To me, learning is what Development Camp is all about. It's made for the organization of course but I also think the fans and media learn quite a bit during that week. Although most of you know just what the Nashville Predators Development Camp is about, I do want to stress what the Preds themselves see the camp as. For first time attendees the Camp is all about getting yourself acquainted with the Predators. The guys are put on a workout program meant just for them, they get taught what type of daily preparation goes into being a pro athlete, and of course they are evaluated for where they are in their personal development on the ice. For the guys who've been there before, they get a chance to further hone their skills, make some strong impressions on the coaches before training camp, and further develop their off ice training program. On the media side of things we get to evaluate the talent, make some observations for those who can't attend, and the best part (to me anyways) is getting to talk to the guys and see where they think they are with the Development Camp. The fans have the chance to get back to the rink and learn about the skills of these young kids and the future of the organization.
So that said, what did I learn? Well here are some very quick thoughts since I went more in depth the past two blogs. Wilson is a man. Ellis has a great shot. Blum is getting bigger. Pickard is very mature for his age. Laakso will have a great shot at the NHL once his shoulder gets to 100%. It's fun to see the last name Bourque on a Pred jersey. Budish is big and a great 2nd round steal so far. Geoffrion has some great passing skills. Latta can score goals. McKenzie is a big bruiser. Cameron Reid has some scoring touch. Mark Santorelli has a solid shot off his stick. Spaling has a great two way game he's developing. Ryan Thang has a nice shot and has surely had the nickname "Wild" somewhere in his lifetime. Casey Wellman busted his butt and made some good impressions as a free-agent invite. Mattias Ekholm had some strong moments. Jeffrey Foss caught my eye once or twice. Roman Josi is a good development project. Charles-Olivier Roussel likes to talk to girls. Russ Sinkewich had some flashy moments of his own and also had a busy year last year playing for 4 different teams in 3 different leagues. Atte Engren was solid. Jeremy Smith had a fantastic last day on the ice in front of a packed Sportsplex. Last, but not least, Anders Lindback is tall and Mitch Korn jokingly told me he has to yell up to the ceiling to talk to the kid.
Now, for those that attended, what did you learn from this years Development Camp?
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How could I not bring you one last dose of QUOTES? Enjoy.
Brandon Felder - "Well obviously your goal is going to be to make an even bigger impression at training camp but what do you really think you've been able to take away from these past few days?"
Teemu Laakso - "Definitely been a good experience here. I've been here a couple of times before but every time it's a little different. We've been working hard at this camp and it's been a great week."
Felder - "Where do you see yourself in development back from your injury at this point?"
Laakso - "That's a tough one. I would say like 80% shape."
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Felder - "So what do you think you've really taken away from the last few days here at the Development Camp?"
Mark Santorelli - "I think the coaches really stressed how to be professionals, how to act on and off the ice, and what it takes to train to get to that next level. I think the workouts we are doing are really good. I'm just trying to learn as much as possible."
Felder - "You have a unique situation with your brother being in the same organization as you are. Have you talked to him at all about his cup of coffee up in Nashville this past season?"
Santorelli - "Oh yeah. We and Mike are really close actually. We live together when we are in Milwaukee. I was really happy for him when he got the call and watched pretty much all of his games. When he came back down, and even when we talked after his first game, just with 7 games he learned a lot and I'm trying to learn from him so maybe I can get to that level."
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Felder - "What do you think you will take away from this particular prospect camp?"
Jonathon Blum - "I think I learned a lot about having structure in your life day by day. The coaches really preached having a plan, sticking with it, and trying to get better and better every day. I can easily take all that stuff back home. It's the way you train, the way you play, and to put that in effect it will go a long way because pros do it every day and that's what I want. I want to eventually be a pro."
Felder - "Between now and training camp what are some of your goals in that short time span?"
Blum - "I just want to get in better shape. It's only July so I got a month and a half or so. For me I want to add on 5 or 10 more pounds and hopefully try to come to camp at 190 and really try to push for a job here."
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Felder - "Now that all the on ice stuff is done, what do you think you will take away from your first Development Camp?"
Ryan Ellis - "I think just knowing how big of a step it is to get into the NHL and what you have to put in to get what you want out of the NHL."
Felder - "Between now and the upcoming season what are some things you are focusing on?"
Ellis - "I think I got 2 months at least pretty much. So I think it's important that I get bigger, faster, and stronger. Those are the main things on my mind right now. I think I'm at a good pace for where I am right now."
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Felder - "You were showing off some pretty good stick work out there after practice the other day. You've got the Ovi spin shot and the upsy daisy on the stick thing going."
Colin WIlson - "Oh yeah well, *laughs*, at BU we always have free ice so I used to go on before and I was working on cut back and turns but in between then when I start getting tired I start doing that stick work, the lacrosse stick, and I've worked on that move where he (Ovi) flips it up, does the 360, and then bats it in. I've been trying to get that one down. I mean, it's not going to work in a game but it's just fun to do."
Felder - "You should have tried it out there today during the shootout!"
Wilson - "Yeah I know. I think it probably would have looked better than just going down and ripping a shot like I did."
Felder - "You would at least have them guessing..."
Wilson - "Yeah I know definitely, and it probably would have got the crowd going too, but I don't think the coaches would have been too happy with that."
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Well that is it for the 2009 Development Camp. Hope you enjoyed my observations and the quotes I was able to get. Also, I want to mention that the Preds just announced that they re-signed 28 year old D-man Nolan Yonkman to a 1 year, 2-way contract. His deal is worth 500k on the NHL level and 115k at the AHL level.
That's it for now. Don't forget to follow my Twitter for all the daily updates I deliver that just aren't worth putting into a whole blog.
Till next time, take care.
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