On Saturday night, the Giants held their first training camp scrimmage with Team Lucic and Team Gallagher facing off. Although each period was played differently, it was an intense battle involving many goals and physical play. Here is a recap as well as who impressed during the scrimmage.
First Period
The first period saw six goals, with each team potting three. There were lots of hits and even a few penalty shots. The period was run like normal, five on five with stopped time. During this period, four players really stood out. Here are the four players that stood out after the first period.
Adam Hall
Hall made his debut with the Giants last season and became a big part of their penalty kill. He really stood out in the first period of today’s scrimmage. He was strong on the forecheck, not afraid to throw his weight around, and made some strong defensive plays. He should be a big part of the Giants penalty kill this season as well as their top-six.
Matthew Edwards
Edwards can really fly. He has a great stride and was very noticeable in the first period. His play along the boards was strong, and he was generating offence every time on the ice. Not to mention the fact that his defensive play was impressive this period. Definitely a player to keep an eye on.
Randy McLaughlin
Normal scoring a goal is the most impressive thing a player can do during a period, but for McLaughlin, it was his feistiness that really stood out. He didn’t back down when Cade McNelly went after him and was one of the most active players on the ice the entire period. He is determined to make this team and really showed what he brings to the table in the first period.
Justin Lies
He scored a goal on a penalty shot but what really stood out about Lies was his leadership. When McNelly and McLaughlin were pushing and shoving, Lies came over and separated the two. He will be a leader on this team and is showing it here early in training camp.
Second Period
The second period saw a total of seven goals. Just like the first, it was five on five for 20 minutes but running time instead of a stopped clock. There was definitely more physical play this period as players were continually throwing hits along the boards. Here were the four players that impressed during the second period.
Mazden Leslie
What more is there to say about Leslie that hasn’t been already said. He is so smooth with the puck, can make the strong outlet pass and has some physicality to his game. Expect him to play a big role this upcoming season.
Julian Cull
Cull continued his strong camp with a great second period. He was not afraid to get in front of the net and fight for pucks. He is not the biggest player on the team, but you can’t tell that by how he plays. This season, look for him to become a regular with the team.
Justin Sourdif
Sourdif makes everything look easy. His skating and puck handling is phenomenal, and he will be a catalyst when it comes to the offence this season. He has started training camp strong, so hopefully, that leads to a great Giants campaign this season.
Ethan Semeniuk
One thing that really sticks out when it comes to Semeniuk is his ability to find teammates with crisp passes. He is constantly making plays and can make that strong outlet pass to relieve pressure. A forward who is strong in his own zone, he continues to get better every day.
Third Period
The third period was run four on four with 10 minutes of running time. During this period, the teams only used half the ice playing blue line to blue line. The period saw two goals, with the scoring ending 10-5 for Team Lucic. Here were the top four players for the third period.
Ty Halaburda
It is evident that Halaburda has a lot of skill. He can make moves in close and can retrieve pucks well. He is also a great skater that can turn on the jets. A very impressive camp so far for the pride of Victoria, BC.
Prabcharn Mahal
Mahal was solid in goal for Team Gallagher during the third period. He stood his ground and did not give up any rebounds. When you are able to keep calm and collected in the net, your team has confidence in you—a very good period for the 2004 born goaltender.
Hunter McInnes
McInnes is such a smooth skater with and without the puck. He is not afraid to jump up in the play and has the speed to get back to prevent odd-man rushes. This player has been very impressive all training camp and could even make the team come October.
Ty Thorpe
Thorpe has skill, that’s for sure. He can weave in and out of defenders and make crisp passes to teammates to set up chances. Based on this training camp, do not be surprised if he plays top-six minutes and power play for this team.
An impressive scrimmage
The scrimmage ended with a little three on three and finished with a final score of 11-6 for Team Lucic. The players competed hard and really impressed not just the coaches but the fans as well. The coaching staff is going to have to make some difficult decisions when it comes to who makes the final roster come October.
