Training camp notes: Jones and Bauer out, Euros in
Published 5:37 pm Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Greetings once again from Everett Memorial Stadium. Busy, busy day as I’m pulling double duty on the Tips and AquaSox. But I’ve managed to squeeze in a moment here to share a few notes on the eve of training camp, which begins in earnest tomorrow morning.
Here’s the most important news:
– No Seth Jones at camp this year. The 14-year-old defenseman, who was Everett’s second first-round selection in this year’s bantam draft, has yet to commit to the WHL. However, Tips GM Doug Soetaert said there’s a good chance Jones will visit sometime during the season, and he sounded confident Jones will be at camp next year.
– All of Everett’s other draft picks, both from this year’s import draft and the bantam draft, are here. The presence of European defensemen Rasmus Rissanen and Radko Gudas is particularly encouraging, given last year’s Euro fiasco. Rissanen, however, will not participate in camp as he’s still recovering from an upper-body injury that required offseason surgery. He’s expected to be cleared for full contact in the next two weeks.
– Four overagers are in camp competing for three spots. That includes returning forwards Shane Harper and Zack Dailey, as well as waiver wire acquisitions in center Alex Poulter and defenseman Colin Scherger. Three potential returning overagers from last season, center Jesse Burt and defensemen Mike Alexander and Shayne Brown, were released during the offseason.
– The only other potential returning veteran who is not attending camp is 19-year-old defenseman Trevor Bauer, as the part-time player decided not to return.
– One familiar name among the camp invitees is forward Corey Tyrell. The 19-year-old forward played 129 games for Prince George the past two seasons before leaving the team last February over ice time issues.
– With a new head coach in Craig Hartsburg, it’s going to be a particularly interesting camp. Hartsburg hasn’t seen any of the players before, so everyone begins with a clean slate. There will be no living off reputation at camp this year.
And remember, live blogging from camp beginning at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. Be there.
