Offensive skills on display

It wasn’t exactly what they wanted but it was what they expected.

Veterans took to the ice for the first time Wednesday as the Soo Greyhounds main training camp kicked off with player registration, off-ice testing and on-ice workouts for all players.

The workouts come after a two-day rookie camp that saw just a pair of returning players – goaltender Joseph Raaymakers and forward Tim Gettinger – on the ice.

Wednesday was the first opportunity for Greyhounds management and coaches to get a look at players mixed together in the same group and it was basically what they expected.

“In the first scrimmage it was a little bit more of a summer/pond hockey mode,” said Greyhounds General Manager Kyle Raftis. “Not that you want that but it’s to be expected sometimes in game one. Guys want to show off their offensive abilities and what they can do. The guys worked hard and skated well but obviously we want to see a little bit more structure.”

Raftis said following rookie camp on Tuesday that he expected the rookies to take their game to another level.

“For the most part, I think the guys were trying to find their way a little bit,” Raftis said after Wednesday’s scrimmage. “There’s that moment where sometimes you had a younger guy trying to set the older guy up when he should be shooting. It’s the small things but we’ll talk to them and make sure that they know that they’ve got to play their game. They belong now.”

In the scrimmage, Gettinger had two goals and two assists as Team Red beat Team White 8-7. Veteran Gabe Guertler chipped in with a pair of goals while Michael Bunting had two goals and three assists.

Boris Katchouk had a goal and four assists for Team White while Zach Senyshyn had a goal and an assist.

Camp continues on Thursday with a pair of scrimmages as Team White and Team Black take the ice at 11 a.m. while Team Black and Team Red meet at 7:30 p.m.

The annual Luke Williams Memorial (Red vs. White) game is set for Friday evening at 7:07 p.m.

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AROUND THE OHL

The Flint Firebirds and Mississauga Steelheads made waves on Wednesday afternoon as the Firebirds dealt Ryan McLeod to the Steelheads in exchange for seven draft picks.

McLeod was selected third overall in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection by the Firebirds but did not report to Flint as training camp opened this week.

Exactly what the Firebirds received in the deal is still up in the air to an extent.

The Firebirds reported via a release on the official team website that eight picks were acquired in the deal, which included the compensatory first round pick the team receives from the league for McLeod not reporting. The team release reported the acquisition of four second round picks and three third round picks.

The OHL website had Flint receiving six picks, three second rounder (one conditional) and three more third round picks.

The opportunity to play in Mississauga will allow McLeod to play with his older brother Michael.