For the first time in club history, the Kamloops Blazers are holding a spring prospects camp, with 22 players from the two most recent WHL Bantam Draft classes expected to attend this weekend.
“We have a great facility, a great dressing room, great personnel coaches, support staff, fitness support staff, equipment — the whole ball of wax,” Blazers’ general manager Stu MacGregor said.
“It’s [Sandman Centre] a great facility to show off and the city itself is a good place to play hockey and continue your schooling. We haven’t been showing it off enough so far.”
The camp provides the team with an opportunity to sell Kamloops and the players with a chance to sell themselves, with ice time at Brock Arena scheduled from 1 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. on Sunday. The public is welcome to watch.
Management and coaching staff will be charting the progress of the 2000-born group, which includes prospects such 23rd overall pick Jackson Shepard, a promising forward, and defenceman Luke Zazula, both of whom made their WHL debuts last season.
The 2001-born crew, which includes 15th overall pick Massimo Rizzo, will be looking to make a good first impression ahead of training camp, which starts in August.
“We want to introduce them to the program earlier, so when they come to training camp they’ve already met our coaches and our staff,” said Tim O’Donovan, the Blazers’ director of hockey and media administration.
“And, for the 16-year-olds who’ve already been here for a year, it will give us a better idea for decision-making in August.”
There will be meetings held with players and their families, which will help team management assess character, and fitness testing today will aid staff in providing advice for summer training programs.
“We want to sell all the great things we have and this will be a great, relaxed atmosphere to get to know families,” MacGregor said.
Who’s going?
For the list of players expected to be in attendance, go online to kamloopsthisweek.com.
Tanner Bahm of Dawson Creek will be absent, as he recently became ill.