Tips get a glimpse of their future

Published 11:01 am Monday, June 4, 2012

EVERETT — For Griffin Foulk, this past weekend’s spring camp was his first chance to get an up-close-and-personal look at what the Everett Silvertips are all about.

So far he likes what he sees.

Everett’s recently signed defenseman was one of 24 Silvertips prospects who took part in the camp over the weekend. It’s an event that gives the players a chance to get a feel for the organization and the town, while giving the coaching staff a first-hand look at the team’s future.

“I like it a lot,” Foulk, a 17-year-old from Broomfield, Colo., who committed himself to the Silvertips two weeks ago, said about his first impressions of Everett. “The facilities are all really nice. It’s just good to get up here and get things started, and all the coaches are great.

“All the players have been good,” Foulk added. “It’s good to meet all the draft picks and the listed guys, just get to know them and stay with them.”

Spring camp consisted primarily of Everett’s 1996- and 1997-born prospects — the 96s are entering their 16-year-old season and the 97s were just selected in the bantam draft in May — with a sprinkling of 1995-born players such as Foulk. The group included 1996-born forwards Tyler Sandhu and Mitch Skapski, who were acquired in May in the deal that sent defenseman Seth Jones to Portland, as well as defenseman Kevin Davis, this year’s first-round bantam pick.

And while the players enjoyed getting to know Everett, the Tips coaching staff was encouraged by what it saw from the players.

“I’ve been very impressed with this young group,” Everett coach Mark Ferner said. “They’re very receptive to everything we’ve been doing, and from what you can tell from practice, the skill level is very good.

“(Spring camp) is more about making them comfortable, bringing them in and having the ability to put a name to a face. We let them see our facility and get to know each other.”

During the weekend the players had on-ice sessions with the coaching staff on Friday and Saturday, then conducted a three-on-three tournament Sunday morning. In between, the players took part in off-ice workouts, and both the players and their parents sat in on information sessions.

“Camp’s been good,” Sandhu said following Saturday afternoon’s power skating session with locally based NHL linesman Vaughan Rody. “It’s a great pace. I’ve been learning the new system, the new plays and the different kind of skills they do. So it’s been really good.”

Just about all of Everett’s top prospects were in attendance. In addition to Foulk, Sandhu, Skapski and Davis, others in attendance included signed forwards Carson Stadnyk and Dawson Leedahl, as well as signed defensemen Cole MacDonald and Michael Zipp.

The most prominent prospect not in attendance was 2011 first-round bantam pick Ty Mappin. The playmaking center, who already has signed an education contract with the Tips and made his Western Hockey League debut last season, had a scheduling conflict. Also not present was winger Austin Mathews. The Phoenix native, selected in the third round of this year’s bantam draft and considered a first-round talent, is a player the Tips still need to recruit.

With the Tips still in rebuilding mode heading into next season, a number of players who attended the camp have a chance to make next season’s roster.

“We’re not making any predictions, but from what we saw in the couple days here, certainly some of our guys coming back are going to get pushed, no question about it,” Ferner said. “It’s going to be completely up to them. We’re not going to make those decisions out of spring camp, that’s unfair to them and unfair to the players returning. But we know we have some good young talent here.”

Check out Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at NickHPatterson.