Rookies take the spotlight at training camp

The kids are alright.

Really, they are.

The Kootenay Ice wrapped up the prospects portion of training camp on Sunday, as veterans went from watching rookie scrimmages in the stands to donning their own gear to make a case for a spot on the 2017-18 roster.

Over 35 prospects were split up into two teams bearing the names of team alumni (more on that later) and run through fitness testing, on-ice drill sessions and scrimmages.

The scrimmages, especially, are where prospects can really separate themselves, head coach James Patrick said.

“There are a lot of players who are one way in practice, then they get into a game and they can almost dominate,. So again, it’s still a part of the growing and learning process for most of these players,” Patrick said. “Some of these guys will be on our team and now it’s training camp. It’s time to be in competitive situations and be in some games. I’m excited to see it.”

The prospects roster included high profile forwards such as Peyton Krebs, the first overall selection from the 2016 WHL Bantam draft, as well as Connor McClennon, the second overall pick in this year’s draft.

Both showed why they were drafted as high as they were; Krebs skates circles around everyone else using his speed and showed flashes of playmaking brilliance, drawing defenders to him before dishing the puck off to a open teammate to finish for a goal.

McClennon also looked good in the first scrimmage, using his wheels and quick shot to score a few goals off the rush. Unfortunately, he took a big open-ice hit and did not play in the second prospects scrimmage.

Evan Thomas, a 10th rounder from 2014, showed well as one of three ’99-born players, while defenceman Bobby Russell (123rd overall, 2015) and goaltender Jesse Makaj (23rd overall, 2016) also impressed.

Sebastian Streu, an intriguing invite to camp, also made an impact in the scrimmages.

Streu, listed as being from Belmont, MB, played in Europe last year with the EC Red Bull Salzburg U18 team, however, given his dual Canadian-German citizenship, is not considered an import and wasn’t subject to the CHL Import Draft.

Prospects were divided into two teams bearing the names of Ice alumni — Team [Colin] Sinclair and Team [Adam] Cracknell.

Cracknell himself even came out to get some ice time before heading down to Texas for training camp with the Dallas Stars.

Of course, he got assigned to Team Sinclair.

Patrick noted how important it was for the prospects to interact with an NHL pro both in the dressing room and on the ice.

“It’s awesome. It’s good for us, as coaches just trying to explain drills; he knows a lot of these drills because he’s been around the NHL,” Patrick said. “He’s a great role model for them. He is an extremely hard worker. He’s earned everything he’s achieved from his NHL career from hard work and compete, so that message right there is fantastic.”

Prior to getting into the on-ice practices and scrimmages, the prospects were put through fitness testing, which is important in the sense that this year’s results will serve as benchmarks for how they’ve progressed a year from now.

For Patrick, a former NHL player with over 1,000 games under his belt, fitness testing and training has changed dramatically since he was drafted ninth overall by the New York Rangers in 1981.

“It’s night and day,” Patrick said. “How sport sport-specific it is now, to what you need. It bothers me to this day…we didn’t do any core work. Now the modern hockey player, it’s his thighs, his butt and his core. That and their explosiveness.”

“We used to ride a bike for 25 miles and we used to do five-mile runs. You don’t do that in hockey — you go on the ice for 45 seconds for high-explosive shifts.”

The evolution of strength and fitness training has changed how the game is played, he added.

“When younger guys are coming into junior in better shape, and then the junior players are leaving in better condition than they were 10 years ago, when they get to the NHL, a lot of 32-year-olds are becoming extinct in the NHL because the young players are so good, they’re so fast. They’ve made the game faster. It’s starting at this age with the young kids.”

NOTES: The WHL veterans got onto the ice on Monday, following their own fitness testing on Sunday, doing on-ice practices and one scrimmage…The Ice released their latest season ticket count on Monday, sitting at 1,858…James Form, a third round pick from the 2017 Bantam Draft, signed with the team on Sunday…