a way of life, doesn’t mean that St. Louis should be discounted as a fantastic place to live, play and support the NHL franchise. With a devoted allegiance of fans that seems to grow on a yearly basis, being blue isn’t so bad.
“We have a reputation, Forbes put out rankings and placed us as the lowest valued team in the NHL, all that stuff, it’s hard. It’s a baseball town, everyone loves the Cardinals they’re the biggest thing in town, no question but we sellout basically every game. Maybe it’s not as big as the Cardinals fan-base, but we have an extremely knowledgeable, passionate fan-base that knows the sport of hockey,” said Cole. “It’s nice to play for people that appreciate someone that works hard and a team that works hard. A team that puts on their hardhats and wears a lot of teams down just by outworking on the ice. It’s nice to play for a city that values the kind of players we have on our team. A team that doesn’t give up, we aren’t an overly skilled team, but we have a lot of skill on it. It’s a great city, it’s a smaller city population wise, but you get to know a lot of people which is something you might not get in other hockey towns. It’s a good bunch of guys and we have a great time, making the season that much more enjoyable for us and the fans.”
With the season almost upon us and the summer quickly fading away, it’s no surprise that players, Cole included, are finding themselves itching to get back to the ice for another year.
“I’m just happy to get playing again. It’s been too long of a summer for us, losing in the first round is unacceptable in any regard. So getting back at it, working hard during camp and getting back out on the ice for regular skates,” noted Cole. “I’m really looking forward to picking up where we left off last season, take the momentum that we had and try to really push the envelope this season and extend the playoff run that we had. We want to get to the conference final, the Stanley Cup Final and win a Stanley Cup. A lot of pressure on us to achieve that sooner rather than later and that’s what we’re shooting for as a hockey team.”
With 82 regular season games about to face off in less than a month, the thought itself is exhausting. Living for the game and learning to accept the lifestyle is all in the job description, but busy spells, followed by lulls can prove interesting, or in Cole’s case, not so much.
Credit: Blues
“It’s kind of a weird dynamic, sometimes you’re super busy and other times you’re really bored. Then you have the times where you’re busy and bored at the same time. There’s a lot going on, a lot going on at the rink, but you can be busy and then have nothing to do the rest of the day. A lot of the guys play video games, I’m lacking in having cool hobbies, I don’t play guitar or anything unfortunately. It’s watching a lot of movies, hanging out with the boys, go out to eat quite a bit, just hang with the guys. That’s about it.”
Throw on a St. Louis game and you’ll be quick to notice the 6’2″ defenseman in the lineup,his opponent may hate him, but on ice demeanor doesn’t always reflect a players off ice personality. Spend a few minutes talking to Cole and you’ll be sold on his friendly, easy going, overall nice attitude.
“I like to be fun and have a good time. I’m not overly serious, I like to keep it light. I try to treat everyone the way I’d like to be treated, a concept my parents instilled in me as a kid. I try to be accommodating and treat people the way I like to be treated, it’s as simple as that.”
Want to know something else that’s simple? After learning about Cole, it’s the idea that St. Louis fans should be quick to love the defenseman donning a #28 sweater. With a genuine personality, skill and appreciation for those surrounding him, Ian Cole won’t make anyone sing the Blues anytime soon.
Cancer sucks, but actions speak louder than words. Pretty much everyone in the world has been touched by cancer at some point in their lives. I’m proud to be the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, and I cannot begin to imagine how different my life would be without her.
Fortunately there’s a way to take action that involves playing hockey. Road hockey unites as a country regardless of our gender, age, cultural background, affluence and/or skill level, and Vancouverites are banding together in a dawn-to-dusk marathon of games to conquer cancer on September 14th outside Rogers Arena.
Benefiting BC Cancer Foundation, teams have been fundraising and competing to qualify for a celebrity draft. Teams could add the likes of Canucks Alum Kirk McLean, Darcy Rota, Orland Kurtenbach, country singers Dallas Smith, Aaron Prichett and Chad Brownlee,or Miss Canada 2012 Tara Teng to their roster. Streets of Vancouver will also feature the games, musical acts, interactive exhibits and food… are you in?
After a crushing defeat to the United States on home soil at the 2013 IIHF World Ice Hockey Championships, the Canadian Women have their eyes locked on revenge at the 2014 Olympic Games. Winners of the past 3 Olympic Gold Medals, the Canadians will stroll into Sochi bearing both the expectations of being the defending champions and also the pressures of a team coming off of disappointment. Standing in the way of the Canadians is an American team that is brimming with confidence and hungry to win the country’s first Olympic Gold since the inaugural 1998 tournament.
As previously reported, the Americans and Canadians will both participate in the Four Nations Cup, a tune-up tournament in November. Additionally, the two nations will play three games against each other on American soil and three games on Canadian soil. The first game on Canadian soil will be contested on October 17 in Quebec while the other two games have yet to be scheduled.
The Canadians will look to gain an edge on their rivals with a rigorous fall schedule that will supplement their international games. Based at Hockey Canada’s home arena in Calgary, the women will play thirty games between September and December against Alberta Midget Hockey League teams.
Tournaments, back to back practices, you name it, when hockey season rolls around extended hours at the rink are a normal affair. That often means extremely hungry hockey appetites when you hit home. Sometimes you’re exhausted and the last thing you want is to cook a hearty filling dinner when you’ve been out all day. Our Crockpot Chicken, Stuffing and Gravy is a simple solution to the problem. It’s a filling hearty combination that reminds us a little bit of Thanksgiving, warm gravy, flavorful stuffing and tender chicken hit the spot on a cool fall or winter day. Throw it together before you leave and enjoy when you get home!
Crockpot Chicken, Stuffing and Gravy
Serves 8, 327 calories per serving
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooktime: 4 hours
Ingredients
4 Chicken Breasts (Thawed)
1 Box of Stove Top Stuffing Mix
1/2 cup of Sour Cream
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1/4 c. water
Directions
1. Rinse and then place all four chicken breasts in the bottom of your crockpot – the smaller the crockpot, the tighter the squeeze, they can overlap a bit if you’re short on space.
2. Open up your box of stuffing mix and pour it in the crockpot, right over the top of the chicken.
3. In separate bowl, mix your cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup of sour cream & 1/4 cup of water until it’s well blended, pour entire mixture on top of the stuffing.
4. That’s it, you’ll place the lid on the crockpot and let it cook for 4 hours on high heat, after 4 hours, serve.
During the second session of training camp, 41-year-old Jaromir Jagr left the ice with an apparent injury. According to the Devils, the reason for Jagr’s departure on the opening day of camp was “soreness,” and they had no further update.
The Devils reported that Jagr appeared to be wincing shortly after coming on to the ice for their second session. He later left for the locker room and did not return.
While these kinds of injuries are common at the start of the season, his age and injuries during the Bruins final games last season are of some concern. During Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Jagr was in and out of the locker room with a leg injury.
After losing some key players this off-season, it is crucial for the Devils to have a healthy Jagr in their lineup. Hopefully, for New Jersey, his injury, or “soreness”, will not be long term.
Twelve years ago, millions of Americans’ lives were drastically altered as terrorists launched an attack, killing nearly three thousand people.
On UAL Flight 175 were two hockey scouts, Mark Bavis and Garnet “Ace” Bailey. At the time, they were pro scouts for the Los Angeles Kings but they were known far and wide within the hockey community.
There are about a zillion tributes out there to both men (links to follow) and there have been programs and foundations created in their honor.
In the photo above, Dean Lombardi brought the Stanley Cup to the WTC Memorial as a tribute to Mark and Ace. Helene Elliott of the LA Times wrote a great article about the gesture made by the Kings’ GM in 2012 shortly after the Kings had won their first Cup in franchise history. You can find the article here: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/oct/15/sports/la-sp-sn-kings-nhl-acebailey-mark-bavis20121015
As I mentioned earlier, there are many great stories that people who were close to the Baileys and Bavises have shared throughout the past 12 years. In my own personal opinion, I think the best tribute the Kings have made to their head of pro scouting is to name their mascot after him. Before you think I’m being funny or trying to make light of this, I’m totally serious.
Named for Ace Bailey, the Kings’ mascot waves the 2012 Stanley Cup Champion flag
The choice of a lion for mascot is pretty obvious (King of the Jungle). For many long time Kings fans the name Bailey is also pretty obvious. But for those of you who don’t know, it’s a tribute to someone who was highly respected in the organization. I recall a story I was reading about Ace Bailey (I’ll post the link at the end), about what a passion for life the man had. The author makes Ace sound so jovial and talks about his passion for hockey. Below is an excerpt from the story that was written in June 2012 during the Stanley Cup Final:
“He’d laugh and shake his head at Jonathan Quick. That guy is special, Garnet Bailey would surely say, and he’d probably nudge the person sitting next to him with an excitable poke, the kind of poke a kid might give when he’s witnessing something remarkable for the first time, and then Quick would make another save and there’d come another poke from Bailey, and another, and another, because in the eyes of the man everyone called “Ace,” hockey always brought forth the new and amazing.
He’d nod proudly at Jeff Carter, and note with another poke the veteran’s calmness, how he rarely crumbles under the pressure. Oh yes, Bailey’s smile would have brightened Staples Center like a strobe light, because these Los Angeles Kings were his kind of a team, his sort of guys.
They even named the mascot with the scraggly mane in his honor. Bailey the lion prowled the stands Wednesday night, mischievously taunting the New Jersey Devils during Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals. Two nights earlier the mascot had taped cutouts of the cast from the Jersey Shore to the glass behind the visitors’ bench, harmless fun that Ace probably wouldn’t have minded, because he believed hockey always should be played and viewed with wondrous joy.”
Bailey the Mascot is a very beloved part of the Kings’ organization. Adults and children alike look upon him with wondrous joy and unbridled delight. While roaming the hallways of Staples Center, people shout his name; fans stop him and ask for pictures whenever they see him near their seats; autograph sessions are always longer than Bailey has time for. Even celebritiesare in love with like him! In short: he’s the most popular guy on the team and he doesn’t even play (that’s not to say, though that he wasn’t The Missing Piece during the Kings’ Cup run)
I won’t pretend that I ever knew Ace or ever had any connection to his family. But I hope that he’s somewhere peaceful, looking down on a team he helped build and was apart of for seven years before tragedy struck. And I hope he is watching the silly mascot with a smile which is named after him. Because while some may be offended or confused by the mascot’s antics, it’s all in good fun.
And that is something I hope Ace Bailey himself would approve of.
Remembering Mark Bavis and Garnet Bailey
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p>Thinking of Ace Bailey, Mark Bavis and everyone we lost 12 years ago. Honor them here: <a href=”http://t.co/AgOwSbHpPp”>http://t.co/AgOwSbHpPp</a> & here: <a href=”http://t.co/m7gzP165tj”>http://t.co/m7gzP165tj</a></p>— Adam Proteau (@Proteautype) <a href=”https://twitter.com/Proteautype/statuses/377760472147451904″>September 11, 2013</a></blockquote><script async src=”//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
Ok so this article is two-fer! That’s right two for the price of one because I forgot to write about rookie camp and training camp suddenly came up. Wooo hockey is BACK, folks!
Rookie camp opened last Tuesday with the prospects reporting to Toyota Sports Center followed by fitness testing on Wednesday. On-ice work began Thursday and continued on Friday. Saturday evening was the first of two rookie exhibition games against the Anaheim Ducks. They were a formidable opponent with some very talented players, but in the end, the Kings stole the show 6-1.
Game 1 Recap: Rickard Rakell of the Ducks opened the scoring about 9 minutes into the first period off a rebound collected from his teammate. The Kings’ defense was a little shaky and overall they looked very uneasy on the ice. However, J.F. Berube (currently of the ECHL Ontario Reign) stood tall in net for the Kings as they managed to escape the first period with only one goal against. Before the period was over, Andy Andreoff managed to snipe an odd angle goal past the Ducks’ goalie to tie the score.
The second period was a lot more evenly played as the Kings’ prospects, coached by Manchester Monarchs’ Mark Morris, seemed to take a collective breath between periods and came out looking better. Pearson added a second goal to double the Kings’ lead. Frederik Andersen was very good and very solid for the Ducks through 40 minutes allowing only 2 shots out of 27.
The third period was a bit of a free-for-all as the Kings tallied four more goals while the Ducks and Igor Bobkov struggled to fend off a suddenly surging Kings. Niederberger (of the Manchester Monarchs) was perfect in the remaining 20 minutes of the game, allowing no goals.
Jon Rosen has a good analysis of the game and offers his thoughts on the prospects.
Game 2 Recap: Once again, a slow start for the Kings as they were a bit sluggish getting their legs under them while fending off a flying Ducks squad (no pun intended). About halfway through the first, they finally started to put the pieces together and thanks to solid goaltending from Patrick Bartosak (of the WHL Red Deer Rebels; he was a 5th round draft pick in 2013 but was not signed to an NHL contract), came out on top 1-0 from a beautiful shot by defenseman Alex Roach on the PP.
In the second period, Jordan Weal (of the Manchester Monarchs) doubled their lead, 2-0. Nick Shore’s tally gave the Kings a little breathing room (and ended up being the eventual GWG). However, the Ducks pressured and eventually, a board battle won by Wagner led to an odd bounce and a goal for the Ducks. Bartosak was very solid through 40 minutes, allowing only one goal in 26 shots.
The third period was much tighter as a very focused Ducks group heavily pressured the Kings and often kept them from cycling the puck out of the zone. That pressure paid off again as Whitney managed to sneak a goal past Niederberger. Igor Bobkov was perfect in the final frame.
Jon Rosen has another excellent analysis of the game. You can watch the full game here, courtesy of Kings Vision.
Standouts: To be honest, I didn’t really pay much attention to the Ducks players as I was focusing mainly on the Kings players. However, for the Ducks, Emerson Etem and Rickard Rakell really stood out for me. Devante Smith-Pelley was also very good.
Obviously the best players (Tyler Toffoli, Linden Vey, Tanner Pearson, and Jordan Weal) performed well according to their high talent and skill levels. But some of the more surprising guys that stood out were Nick Shore and Andy Andreoff. Nick Shore is touted to be as good as Vey overall but is slightly better defensively while Vey is better offensively. In the rookie exhibition games, Nick Shore showed that he has an excellent 200ft game and good vision of the ice. Andreoff scored two goals and spent plenty of time in the penalty box. He is a versatile, tough, gritty player capable of playing both center and left wing with equal comfort and is the exact embodiment of everything the Kings are looking for. He’s not afraid to stand up for his teammates, is good in his own zone and even has a scoring touch. He was good enough to catch the coaches’ attention and very well could challenge Colin Fraser for his spot as 4th line center. The coaches will be taking a long, hard look at him during training camp.
Defensively, the ones who stood out to me were Zach Leslie and Colin Miller. Leslie had good positioning and has a great reach. He was very good at breaking up plays with his stick and disrupting zone entries. Colin Miller impressed me with a similar skill set to Leslie but also with his speed. He had a beautiful end-to-end rush in the second game and nearly scored. But he didn’t sacrifice his defense for his offense, which I really liked. None of the defensemen will be challenging for a roster spot in 2014 given that the Kings have nine defensemen already signed to contract.
Training Camp The players all reported to TSC in El Segundo yesterday and had their physicals today. Tyler Toffoli, Brandon Kozun and Andy Andreoff are among those who are competing for an NHL roster spot. Tanner Pearson and Linden Vey both have time left on their ELCs and can be sent back to Manchester without having to clear waivers. The same is true of Tyler Toffoli but the 21 year old, who was called up last season, impressed coaches and fans in his debut (even though he had a fairly sheltered role, despite mainly playing on a line with Mike Richards and Jeff Carter). He clearly has the talent and skill level to make it in the NHL. However, his place on the depth chart is a little fuzzy. There’s no way he’s going to unseat Justin Williams at RW1, Jeff Carter at RW2 or Trevor Lewis at RW3. So that leaves him at RW4, but his skill is better suited to Top 6 versus Bottom 6. Given Brad Richardson’s departure over the summer as a UFA, that’s a place where Toffoli could potentially slot in over Jordan Nolan. With some roster juggling, Toffoli could also potentially leapfrog Trevor Lewis as a RW2 but it seems unlikely, although you never know what Darryl Sutter might have up his sleeve. Depending on how training camp goes, Toffoli could start the year back in Manchester (I have a feeling that unless he’s balls out amazing, he’ll start there anyway just because the Kings are stacked at RW and there’s time to put him there).
Brandon Kozun is out of options so for him, it’s make the roster or be subject to waivers. His ELC expired over the summer and his age makes him eligible for waivers. He’s a bit small by NHL standards at 5’8, but he has the grit and the heart and the talent to make up for his lack of his size. He had a decent rookie camp, though he did not stand out as much as others did. His career in the NHL could depend on his training camp this week. If the Kings do put him on waivers, there’s a chance he’ll be snatched up by another team and the Kings will get nothing in return for a highly skilled prospect.
In other news, Jarret Stoll says he’s feeling fine after suffering a seizure on July 3rd with no warning and no explanation as to what happened. He’s 100%, feeling good and ready to go for camp. Dustin Brown, who suffered a torn PCL in Game 6 of the WCSF versus the San Jose Sharks will wear a knee brace to start camp; he did not require surgery to repair the ligament and I suspect this is just a precaution to make sure he’s able to play and won’t end up needing that surgery after all. Lisa Dillman’s article linked above includes updates from Williams and Brown.
Willie Mitchell spoke to the media on Sunday during Hockey Fest about the issues with his knee that kept him out of the lineup for the entirety of last season. He is confident and ready to go for the next season.
Whew that’s a lot of updates to cover. The full training camp roster and schedule has already been posted, but if you need it again, visit http://kings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=681982. All on-ice sessions are open to the public, no charge.
Tomorrow, the San Jose Sharks hit the ice for the first official training camp session of the 2013-2014 season. The Young Stars Tournament is over for the rookies and the last captain’s practice was Monday. The 54 players on the current roster for training camp are ready to get started. You can find the full list (as of 9/11/13) here.
Of the 54 players currently attending Sharks camp, there are 32 forward, 17 defensemen, and 5 goalies. The players will be split into two groups that will face-off against each other in scrimmages on Friday, September 13th and Saturday, September 14th. Both scrimmages are at 9:50am. Here you can find the break down of Group A and Group B.
According to the newest CBA, all NHL teams can only carry 23 players on their active roster. They will have until their first game to get down to that number and there are no set dates to make cuts. Those players that don’t make the roster for opening night will be assigned first to San Jose’s AHL team, the Worcester Sharks. Players can also be sent to their ECHL affiliate, the San Francisco Bulls, or other teams in the AHL and ECHL.
San Jose has already made a few initial moves to reduce the number of players in camp. They announced that they are returning 2012 draft pick Christophe Lanlancette to Drummondville of the QMJHL and 2013 draft pick Gabryel Boudreau to Baie-Comeau also of the QMJHL. In addition to that move, the Sharks have released Colby Cave, Josh Derko, Justice Dundas, Kenton Miller, John Padulo, Nikolas Brouillard, Sam Grist, Max Iafrate, and Spense Jensen, all of whom were on ATOs for the Young Stars Tournament.
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