Prospect Camp

[nccanes]

Seemed like maybe this could use its own thread since hopefully there will be some reports and N&O articles upcoming.

Anyway, this is a detailed article about prospect camp. Ten bucks to anyone that stumbles upon the grocery store field trip!

RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug. 1, 2003) -- Summer camp in August can be a very enjoyable experience.

But for the eight young men who will arrive in Raleigh this Friday and Saturday, the summer camp they are about to open will be unlike any other camp they have ever attended.

As they do annually, the Carolina Hurricanes will bring a small group of draftees to town to participate in Rookie Conditioning camp. The camp encompasses five-days of physical testing, lectures, and on- and off-ice training, that can only be described as grueling.

"I don't know if they have a good idea what to expect," said Canes Head Athletic Therapist / Strength & Conditioning Coach Peter Friesen, who oversees the camp. "A lot of people have a preconceived idea of how hard they'll work, and then they come here and they'll have to take it up a notch or two from there.

"These will be the four hardest days they'll put in, fitness-wise."

Workouts and training at RecZone, the team’s practice facility, begin Sunday, Aug. 3, and will continue through Wednesday, Aug. 6. Veterans begin optional workouts on Aug. 11, with full squad training camp opening on Sept. 11.

But it doesn't end with difficult workouts and training sessions. The camp is just as intensive off the ice. In four days, the youngsters will almost certainly experience information overload.

Campers will have sessions with Canes staffers like head coach Paul Maurice, equipment manager Wally Tatomir, director of media relations Mike Sundheim, motivational consultant Doris Barksdale, and a lecture on alcohol, drugs and tobacco, aimed at preparing them to handle any tricky situation that may come their way.

Canes associate athletic therapist Stu Lempke will also take the group on a trip to the grocery story to stock hotel refrigerators with good stuff, and hopefully eliminate late-night trips to the vending machine.

Other areas of instruction will include physical therapy with Lori Von Alten, eye testing and training with Dr. Mike Peters, and nutrition with Dr. Franca Alphin, the Sports Dietitian for the Sports Performance Program at Duke University.

Dr. Alphin works with collegiate and professional athletes to optimize their understanding of how healthful nutrition practices can work in their best interests.

"Fitness is starting to become so refined that you actually change your nutritional intake depending on what you're doing that particular day," said Friesen. "We also talk to them about eating on the road, and eating at a restaurant."

The team is also counting on some other "professional" help: Professional hockey players.

"We're hoping that people like Ron Francis, Rod Brind'Amour, Erik Cole and Jeff Daniels will set a tempo that we expect from all our athletes," said Friesen. "They'll show the new guys what it takes to play at this level."

Although Friesen has spoken to each player, he hasn't had a chance until now to pinpoint any specific areas of weakness in each athlete. The camp is also a chance for Friesen and the Canes medical staff to get down to business with the prospects.

"There are some general fitness things that everybody needs -- whether it's a goalie a defenseman or a forward -- but we'll find out what kind of weaknesses they have and then we'll give them individual programs," he said.

The camp is -- thankfully -- a one-time thing for most prospects, who return home armed with the knowledge of what it will take to compete for a job at the NHL level, but for Jared Newman, this will be his third go-round at Camp Friesen. Newman had ankle surgery after the past season and wasn't skating as of mid-July.

"Any time a guy has gone through a significant injury, we like to bring him back down here to see where he stands," explained Friesen. "We'll put him on the ice, see where he is, and then develop a personalized program for him so he'll be able to participate as well as possible come [full-squad training camp in] September."

Whether it's a player's first time or his third, the goal remains the same for Friesen and the Canes.

"The ultimate goal is to introduce these people, so when they come back in September and they're ready to compete for an NHL job they don't feel out of place," said Friesen. "They've gone through the medical, they've gone through the physicals, they've gone through some of our drills. So they feel comfortable coming into a new situation with competitive people."



"Campers" are listed in a table (that I couldn't seem to copy and retain the formatting) at the bottom of the Canes article http://www.caneshockey.com/custom/rad82A73.asp

[Jeff O Rocks]

Thanks Eileen..........and holy moly...two of them were born in 1985!! Youngin's!! :crazy: I am sure all eyes will be on Stahl!

[Stormbringer]

Thanks Eileen..........and holy moly...two of them were born in 1985!! Youngin's!! :crazy: I am sure all eyes will be on Stahl!

I am very sure the majority of the attention will be on Staal...it will be very interesting and cool to watch him work with Ronnie and/or Brindy. :spin:

[Vrbata19]

Wow.. I really hope Staal can impress there and get a 3rd line spot or higher. Apologies to Kevyn Adams, but.. who doesnt wanna see the Canes 1st rounder in action?

Remember, media is going to be crazy, Staal was the TOP ranked North American skater.. so this should be fun ;)

[Lady J]

http://websmileys.bei.t-online.de/lachen70.gif

The grocery store trip is a scream.

[Stormbringer]

Looks like I'm the first to return with a report... :spin:

The practice was overall an interesting and good one. The crowd was a nice size, but not quite as bad as the one for the Sunday, March 9th practice, which IMO was the worst crowd experienced thus far. Despite the crowd, I was able to get a good position by the glass...right at center ice! :spin: Every player looked impressive one way or another, but three really stood out...

Rookie of the Year - Of course I got to mention Eric Staal, the next Ronnie Franchise, and has very strong potential to live up to that based on what I saw today. Dude got quite a few good looks and shots, and that was without Ronnie and/or Brindy. I can't imagine what else we'll see out of Staal when he is joined by the two aforementioned veterans on the ice.

Nasti Boy - ...CAN mean a thing! Oh, you Nasti boy! Sorry, couldn't resist. :) As you may have figured out from that, I'm referring to Kevin Nastiuk, the goaltender ze Canes picked up. Liked the saves I saw this kid make...especially one spectacular one I would have hated to be a goal judge beholding. Can't wait to see how he progresses...

Erik the Red - Ladies and gentlemen...the Buckle-Up Man is back! :spin: Not only did Erik Cole look fine out there, but he looked very happy and healthy, and was all smiles. Good seeing you Erik, we've missed you. :)

With Special Guest Appearances By... - Coach Mo, Kevin McCarthy, Wally Tatomir, and Skip Cunningham. I will not swear to it, but I thought I saw Ronnie and/or Brindy way over on the other side of the rink in various spots. Another one I won't swear to was I thought I heard Tripp Tracy somewhere behind me, but there were too many people for me to try to spot him.

Overall, a very interesting and fun experience and great "first practice" of the new season! :spin:

[Shell]

yep, was very good indeed! LOVED seeing Cole back on the ice! Just didn't know who I was watching most of the time (anytime it wasn't Eric or Eric). I liked the little guy too.. he was spunky lol

[VandyCane]

Great news to hear the Eric was on the ice. I hope that means that his contract negotiations are going just fine. :D

[Shell]

me too Vandy! SHC, Canesluver, and I were devising ways that we could get him to sign a contract through the pretenses of an autograph ;)

[Stormbringer]

me too Vandy! SHC, Canesluver, and I were devising ways that we could get him to sign a contract through the pretenses of an autograph ;)

Heh heh heh... :) I'd love to think the negotiations are going pretty well, especially considering how delighted Erik appeared to be there. Not to mention his appearing in the Jimmy V Golf Classic... :spin:

[hyena]

i've been :sick: as a dog today but i still made it to the practice, lol. nice review, SB. i agree on nastiuk -- he was quite impressive. there is no way on this earth he is 6'2". if he's over six feet then i'm at least 5'5". :D

*shrug* i don't really know what else to report. they did lots of drills, obviously, passing across the ice, circling around cones, etc. i think at one point they went 3 at a time from the blue line with one guy playing D. at the end they all skated the length of the ice and were timed and videotaped.

it was so nice to see erik on the ice. he looked a little rusty, and i don't know if he actually was or if it was my imagination -- you know, expecting him to be. he did seem to beat out all the rookies at the skate at the end, though. :spin:

all in all, it was a fun time and a good fix. :D

[Jeff O Rocks]

Everyone has already given the details. All I have to say is when I saw them coming out on the ice, I wanted to sing a chorus of Hallelujah!! :spin: Seeing Canes on the ice was a wonderful thing! :D

and luvscole, I know you will be pissed when you hear that Mr. Cole was there and skating!! :sad:

Great to see so many forum folks out there..... :spin:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

With Cole on the ice you could really see the difference between the NHL speed and, well, everyone else's. He outstripped them by a good bit.

[hyena]

is anyone planning on attending another practice this week? i can probably only make it to one more and if anyone else was going, i'd go the same day. :D

[Stormbringer]

is anyone planning on attending another practice this week? i can probably only make it to one more and if anyone else was going, i'd go the same day. :D

I might could be able to go again if someone here didn't mind picking me up...I doubt I'll be able to sweet talk my folks into providing transportation for another practice this week. If I was more willing to take on Raleigh traffic right now, I'd definitely be coming to most, if not all of this week's practices... :D :spin:

[Jeff O Rocks]

is anyone planning on attending another practice this week? i can probably only make it to one more and if anyone else was going, i'd go the same day. :D

I will check the schedule and see...we might come over on our lunch hours.. :spin:

[nccanes]

From what I can tell, the practices are all in the afternoon this week (3 or 4 o'clock, can't remember, but late afternoon). Today's paper indicates that Brindy might skate with Cole and the prospects today.

From the RecZone schedule, it looks like next week goes back to morning/midday ice time for the Canes (for those that choose to use it).

[Jeff O Rocks]

Today's paper indicates that Brindy might skate with Cole and the prospects today.



I know Amanda is already on her way to her car!! :p :D ;)

Thanks Eileen!! :spin:

[Guyute]

Rookie of the Year - Of course I got to mention Eric Staal, the next Ronnie Franchise, and has very strong potential to live up to that based on what I saw today. Dude got quite a few good looks and shots, and that was without Ronnie and/or Brindy. I can't imagine what else we'll see out of Staal when he is joined by the two aforementioned veterans on the ice.


hmm. sorry SB, but I have issues with this.

there's not much that can ruin a kid (or the fan that beleives it) faster than expectations. you watched Staal for 45 minutes and you're calling him "Rookie of the Year" and "the next Ronnie Franchise"?

Running drills for almost an hour wouldn't, to me, show off talent worthy of those accolades. I hope to see him on the team this year. But, I'm saying this for All canes fans. Do NOT expect this kid to be our saviour.

carry on

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I agree Guy. And in all honesty, my impression of Staal yesterday, was that he didn't hustle much. He reminded me of O'Neill in practice. I was hoping that he wasn't thinking he was just gonna coast onto the team because he was the #2 pick. I'm chalking it up to being tired (since one of them said they'd been worked out since 8am) and it being the first day. Trying not to make any judgements based on less than an hour worth of observation. But he better look like he wants it a little more if he's expecting to make the team. That's my 2 cents anyway. :)

I should hope that Cole being out there gave them all a nice wake-up call about just how slow they really are.

[Jeff O Rocks]

I should hope that Cole being out there gave them all a nice wake-up call about just how slow they really are.

Erik was looking good out there....but a couple of times that little goalie stopped him too!! :D ;)

[Jeff O Rocks]

For those of you that make it out there today, please give us a report ok?

[hyena]

totally had no plans to go today, but i ended up off work for other reasons and was able to catch the last 15 minutes. all we saw was the very end when they were doing shooting drills with a goalie at each end of one side of the ice (bubba was the other goalie). no sign of cole or brindy. ronnie was there, and apparently skated almost the entire time, but he was leaving as we arrived. (he signed for all the kids as he was leaving). we heard him say he was coming back tomorrow. saw JR leaving as we came in and he seemed in a jovial mood. Mo was in good spirits too, signing autographs for the kids. there seemed to be as much media there today as there was yesterday.

that's all i got. :D

[Stormbringer]

totally had no plans to go today, but i ended up off work for other reasons and was able to catch the last 15 minutes. all we saw was the very end when they were doing shooting drills with a goalie at each end of one side of the ice (bubba was the other goalie). no sign of cole or brindy. ronnie was there, and apparently skated almost the entire time, but he was leaving as we arrived. (he signed for all the kids as he was leaving). we heard him say he was coming back tomorrow. saw JR leaving as we came in and he seemed in a jovial mood. Mo was in good spirits too, signing autographs for the kids. there seemed to be as much media there today as there was yesterday.

that's all i got. :D

Sounds awesome...thanks for telling us and glad you got to see at least a little bit Amanda! :)

[Kat]

Anyone want to go tomorrow? PM me...

-Kat

[Jeff O Rocks]

Thanks Amanda....I saw Ronnie on the news and he looked great! I hope this upbeat mood continues for a long time! :spin:

[caniaccat]

Did anyone else catch Ron's fall? The rookies got a kick out of it. Ron laughed about it to.

[Jeff O Rocks]

Did anyone else catch Ron's fall? The rookies got a kick out of it. Ron laughed about it to.

I didn't see it but on the news he said it was the first time he had been on the ice since the end of the season. Maybe he is a little rusty!! And I bet if the rookies laughed, they turned their heads and didn't let the great and powerful Ronnie F see them!! ;)

[Stormbringer]

So, is anyone going to today's practice? Unless something happens, I will actually be able to go... :spin:

[Stormbringer]

Just got back from today's practice, and it was interesting...Ronnie was there like he promised yesterday. But, Brindy never showed up. (shrugs) Oh well...on to my report...

The crowd today was a bit smaller than Sunday's crowd, about on par with the crowd at the March 28th practice with a few more people. While I was able to get a view at center ice with a larger crowd Sunday, I was set back to the blue line on the right side of center ice. But, that actually worked out better, because that particular spot served as the best viewing area for the drills the rookies and Ronnie were performing today.

Young Guns - The rookies all equally looked good to great, with their fair share of splendid looks and shots. Today, they were really pounding Nastiuk (Who again made some excellent saves.) and the boards...maybe it's me, but there seemed to be a ton more slap shots than there were Sunday. Then again, they were just warming up then... :)

Captain Carolina - What else is there to say about everyone's favorite captain and Cane other than he rules? Well, Ronnie was just as amazing to watch today as he's always been at other practices and games. He did everything from becoming Speedy Gonzales on skates for a minute (With much deserved "Oooh!"s and "Ah!"s from the small crowd.) to showcasing his precise passing and shooting skills. (Which included getting on one absolutely astounding shot against Nastiuk that was almost impossible to get.) Very much made the practice worth attending, and even more wonderful was seeing him work with the rookies like he did...especially Eric Staal.

Super Francis Bros. - Ronnie had a very special guest awaiting him in the lobby today...his brother, Ricky. As most of you know or will find out here, they are very close, and visit each other as often as they can. Just like his older brother, Ricky happens to be quite the athlete himself...he is a skier who has placed first in the Special Olympics (Where Ronnie awarded him the gold.) and has often particpated in various world championships. It was quite the honor to be in Ricky's presence, and hear him (He sounds and looks just like Ronnie!) tell everyone about the championships and tournaments in which he had been and was getting ready to participate. For more info about Ricky, check the following out:

http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamSpecialOlympics/feb1_francis.html

http://www.acmi.canoe.ca/SlamSpecialOlympics/feb7_francis.html

Other notable appearances were made by Coach Mo, Kevin McCarthy, Wally Tatomir, and Skip Cunningham.

All in all, the practice today was a good and fun one to be at. Twas great to see Ronnie back and skating on that cold, glistening surface...now I await September 11th, when the rest of the Canes do the same. :spin:

[Kat]

Looked to me like it was pretty easy to get Ronnie and Mo's autograph. Mo took me a bit off guard and waved at me...

One thing I noticed is that they make the kids come in fully dressed and leave fully dressed. Wonder if that is some sort of rookie hazing ritual? :)

Also, Staal did a nice falling act and then a slam stick into the back of the net in anger move.

I thought that the kids looked allright but it is rather obvious that most won't make the team this year.

-Kat

[Shell]

I was wondering about the uniforms too.. but Nasti changed after Sunday's practice? Maybe they just want to make sure everyone knows they are the players ;)

[nccanes]

I was wondering about the uniforms too.. but Nasti changed after Sunday's practice? Maybe they just want to make sure everyone knows they are the players ;)

On Sunday, I think he took of all his pads (chest, arms, and legs) but left the pants on? I was thinking someone looked like a Rodeo Clown (pants too big - held up by suspenders) when they were standing in the lobby. ;)

[Stormbringer]

Sorry, looked to me like it was pretty easy to get Ronnie and Mo's autograph. Mo took me a bit off guard and waved at me...

Yeah, as you and others may have noticed, I edited that particular part out...I honestly didn't see a lot of autograph signings because I was distracted. I was talking to a new friend who I met Sunday. She was telling me about discovering this site, and how she found out about Craig Adams' wedding through here. She was very impressed and said she planned to keep checking back here...if only she would join. ;)

Anyway, after I got through with her, my timing for trying to get autographs was horrible. But as I said before, that really worked out for the better because I didn't have a coffeetable book or something to write on.

Also, Staal did a nice falling act and then a slam stick into the back of the net in anger move.

I saw that...glad that Staal was ok...

I thought that the kids looked alright but it is rather obvious that most won't make the team this year.

As I said before, I thought that they all looked good-great today, but there really was not a lot to write home about. That really shows through how I wrote a little more about Ronnie than the rookies...though, I was just as impressed with Staal and Nastiuk as I was at the last practice.

[Shell]

I, and my sievelike memory, don't really remember.. was going more by hyena's excellent pics http://www.letsgocanes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=26317#26317

LOL at the rodeo clown.. and if there was a bull around those boys would be in trouble.. the ones that had to wear the red pants/jersey/helmet etc, were Extremely red!

[Kat]

Yup, the goalie did change, but left his pants on.

From what I have seen of goalies in the locker room, they have to take off most of their padding in order to even get to be able to take the skates off... the chest padding keeps them from being able to bend over, and the leg pads are actually strapped through the skates. Not to mention, maneuvering in all that goalie gear would be really difficult. Regular gear isn't that hard... I have driven from the RecZone to the Iceplex in mine before (no skates of course) with no trouble. So maybe the goalie is allowed to change because he has to?

-Kat

[Shell]

excellent point Kat.. probably what it was..

[Shell]

nhl.com actually has the canes story up on their front page

Carolina Hurricanes:
Rookies Lead the Way (http://www.carolinahurricanes.com/custom/rad82A73.asp)

[Jeff O Rocks]

Is today the last day of the camp? Anybody going to wish our "babies" well?? :D

[hyena]

nice report, SB. http://www.electrichyena.com/other/redthumb.gif

Is today the last day of the camp? Anybody going to wish our "babies" well?? :D
i'm going to try to catch at least the last half. according to the reczone schedule, today is the last day.

[Jeff O Rocks]

Is today the last day of the camp? Anybody going to wish our "babies" well?? :D
i'm going to try to catch at least the last half. according to the reczone schedule, today is the last day.[/quote]

Thanks....have fun and you know we all want a report!! ;) Maybe Brindy will skate today!! :eek2:

[Stormbringer]

nice report, SB. http://www.electrichyena.com/other/redthumb.gif

Is today the last day of the camp? Anybody going to wish our "babies" well?? :D
i'm going to try to catch at least the last half. according to the reczone schedule, today is the last day.

Thank you Amanda...looking forward to your report and possibly pictures. Hope Brindy's out there. :)

[nccanes]

Looks like they put some video of camp on the canes site! Hope they continue this when team camp begins!

http://www.caneshockey.com/custom/radD7419.asp


Good stuff - includes interviews!

[talkingcanes]

Looks like they put some video of camp on the canes site! Hope they continue this when team camp begins!

http://www.caneshockey.com/custom/radD7419.asp


Good stuff - includes interviews!


that is a really nice feature. I vote for them to keep it up when the big boys are back in town :)

[Stormbringer]

Looks like they put some video of camp on the canes site! Hope they continue this when team camp begins!

http://www.caneshockey.com/custom/radD7419.asp


Good stuff - includes interviews!


that is a really nice feature. I vote for them to keep it up when the big boys are back in town :)

Same here...I've really enjoyed the videos they have done thus far, and really can't wait to see what they do when training camp/pre-season comes around.

[Shell]

Thanks for the links to video! I'll watch when I get home from work.

from today's N&O
Getting early look
By LUKE DECOCK, Staff Writer

RALEIGH -- Kevin Estrada was enjoying the end of his summer vacation when the Carolina Hurricanes called and invited him to do the opposite of relaxing.
Estrada, a 21-year-old rising junior at Michigan State who was drafted by the Canes in 2001, will finish four days of exhausting workouts at the Hurricanes' prospect conditioning camp today. To retain his NCAA eligibility, he paid his own airfare from Surrey, British Columbia, and his own hotel bill.

Across the NHL, that's not uncommon. The Atlanta Thrashers had seven college players at their 21-player camp in July. For many players, it's an introduction to the rigors of NHL fitness.

But the Canes prefer a smaller, more intense camp -- they brought in eight players -- and Estrada is the first player still in college to attend one of Carolina's summer camps since Craig Adams in 1998.

Estrada had expressed an interest in the camp earlier in the summer. The Canes thought it was a good idea.

"A few weeks ago they called me and asked me to come," Estrada said. "I said, 'Sure, I've got nothing else going on.' "

Estrada's father, Don, came along as well . The younger Estrada, meanwhile, gets a head start on Michigan State's preseason training program.

"I've got some pearls I can take back, some [abdominal] exercises and shoulder stuff," he said. "Some off-ice stuff that we can use, too."

A 5-foot-11, 185-pound left wing, Estrada had 11 points as a freshman and 10 as a sophomore. The Canes would like more production out of the third-round pick in 2001 who was touted by one scouting service as one of the top sleepers in the draft. But still, the Canes are high on Estrada's skills and skating ability.

"It can only help him," Carolina assistant general manager Jason Karmanos said. "At this point, we would have expected he would have been able to produce more. We've told him that we expect more out of him. This is a good sign from him that he's willing to put in the work. Hopefully it carries over to a good season."

Estrada gave the camp a distinct Michigan State feel by joining recent Spartans products Brad Fast and Troy Ferguson. Both played in Lowell (AHL) last season .

Fast, whose 43 points as a senior put him third in the country among defenseman, comes into camp about 10th on Carolina's defensive depth chart and is expected to play a major role in Lowell this season. Ferguson, the son of Carolina scouting director Sheldon Ferguson and a ninth-round pick in 2000, is trying out pro hockey before he starts applying to medical schools.

[hyena]

well, it seems like today was ass-kicking day at camp. there were stations set up around the ice and everybody paired off, and each partner had 30 seconds to do whatever was at that station. (ronnie participated fully, and was paired off with brad fast. nastiuk was paired with one of the trainers.)

the stations included:

- getting in push-up positon and 'crawling' along the ice holding the stick
- starting in the faceoff dot and going after pucks shot in the corner
- pushing/pulling one of the goals with one of the trainers standing on it
- picking up a tire and flipping it end over end up and down one side of the ice
- skating side to side and touching a cone on each side
- taking passes standing behind the goal on each side and passing them back
- exercises with a medicine ball
- skating up and down the ice pulling your partner around
- trying to play the puck along the corner boards with your partner holding onto you

um, i may be forgetting some but i was surprised they did the whole routine TWICE. i suspect brad had some sort of minor injury because he didn't do any of the activities the 2nd time around -- it was kind of funny because ronnie kept right on chugging along. he didn't even look tired at the end, and the kids looked whipped. :D

no sign of any other canes. ronnie signed plenty of autographs again -- he's so nice to the little kids. http://www.electrichyena.com/other/redthumb.gif

oh yeah, they were giving away Brindy posters -- they look like a copy of a painting, with 'rod brind'amour carolina hurricanes 2001-2002' underneath. they are 16x20. i have TWO EXTRA so if anyone wants them, PM me--do not reply in this thread. first two responses gets them.

edit: the posters have been taken, thanks!!

[Shell]

Killer review, Thanks Amanda!!

[Ashleygirl]

I see the next practice at the RecZone is listed as Monday, August 11. Is that when all the Canes will begin training? If so, I guess I'll have to take some time off from work and check it out!

[Stormbringer]

Killer review, Thanks Amanda!!

Second this...wunnerful, wunnerful review Amanda. :) I bet Ronnie was something to watch today...

Also IIRC Ashleygirl, the practices for the Canes starting August 11th are voluntary, meaning that you may or may not see a lot of Canes, just those who decide to come out and practice. The first training camp day/full practice will be September 12th, which is a Friday.

[Ashleygirl]

So I have to take two mornings off from work? My boss is saying: Yah right, only two?

..thanks for the info Stormbringer. I will add it to my Schedule Plus so I don't miss either!

[nccanes]

I believe that is just ice time reserved for the Canes should they choose to use it. It's not part of the training camp that begins in September when everyone will be required to be there.