A Quick Look at Hurricanes Camp

Here is a look at the Hurricanes upcoming training camp which begins this week. This was submitted by Hurricanes Communications Director Ryan Ohashi. This three-part pre-camp report can also be found on the Canes website: www.lethbridgehurricanes.com.

With 2010 Hurricanes Training Camp set to open Thursday, September 2nd from the Adams Ice Centre (9th Avenue and 13th St. North) the time has come for a quick refresher on your Lethbridge Hurricanes. This year’s camp should be a shootout with over 70 participants - many familiar faces and an exciting crop of eager young guns.

2010 Camp will include the Canes 19 returning players from the 2009-10 team, the only exclusions being Finnish net minder Ville Kolppanen who will return to his U-20 club Ilves in Finland and overage graduates Linden Rowat who will attend the University of Alberta, Dustin Donaghy, and Captain Carter Bancks who is signed to play in Abbotsford, the Calgary Flames AHL affiliate.

In part one of this three part series, we preview just a few of the names to look for in the Hurricanes forward group:

The Canes will return a solid veteran laden group up front led by 09-10 rookie sensation and local talent Mitch Maxwell. Maxwell, a native of Magrath, AB was an unexpected surprise for Lethbridge this past year. After being signed as a 19 year old he totaled a team leading 27 goals in his first WHL season and along with Lethbridge born Max Ross will enter camp as one of the Canes two 20 year old overage forwards. Ross has had a strong summer returning to camp at a very lean 200 pounds and will look for a breakout season after an injury shortened 09-10 which saw him make a position change from defense to forward.

Not to be forgotten are 09-10 Alternate Captains and staples in the Canes forward group Cam Braes and Austin Fyten. Both finished with career years in 09-10 (Braes - 25G, 28A; Fyten - 19G, 24A) and will look to take over as premier Top 6 forwards in their 19 year old seasons. As 91 born players they will be joined by a trio of forwards all looking to make their mark in 10-11; highly skilled Swedish forward Jacob Berglund should greatly improve after showing signs of brilliance in his 18 year old rookie season in the WHL while Brody Sutter will also look at 2010-11 as a potential breakout season, with his size and skill he could very well adapt into a strong power forward.

The Canes have a solid group of rookies looking to avoid the sophomore jinx – Graham Hood arrived from Regina as part of the Carter Ashton trade and showed a lot of potential as a power forward last year. Players developed from within the Canes system - WHL draft prospects Mark Reners, Ryon Moser, Neal Tarnasky and the only 16 year old last year’s forward group Philip Tot have all proven they can be players in the WHL.

This group will be pushed by a hungry group of Canes young guns up front with names like 93-born Michael Sofillas (29G, 43A) and Brady Ramsay (46G, 34A) as well as 94-born prospects Tayler Balog (11G, 19A), Ryley Bennefield (21G, 19A) and riding into town for camp coming off strong midget seasons. Sofillas dominated the Manitoba Midget ranks for much of the season, finishing second in the MMHL scoring race. Ramsay was the leading scorer for the Calgary based EDGE school last season. Balog is a highly touted prospect and former 2nd round WHL Bantam draft pick who many had projected would go in the first, while Bennefield was the Hurricanes 1st selection in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft (33rd overall). Some of the other wild cards to watch for include 93-born Russian Alex Kuvaev and a pair of speedy skilled 94-born forwards: Mitch Guiel and Russell Maxwell. Kuvaev was selected by the Hurricanes in the second round of the 2010 CHL Import draft, the 6’3, 190 pound native of Moscow played for Team Russia at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Timmins. ON this past winter and played this past season for Vityaz Chekhov of the Russian Minor Hockey League (MHL). Guiel was the Hurricanes fifth selection – 103rd overall of the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft and missed a large portion of this season to injury, but scored 84 points (41G, 43A) in 40 games in 2008-09. Maxwell, the younger brother of Mitch Maxwell had a great showing at 2009 Hurricanes Training Camp and followed that with a solid season in the AMMHL – posting 90 points (40G, 50A).

This camp will also give Hurricanes fans a look into the future of the club up front with all of the Canes forward draft picks expected to be in attendance - led by blue chip prospect Jay Merkley. This spring Merkley became the highest drafted Lethbridge Hurricanes bantam pick of all time after being selected 3rd overall in the first round of the 2010 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft. He tallied 30 goals and 41 assists for 71 points and 32 PIMs in 33 games for the Calgary Bisons; good enough for fifth in scoring Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League in 09-10 helping the Bisons capture the 2010 Provincial and League Championships. He also collected individual accolades as the winner of the AMBHL South Division Scoring title, South Division Forward Award and the South Division Most Valuable Player Award.

Overages: Mitch Maxwell (90), Max Ross (90)
Veteran forwards: Cam Braes (91), Austin Fyten (91), Brody Sutter (91),
Sophomores in 10-11: Jacob Berglund (91), Mark Reners (92), Ryon Moser (92), Neal Tarnasky (92), Graham Hood (92), Philip Tot (93)
Rookie (s) to keep an eye on at camp: Alex Kuvaev (93), Brady Ramsay (93), Michael Sofillas, Tayler Balog (94), Ryley Bennefield (94), Mitchell Guiel (94), Russell Maxwell (94), Jay Merkley (95)

Be sure to visit LethbridgeHurricanes.com for daily Hurricanes 2010 Training Camp news – full camp lists will be made available following player registration on Thursday. Scrimmages will begin on Friday afternoon before the players are divided into four teams of rookies and veterans for the weekend intersquad tournament. Camp will then wrap on Sunday as the tournament Consolation and Championship finals are held. Fans are encouraged to attend camp to get their first look at the 2010-11 Hurricanes – On Saturday and Sunday, volunteers from the Lethbridge United Way will be on hand to take donations upon entry for this worthwhile cause.

Thanks,
Pat

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