Hounds impressed with talent level at mini-camp

If their 2005 Prospect Evaluation Camp was any indication, the Soo Greyhounds 2005 training camp could be very interesting.

The camp, which featured drafted players from the 2005 OHL Draft as well as players from the 2004 draft, wrapped up on Sunday morning with a scrimmage and left Greyhounds management with some tough decisions heading into their training camp later this summer.

All but two of the Greyhounds 15 selections in the 2005 draft attended the camp with centre Matthew Thurber a ninth round selection and goaltender Josh Robinson, who was selected in the 14th round, the only two players not in attendance.

Many fans in attendance had hope to catch a glimpse of first round pick Jacob Muzzin for the first time but an injury kept the defenseman off the ice, although he did make the trip to Sault Ste. Marie.

A number of invites made their way to camp including five members of the 2004-05 Great North Midget League champion Soo North Stars – Goaltender Travis O'Brien, Defensemen Ben Davey and Matt Conway, and forwards Tyler Gendron and Zac McNally.

In all 13 players earned invites to the camp and came to the camp from as far away as Boca Raton, Florida in the case of forward Nicholas Xenakis.

Hounds General Manager Dave Torrie spoke highly of the free agent invitees and added that there were likely "four or five of them that have earned themselves the right to come back to main camp."

Overall, Torrie was pleased with the success of the weekend in educating the players and parents on the area and added that the parents were speaking highly of Sault Ste. Marie.

"The idea of the camp was to bring the players and their parents in and give them an education process of what we expected as a hockey club and what Craig and Denny expect as coaches," Torrie said. "I think it was very successful that way. The parents all spoke highly of their visit to Sault Ste. Marie and the process we took them through."

"I thought (the weekend camp) was good for everyone involved," added Hounds coach Craig Hartsburg. "I got to see some players that I never got to see from last year's draft and this year's draft. Hopefully it was good for our young players and their parents to learn what we're all about and what it's going to be like to play here in Sault Ste. Marie."

Torrie added that the talent level of the players in camp adds a promising aspect for the future of the team.

"I think for the two days, for June hockey, the players worked extremely hard" said Torrie. "(Saturday) in the practices I think they got an idea of what Craig and Denny expect intensity-wise and commitment-wise and (Sunday) in the scrimmages, they worked hard and it was very physical out there for a summer-time scrimmage. We were very encouraged with everything.

"As an organization now, what we see out there is we've got some talent," Torrie continued. "Whether they're ready to play this year or a year from now we think there are some good prospects. As Craig, Denny, and I talked about, now we're going to have some tough decisions.

"That starts to encourage you when you have decisions you have to make about guys you think can play but maybe, because of your depth, don't fit in and you're letting them go. That obviously means you're starting to improve as a hockey team. Or, if there are guys out there that can take spots away from players from last year that means you're starting to improve as a hockey team."

"I think the work ethic was really good, Hartsburg added. "Anytime you get everybody on the ice and working hard, the tempo will raise. The intensity was there and I think the players all did a good job this weekend. They're in the right frame of mind to learn."

Hounds management was pleased with the play of a number of players in camp, including defenseman Michael Quesnele, the Hounds fifth round pick in this year's draft.

"Quesnele had a good weekend," Torrie said of the local blueliner. "I think he's a kid who we'll have to watch in September and see where he's at. Whether he plays with the Thunderbirds and some with us or full-time for us, he'll determine that."

"Mike is going to be a really good, solid player in our league," Hartsburg added. "He needs some time to develop in Tier two (with the Soo Thunderbirds). He's going to come to camp and battle out for a spot and that's not out of the question, but I think realistically a full year in Tier two will make him a real good candidate to be a good, solid player in our league.

"He skates, competes, he passes the puck well, everything we knew when we drafted him, he did it all this weekend."