Every year young Senators hopefuls suit up for a rookie tournament before the main camp begins. For years, the Senators have hosted the tournament across the Ottawa River in Hull, Quebec. This year, the four team tournament moves to Montreal, where the Senators and Canadiens prospects will go head to head with prospects from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers organization. Each team invites 24 players: two goalies, eight defensemen and 14 forwards. Of the 24 invited players for the Senators, half of them are attending on an amateur tryout.

Senators Roster

Goaltenders

Jeff Glass: A third round pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Glass is a big goaltender who spent last year with Kootenay of the WHL. The Senators scouting staff felt he was comfortably in the second tier of goaltending prospects in the draft, and Glass should return next year as well.

Kelly Guard: The Memorial Cup MVP got a free agent contract from Ottawa out of the tournament last year, and will show Senators fans for the first time what he can do in a Senators uniform. Guard will most likely split time between the ECHL and AHL this year, but a strong tournament will help him challenge Billy Thompson for back-up duty in the Binghamton.

Defensemen

Will Colbert: Last year’s tournament shouldn’t bring back great memories for Colbert. The Arnprior native broke his arm early on and missed not only the tournament but the start of his second junior season. This tournament is important for Colbert who has to prove to the organization he should be signed as he nears the completion of his junior career.

Riley Day: Once considered a good prospect for the 2004 draft, Day had a poor year with Medicine Hat of the WHL last year, and went undrafted. Big and strong, a good rookie camp would do wonders for his status as a prospect, as would a strong third junior campaign.

Andre Joanisse: An Ottawa native who has played the last two years with Drummondville of the QMJHL, Joanisse has good size for a defenseman, but is anything but spectacular offensively. He will need a great tournament to make an impact on Senators brass.

Neil Komadoski: Last year Komadoski wrapped up a successful college career with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and finished the year in the AHL. He, along with Meszaros and Platil, will be counted on the most in this tournament. This coming season, Komadoski will be one of many defense prospects in Binghamton, all fighting for top minutes.

Andrej Meszaros: One of the steals of the 2004 draft makes his debut in a Senators uniform. A veteran of the Slovakian Elite League, Meszaros moves this year to the WHL to play with fellow 2004 first round faller Marek Schwarz and 2005 consensus No. 2 overall pick Gilbert Brule for the powerhouse Vancouver Giants team.

Pierre Mitsou: Another Ottawa area native, Mitsou was an overager for the 67’s last year and was often paired with Colbert to form the team’s top defense pairing. Hardly a top prospect, Mitsou is expected to head off to Acadia University unless he has a great tournament.

Eric Nelson: The oldest player in the tournament at 25 years of age, seven years older than some other participants, Nelson has recently graduated from the University of Connecticut, where he put in four solid seasons. He is another player on a tryout, and is hoping for an invitation to the Binghamton training camp.

Jan Platil: A veteran of the rookie tournament, Platil has impressed the Senators brass in many ways at these tournaments. Last year, his nasty, often dirty playing style got him in some hot water. This year, Platil will log a lot of minutes, and will try to start off his second professional campaign in style.

Forwards

Brandon Bochenski: Recently signed to his first professional contract, the North Dakota scoring sensation has some holes in his game, but he’s also a dynamic goal scorer who could score plenty in Binghamton this season. Bochenski is the top Senators forward prospect at this year’s tournament, and a player to watch.

Daniel Bois: A big, physical and often hated player, Bois was signed after a lengthy junior career with London of the OHL. Although he never developed the offensive game that Colorado hoped he had when they used a third round pick on him back in 2001, he still loves to crash and bang, and will for Binghamton and in this tournament too.

Jerome Briere: The University of Ottawa sophomore is another player attending on a tryout contract. With only 14 games played in the QMJHL, Briere is by no means a stud prospect. But the 20-year-old had a solid first season with the Gee Gees, and will try to turn some heads over the week.

Derek Campbell: Campbell is yet another tryout forward, who played most of last year with Toledo of the ECHL, but did play two games for Binghamton. At 24 years of age, Campbell has his work cut out for him before making himself a noteworthy prospect.

David Clarkson: A solid member of the powerful Kitchener Rangers teams of the past couple of years, Clarkson is a big, rough and tumble prospect on a tryout contract. Willing to drop the gloves and do whatever is asked of him, Clarkson can return to the Rangers for an overage season, so a contract isn’t likely.

Rob Fried: If Rob Fried has one thing going for him, it is probably his head. The Harvard hockey product is also blessed with plenty of size at 6’3, 210 lbs. That being said, Fried lacks much offensive ability, so if he’s to catch the Senators eye, it will be through his all-round game and use of his generous build. He has already signed a contract with the ECHL Gwinnett Gladiators for the 2004-05 season.

Gregg Johnson: A one time member of the United States World Junior squad back in 2001, Johnson has struggled since, registering only four goals in his next two seasons as Boston University. He did pot a goal in five games with Binghamton last year. Undersized but with speed, the Senators drafted Johnson in the ninth round back in 2001.

Arpad Mihaly: Everything Mihaly has achieved in hockey is because of hard work. A big strong Romanian born winger with a choppy skating stride and little natural skill, Mihaly was playing a regular third line shift with Binghamton by the end of last year if only because of his work ethic. He is one of the older players in the tournament at 24.

Nathan O’Nabigon: A teammate of Clarkson’s in Kitchener the last two years, O’Nabigon is one player to watch. He is a tryout player, but has good size, great speed and potted 31 goals last year in the OHL. He was an overager last year, so he could play in the AHL if the Senators offer him a contract.

Josh Patterson: Another OHL product who finished his overage season this past year, Patterson isn’t quite as good or as big as O’Nabigon, but he is still a player who has a shot at being invited to the Binghamton Senators camp later on. Patterson is another local product, hailing from Kemptville.

Grant Potulny: While Potulny’s upside is limited, he has the heart and leadership qualities that every team covets in a young player. Also blessed with great size, Potulny is a pretty good bet to play on a third or fourth line in the NHL soon. Already 24 years old, the Minnesota grad will be one of Ottawa’s better players in the tournament.

Peter Tsimikalis: Considered by many to be a good bet to go on the first day of the 2004 draft, Tsimikalis somehow did not get picked, not even in the ninth round. A point a game player last year as a 17-year-old with the 67’s, Tsimikalis is a kid who leads by example and scored a point a game and has a chance to prove some scouts wrong in this tournament.

Greg Watson: A former early second round pick by Florida, acquired in a deal for Jani Hurme, Watson had a poor first professional year and is back for another rookie tournament. But it was his performance in this tournament a couple of years ago that caught the Senators’ eye, and brought him over in that trade.

Roman Wick: Like Tsimikalis, Wick was supposed to go on the first day of the 2004 draft, although his stock was more in the late second round range. Surprisingly, the Swiss forward fell to the Senators in the fifth round. Wick will play this coming season with Red Deer of the WHL, and in this tournament, will be counted on to be one of the Senators top offensive players.

Schedule

Copyright 2004 Hockey’s Future. Do not duplicate without written permission of the editorial staff.