Happy 7-11-14.
French Connection Day !
Buffalo Sabres Tim Murray GM Tim Murray likes his hockey to be heavy, fast, nasty, intimidating, and highly- skilled. Ted Nolan is the same mind. Murray and Nolan will get their fair share of human bumper cars at their first official prospects development camp which drops the puck on Monday July 14.
In all, 41 prospects and free will be battling it out in camp.
Camp participants will also study and examine NHL rules and the successful techniques a player must possess to become a professional athlete.
The following is a schedule of on-ice workouts open to the public at First Niagara Center during development camp.
July 14
On-ice coach’s practice: 10:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
July 15
Pre-scrimmage skates: 10:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.Intra-squad Scrimmage: 7 p.m.
July 16
Off Day
July 17
On-ice instruction: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
July 18
3-on-3 tournament: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Murray and Nolan will get to feast their eyes on some of the best, highly-touted prospects in professional and international hockey. They will get more of a look in all out battles with their NHL peer group at the Traverse City tourney in September.
Of the 26 forwards invited to next week’s prospects camp, 20 of them are 6 feet tall, or taller. Gone are the days that little guys like Derek Roy, Nathan Gerbe, and Tyler Ennis were talk of prospects camp.
To Murray and Nolan, size definitely matters. The 20 and 21 year old forwards have the benefit of a two or three year head start on the 17 and 18 year olds. The 2014 and 2013 draftees will learn the Doug McKenney workout when they visit Buffalo next week. The goal is to get the youngest youngbloods to take the Buffalo template back to their university teams and their junior squads so that they can build their bodies (and minds) to compete in the AHL and NHL without injury complications or development setbacks.
Let’s look at the Buffalo forwards:
Joel Armia is 6’3 and 195 pounds. All eyes will be on the young Finn in this camp. He's a Regier draft choice, however, he needs to show Murray that he can play the sandpapery style while maintaining his skill.
Justin Bailey is 6’3 and 195 pounds. JB scored 25 goals in his sophomore season in Kitchener this season. He aims to get himself to 220-225 pounds and play the game like Eric Staal.
William Carrier is 6’1 feet tall and weighs 195 pounds. The "oh by the way" guy in the Ryan Miller and Steve Ott trade. Carrier can earn a spot in Rochester with a memorable performance at rookie camp at and Traverse City tourney.
Eric Cornel is 6’2 feet tall and weighs 190 pounds. Cornel is a 2014 draft choice (2nd round) who will be looking to make an impression on Murray and Nolan.
Hudson Fasching is 6’2 feet tall and weighs 213 pounds. I used red ink to draw and asterisk next to Fasching's name on my roster. This kid is going to bring the heavy hockey and skill at this rookie camp. I can't wait to see him up close.
Zemgus Girgensons is 6’1 feet tall and weighs 195 pounds. #TheLegendOfZemgus will be the leader of young men at this rookie camp. Mark my words. Steve Ott taught the kid well. He will lead by his dogged determination and self sacrificing style.
Mikhail Grigorenko will report to camp at is 6’3 feet tall and weighs 219 pounds. He posted pics on Facebook this week saying that he’s He’s added 10 pounds of muscle and is in the “best shape of his life”. Grigo played at 209 last season.
Colin Jacobs is 6’0 and weighs 205 pounds. Jacobs plays the heavy game with pride. I liked what I saw of his this season.
Vaclav Karabacek is 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds. Another 2014 (2nd round) draftee looking to make a name for himself.
Justin Kea is 6’4 feet tall and weighs 210 pounds. Kea is Paul Gaustad with better hands. I love his grit and snarl.
Brendan Lemieux is 6 feet tall and weighs 205 pounds. Can't wait to see Brendan reprise the role of his Papa Claude. Mark my words: Lemieux will hammer guys in the Tuesday night scrimmage. Lemieux was the first pick of the second round in the June NHL Draft and he's pissed off that he wasn't a first rounder. Hell hath no fury like a Lemieux scorned.
Samson Reinhart is 6 ‘1 feet tall and weighs 185 pounds. He must ignore the bright lights and the interview requests and show us his hockey brains and skills.
Jordan Samuel-Thomas is 6’3 feet tall and weighs 195 pounds. I love this trade. I'm hearig that Murray will sign him by the time prospect camp begins on Monday.
Tim Schaller is 6’2 feet tall and weighs 210 pounds. Strong, stout and skilled.
Kevin Sunder is 6 feet tall and weighs 180 pounds. Crafty and elusive.
Max Willman (2014 5th rounder) is 6 feet tall and weighs 180 pounds. Show me whatcha got, kid.
There are also few forwards reporting to rookie development camp who play larger and angrier than their size suggests.
Dan Catenacci is 5’10 feet tall and weighs 185 pounds. Heart of a lion. Competes like a badger.
J.T Compher is 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds. Steve Ott, Jr. Pissed off ginger who hates to lose draws and physical battles. I love Compher's piss-n-vinegar.
Drake Caggiula is 5’9 feet tall and weighs 180 pounds. Welcome to the show, kid.
Sean Malone is 5’11 feet tall and weighs 190 pounds. Buffalo boy will have to block out the outside noise and focus on his game.
Victor Olofsson (2014 7th rounder) is 5’11 feet tall and weighs 177 pounds. Skilled and poised.
Let’s hear it for the 10 D-men:
Brady Austin is 6’3 feet tall and weighs 235 pounds. Ass kicker. Bone cruncher. Loves to punish opponents.
Anthony Fiorentino is 6’1 feet tall and weighs 225 pounds.
Jerome Gauthier-Leduc is 6’1 feet tall and weighs 195 pounds. Is Gotye somebody that we used to know? Time to make a statement, kid.
Brycen Martin (2014 3rd rounder) is 6’2 feet tall and weighs 195 pounds. Now we're talkin. Heavy player with size, skill, and snarl.
Jake McCabe is 6’1 feet tall and weighs 210 pounds.
Brandon Prophet is 6’2 feet tall and weighs 205 pounds. Don't know much about this kid.
Mark Pysyk is 6’1 feet tall and weighs 195 pounds. Pysyk has a chance to establish himself as a leader. I like his chances to excel in this camp.
Rasmus Ristolainen is 6’4 feet tall and weighs 220 pounds.
Nikita Zadorov is 6’5 feet tall and weighs 220 pounds. Heaven help the poor kids that skates into Zadorov's area with his head down. Nikita will not be shy about burying poor fools.
Andrew Prochno is 5’11 and 185 pounds. Who?
Murray likes his goalies to be big, smart, skilled and brawny too.
He has 5 big ‘uns coming to rookie cap. He drafted a big Swede in Robin Lehner when he was AGM in Ottawa. He has a couple of big Swedes in his organization now, too.
Jonas Johansson (2014 3rd rounder) is 6’4 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds
Nathan Lieuwen is 6’5 feet tall and weighs 190 pounds
Andrey Makarov is 6’1 feet tall and weighs 180 pounds
Cal Petersen is 6’2 feet tall and weighs 175 pounds
Linus Ullmark is 6’3 feet tall and weighs 195 pounds
**
Some guys have all the luck.
Samson Reinhart has luxurious hair, matinee idol looks, silky mitts, and the brain of a scientist.
Dude is also a filthy lefty!
Samson threw out the first pitch for the Buffalo Bisons, the Triple A affiliate of the Toornto Blue Jays, in from of 18,000+ baseball-hockey nuts during the "Fridaynightbash" vs. the Durham Bulls.
Reinhart will wear #23 for the Sabres. Ville Leino's stench best be cleaned off Chris Drury's #23.
Thanks, Sabres.com
***
Winnipeg Jets Executive VP and GM Kevin Cheveldayoff stood in the pocket and deftly avoided the hot pass rush of the Winnipeg media on Friday at Day 5 of the Jets' rookie development camp.
The burning question for Chevy on the lips of all media on Friday: Whats up with Evander Kane? Are you trading him?
Cheveldayoff:
“If I answer every question or every rumor or every speculation about whether a player may or may not have asked something or may or may not have said something, I’d be answering those all day long,” .
Answer the question, man.
“Evander’s a Winnipeg Jet and that’s how we’re moving forward.”
Thanks, Jets TV
On Tuesday, Kane dumped unleaded gasoline on an open flame when he spoke with Vancouver's Team 1040 radio about whether or not he wants to play for the Jets anymore.
Team 1040 Host: Evander do you want to play for the Winnipeg Jets anymore?
Kane: Well, I think I'm a Winnipeg Jet right now, and, you know, there's been speculation and rumors the three years since I got there. So, you know, we'll see what happens and we'll carry on as if I'm a Winnipeg Jet.
Team 1040 Host: There’s not a yes in there, and some Jets fans might say, why doesn’t he want to play for us? Or why isn’t he absolutely fully on board for playing for us?... you’re shaking your finger at me.
Kane: I’m training hard and getting ready for this season, and last summer I didn’t have a full year of training due to some surgery I had, so I found it really important for me to start training early and get myself in the best shape possible for this season. So that’s my focus."
Not necessarily a ringing endorsement for Kane loving his life in The Peg.
Kane has four years left on his contract with the Jets that pays him an average salary of $6 million per season.
Buffalo GM Tim Murray can take a quantum leap forward in his re-tooling of the Sabres by making a trade for Kane. I think that Ted Nolan and Evander Kane would form a special bond.
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