Wild prospect camp wrapping up

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Wild will wrap up their development camp this weekend with two scrimmages, one for season ticket holders, the other open to the general public. The scrimmages are the fun part of a weeklong practice session in which young prospects and unsigned invitees are given lessons on hockey sense, and are put through torturous skating drills. First year Houston Aeros Head Coach Mike Yeo said that they were out to teach the kids “What it means to be a pro, how to play at this level, the pace, the execution. We’re also teaching them a lot of positional skills, and some individual skills.” Off-ice training included nutrition information and work out regimens to take back to their respective teams. Asked if anyone in camp stood out, Coach Yeo said, “At different times, I think everybody. The thing that I’ve been really impressed with is some of the guys that have been here before, the example that they’re setting for the younger guys. I think I’ve seen something from a lot of different guys.” He went on to explain that development camp is nowhere near a one dimensional training course. “It doesn’t mean that the skills that we’re doing are all about scoring goals, sometimes it can be about puck protection, sometimes it can be about defensemen going back retrieving the puck, and I think that in each drill there have certainly been some guys that have stood out.” The message was certainly clear to the players receiving the lessons from Coach Yeo, on the ice with the first ever Director of Player Development for the Wild, Brad Bombardir, Wild Goalie Coach Bob Mason and first year Aeros Assistant Coach Darryl Sydor. The Wild’s top defensive prospect Tyler Cuma, who has been to the camp before, said that the day had gone “Pretty good, pretty tired, but I got a good workout.” He added that the defensemen had been “Doing a lot of those D-on-D drills, showing us different things on what to do out there.” What Cuma was hinting at was Yeo was not afraid to pull players aside and give them a little extra motivation. Tyler Johnson of the Spokane Chiefs explained that Yeo “is a great coach, and a great guy. He certainly motivates, and makes you work hard, especially in the summer when you’re not going all out. But he expects that out of you, so you have to do that. It feels good.” While it was clear to the players that no one was there to earn a spot on the Wild’s roster, they certainly understood that Chuck Fletcher and Todd Richards were watching. With that information in hand, players tempered expectations when asked about their chances for making the squad in the fall. Aeros center Cody Almond expounded that the Wild had “picked up Cullen, so that didn’t help my chances at all. But I think I have a shot if I play my best.” Johnson said his plan was to “in the AHL, make that, but if not, I’ll play with the Chiefs again.” Cuma’s battle is definitely uphill, with the Wild willing to go with six NHL level defensemen going into the season, and names like Brent Burns, Nick Schultz, and Marek Zidlicky in front of him on the depth chart, and he made it clear that he understands the mountain in front of him, “I know there are a lot of spots that are taken, and five or six of us that are fighting for one or two spots. It’s going to be quite the battle come September 10^th, and I’m going to come in and make sure I give myself the best opportunity.” Despite the players and coaches being in full on hard work mode, there was still fun to be had. Asked of his plans for next season, Wild draft pick Jason Zucker reminded the Minnesota media that he is attending Denver University next season, a rival of the hometown Golden Gophers. Asked if he thinks the fans at Marriucchi will notice him, maybe cheer a little for him, Zucker smiled and said “I hope so. We’ll see what happens. It’s a great rivalry.” Some of the participants have loftier goals, such as Schilling, who is headed back to Miami for a run at a third straight NCAA title game. Asked if the Redhawks can win it all this year, he too smiled and said, “Yeah. Well, third time’s a charm.” Not to be outdone, Coach Yeo confirmed his desire to win a Calder Cup with the Aeros, while giving a bigger picture of what that would mean for the organization. “Well, you know what, that’s the plan. We want to help the Minnesota Wild win the Stanley Cup, and I believe in order to do that, that it helps to build winners in the American Hockey League. If those guys are used to playing in those pressure packed games, and know what it takes to win, then certainly when they come up here, they’re going to be better prepared.” Where ever the players invited to camp wind up, it is clear that each of them feels they are learning skills and gaining knowledge that they otherwise may not have come across. Certainly dealing with a coach that has a clear understanding of his role in the organization, and is dedicated to the success of the franchise as a whole, will help with their ability to one day skate in the NHL. Only time will tell, but so far it looks like the prospects are in good hands. The author can be reached at bryan.reynolds@prohockeynews.com