Thunderbirds tryout camp opens

The first day of training camp is complete for the Soo Thunderbirds and their coach was happy with what he saw.

With 14 players signed and roster spots at a premium, Jordan Smith was impressed with what he saw on day one.

“I liked the compete level so far,” said Smith, “There are some guys that really want to make this team and a few surprises. So far, it’s looking like we should be pretty competitive again.”

He would go on to say that the few open spots helped increase the compete level in practice on opening day.

“There are some spots open and guys know that but you also can’t rule out somebody coming in and beating somebody out that’s been here,” said Smith. “There’s a lot of good young players here and anything is really possible at this point because we really like what we see out of some of the young guys.”

As for the expectations heading into the 2015-16 Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League season, they’re no different than any other season.

“Every year it’s the same thing in that your goals is always to win,” Smith said. “For this team to accomplish what we did last year is unfair to say at this point. It will definitely be more difficult. It will require much more dedication and preparation.”

Smith said he expects the team to be strong defensively this season.

“That’s the strength of our team at this point,” Smith said. “The returning guys we have from last year like (Andrew) Barbeau, (Brandon) Grandinetti, (Matt) Busby and (Caleb) Boman, there are a lot of goals coming back and there’s a lot of solid defensive (ability) coming back. And I like what I see from the young guys too.”

The camp continues with a scrimmage on Saturday evening before wrapping up on Sunday.