The last chance for Calgary Hitmen fans to catch a glimpse at the products coming down the pipeline took place Sunday afternoon at the Don Hartman North East Sportsplex.
Following three rookie games earlier in the week, the Hitmen held the Young Guns Game at 1 p.m., a new wrinkle in the team’s training camp routine. It featured the top 15-, 16- and 17-year-old prospects in their system.
“I think training camp has gone really well,” said new director of player personnel Dallas Thompson. “We put on a very organized tourney for the young fellas that was a little bit different from what we have done in the past. We have cut the roster size in half, which has given us quicker and more competitive sessions and we have been real happy with the results so far.”
The Young Guns were split into two teams of 20 with two goaltenders. Behind the benches weren’t members of the coaching staff, but scouts and video coordinators, which allowed the new brass and coaching staff of the Hitmen to watch closely from a roped off section in the stands.
The tempo and work ethic laid out by the training staff earlier in the week during the off-ice sessions carried over into the Young Guns Game, as players endured three 25-minute, running-clock periods after another strenuous morning skate.
All the recent top draft picks were on display for the one hundred-plus fans and family members in attendance as Team Ladd skated to the 5-1 victory over Team Getzlaf.
The most recent first-round selection by the Hitmen, Luke Prokop (2017 first round, seventh overall) opened the scoring when he moved along the blueline, rotating between forehand and backhand, snapping a wrister on Team Getzlaf netminder Tyler Shea.
Prokop was paired up on the backend with Jackson van de Leest, the team’s first round pick one year earlier.
“It’s been a great camp so far. It was a little nerve racking at first, but after a couple of skates, I’m beginning to feel pretty good out there,” said Prokop, who registered four goals and 41 points in 30 games for the Pursuit of Excellence Bantam Prep team last season. “They have moved me all over this camp. I prefer to play on my weak side, but I want to prove that I can play on the power play and penalty kill, turning into an all-situations kind of guy.”
A pair of undrafted players chipped in on the assist, as the feed from Grimshaw’s Eric Sorensen and Crooked Creek’s Devan Klassen was deflected on its way to the net less than one minute into the opening frame.
Team Getzlaf came out firing after the opening marker, directing any pucks they could on net. It was the only period in which they led in shots, 12-8.
Trey Hirschfield (2017 10th round, 205th overall) kept Team Ladd in it early with a pair of quick blocker saves and kicked out a rebound with his left pad on a point shot that was redirected twice on its path to the net.
Hunter Campbell (2016 third round, 60th overall) centred a line with Bryce Bader (2016, 2nd round, 38th overall) and Connor Brock (2016 10th round, 214th overall), and were giving Team Ladd’s blue liners some issues.
Campbell’s line was playing heavy on the boards, chasing down pucks and kept their feet moving as they tried to create space, but once again, Hirschfield was there to turn them away.
They finally found a crack in Hirschfield when Luc Benedictson (2017 eighth round, 161st overall) picked off a dee-to-dee pass between Cameron Newson (2017 ninth round, 183rd overall) and Klassen, stepping into the slot and wiring a shot past Hirschfield for the game-winning goal.
Benedictson was skating with a hot hand after supplying a hat trick in the rookie game on Aug. 26.
Team Ladd began to crank it up a notch in the second period, when Mitchell Watson (undrafted) was in the right spot at the right time when a Getzlaf breakout pass kicked off a defender’s foot back deep in the zone to Mitchell, who made no mistake.
Team Getzlaf’s defence picked up their play shortly after as Evan Toth (2017 sixth round, 112th overall) and Cole Martin (undrafted) neutralized a pair of threats each with active stick work, breaking up plays in front of their own net.
Following the goalie switch at the 11:55 mark of the second period, Team Ladd took over with a pair of quick strikes.
Less than two minutes after the goalie swap, Nolen Coventry (undrafted) and Hunter Lamb (2015 ninth round, 196th overall) drove to the net with Watson as the trailer, punching in the rebound.
Gaining on the momentum, Cale Zimmerman (2016 second round, 44th overall) drove down the right wall and waited for Ryder Korczak (2017 second round, 29th overall) to beat Getzlaf defender Luke Robinson (2016 10th round, 199th overall) to the net. Zimmerman zipped a pass across the zone in front of the net to Korczak, who only needed to angle the puck past the fresh Alex Rolfe (2016 ninth round, 192nd overall).
Rolfe responded four minutes later to rob Zimmerman with the blocker after he undressed Andrew Viggars (2015 eighth round, 174th overall) and Layne Toder (2015 fourth round, 85th overall) on Getzlaf’s back end.
One of the names that jumped off the roster sheet to just the casual fan was left winger Jackson Niedermayer (2016 fifth round, 90th overall), son of Stanley Cup champion and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Scott Niedermayer.
For Jackson, it marked his second training camp with the Hitmen.
“Last year, I took a lot from the older guys. This year, I am trying to help out the younger guys the same way I was helped out. When you are younger and an older guy on the team takes time to give you some advice, it really means a lot,” said the 5-foot-10, 194-pound Jackson.
The experience participating in his second game paid off earlier in the week, as he chipped in with a goal during the rookie game back on Aug. 25.
And as for playing with the legendary name stitched onto the back of his jersey, he welcomes the challenges and expectations placed upon him.
“My dad told me just to stay humble. There is always going to be guys gunning for me and it’s certainly not an easy last name to play with, but I enjoy the competition that comes with the last name,” said Jackson.
Jackson was on the losing end, as Team Ladd capped off the evening with a tap in with 2.8 seconds remaining.
Following the Young Guns Game, the Hitmen brass released several players, but the names were not released to the public.
Those who remain will suit up with either the black or white teams for one final practice before the intrasquad game tomorrow night (Aug. 27) at the Kyle Stuart Memorial Arena at Edge School.
From there, the Hitmen will carry 30 to 35 players throughout the exhibition season, until their opening day roster gets set for Sept. 22, when they travel to Cranbrook to open the season against the Kootenay ICE.
