Training camp is always an exciting time for everyone involved.
For returning players, it's a chance to show they've worked hard over the summer and deserve a bigger role on the team. For players with a shot at making the team, this is the last chance to show the brass what you can bring to the table. For 15- and 16-year-olds, it's an opportunity to show the team that you are worth investing in as a prospect.
For guys like me, it's a chance to watch all of those players and see who looks the most improved from last year. It's a chance to watch many younger kids for the first time and see what they're all about. Each camp helps give a better overall picture of how good a player is and whether he might be a future Bruin.
Here are some rambling thoughts from the first half of camp:
Friday night
I saw the first half of the White-Gold game (3-2 White) and the second half of the Red-Black game (2-0 Black on goals by Froese and Yano).
Tyler Paslawski (Red) may have been the best player on the ice. He looked faster, made good plays with the puck and created some good chances. He showed some chemistry with Matt Brykaliuk. The latter was impressive too, with his slippery puckhandling on full display.
Connor Milligan was really good too. His highlights included a big hit on 94 F Dylan Johner and a great stretch pass you might not expect from a mostly stay-at-home guy.
After chatting with Milligan a couple times recently and talking to a few other people, I will actually be shocked if he is not the next captain. That's not based on any inside info (that decision hasn't been made and may not be for a while) but I just think he's a perfect fit. He's a very mature, respectful guy who's more than capable of leading by example and in the dressing room. (And now I'm going to plug our SJHL Preview that comes out soon: check it out for a big feature story on Milligan).
Tyler Kauk threw a big open-ice hit on 95 F Keegan Allison early on and was impressive as usual. Tanner Froese looked really good playing with Taylor Reich, making full use of his speed and shot.
Also of note: 93 C Tyson Valette, who had five points in 26 games with La Ronge last year, is in Bruins camp. He's looked pretty decent so far. I would think it'll be an uphill climb for him to make the team, but he may have a shot.
Some of the prospects that impressed me were 94 F Ravi Chand, 95 D Zach Douglas (who has a legitimate shot at sticking this year), 97 F Arthur Miller, 95 D Nolan Speiss, 95 F Adam Osczevski, 96 F Chase McKersie, 95 F Wyatt Johnson and 94 F Hudson Morrison (much more on him later).
Saturday morning
Gold beat Red 2-1 in a shootout, with Morrison scoring the shootout winner. White beat Black 6-3.
In the first game, Hudson Morrison was dominant. I'd have no qualms in saying he was the best player on the ice. He had everyone talking at spring camp and he's carried that form into fall camp.
Morrison is the closest thing to a lock there has ever been for an 18-year-old in training camp. Pencil him onto your roster now.
I liked Zach Douglas' game again. He's considered a blue chipper on the blueline. He's really calm under pressure at the point and just makes good decisions out there.
This was a good goalie duel between 94 Travis Pelletier and 95 Brett Lewchuk. Pelletier would be the favourite right now for the backup job, but the team's pretty high on Lewchuk and 95 Ryland Pashovitz as well. Steven Glass's knee is not quite 100 per cent, so he's not playing in the scrimmages, but as far as I know he should be ready for the season.
One of the highlights of this game was 96 F Lynnden Pastachak of Bienfait absolutely undressing 95 D Ty Webber on a 1-on-1. He was stopped by Lewchuk, but it was a great move. I didn't really notice Pastachak last night, but I liked his game a lot this morning.
He's a player who blew everyone away at spring camp and has a bright future. The question is whether the Yorkton Harvest forward winds up in the WHL (in Red Deer or elsewhere) or in Estevan. You may remember that after spring camp, Bruins director of player personnel Rick Oakes spoke of Pastachak having an outside shot at playing in the SJ at 16.
Recent acquisition Patrick Hurley was solid. He's big. I mean BIG. The 6-foot-3 defenceman played a physical game. There was one memorable moment when 94 D Travis Holma went to hit him and bounced off him.
In the shootout, Morrison had the lone goal. Neufeld missed for Gold. Pastachak, Garagan and Poskus missed for Red.
In the second game, another recent acquisition looked very good and that would be 20-year-old winger Nick Weiss.
I thought Weiss had scored two or three goals, but he told me he had a goal and two assists. Either way, he created a lot of offence out there. He had 25 points for Grande Prairie last year. He showed today that he might be a player relied on for some secondary scoring.
Ben Johnstone had a really strong physical game. We've all seen the undersized pivot dish out hits on much bigger players and he did some of that today. He had easily the biggest hit I've seen so far, demolishing 95 D Tyson Theaker in the corner. Theaker had to leave the game. Hopefully he is OK.
I thought 95 F Keegan Allison had a really solid all-around game for White.
After the games, Bruins goalie consultant Ted Ryplanski held a session for the five netminders in camp, with several shooters being used in different drills. He said it's a very strong group of goalies (Pelletier, Lewchuk, Pashovitz, 95 Braven MacPherson and 96 Cody Murray). He compared Pelletier to former Yorkton Terriers starter Devin Peters, which is pretty encouraging stuff.
I will be covering football and rodeo for the rest of the day so I won't be able to get to tonight's sessions. However, I'll have full coverage of the Black and Gold game tomorrow at 3 p.m., including rosters.
Speaking of which -if you're looking for camp rosters, here's White, here's Red, here's Gold and here's Black.
