The future is bright for the Nipawin Hawks and they got a glimpse at their annual spring camp.
“We’re very happy with everything,” said Doug Johnson, the Hawks’ head coach and general manager. “The future looks bright and that’s the way it has to be for us. Being average isn’t acceptable in Nipawin and nor will it ever be.”
This year’s camp featured approximately 60 players from across British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The camp, which ran April 21-23 at the Centennial Arena, saw dwindling numbers from recent years, said Johnson, who was pleased despite the low numbers.
“The quality was incredibly high... We were missing a few of our top-end list kids but we also had a lot of high-end list kids there.”
Johnson was pleased with the overall base skills of the players in attendance, noting that all of the players have a nice foundation and are not really lacking in one area of their game.
“Some need to get stronger, some need to get a little faster, some need to work on the puck skills a little bit or work on their work ethic but the foundation’s there. It’s just getting a little more out of them.”
This summer will be important for those players, said Johnson, who notes that summer is where hockey players are made.
“You have to put the work in, in the gym, if you want to become the best hockey player possible.”
The camp also featured a number of 2002-born players, who are eligible for the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Bantam Draft this year. The camp was a good opportunity for the Hawks to do some last minute scouting.
Overall Johnson was pleased with the level of talent he saw from the bantam-aged players, noting they had some very high-end talent in attendance.
“It just shows kind of the quality that the age group has. I saw some very nice things with some of the players in attendance, that I know they’ll be drafted very high within our league.”
In addition to having an opportunity to see the kids on the ice, Johnson says the camp is also a perfect opportunity to sell the players on the community and the program.
“Recruits can come in and see Nipawin and see what the rink is like and see what the coaching staff is like. We have some of the returning players there they can talk to them and get a feel of how we do our job.”
It is also reassuring to see the players and know what the team has moving into next year, said Johnson.
