They came, they saw, they worked their butts off. Thirty players spent last week in Edmonton taking part in an abbreviated training camp that culminated in a pair of games against two traditional rivals. When all was said and done, one player earned himself a brand new contract, two received invites to the upcoming AHL camp, a new assistant coach joined the team, several juniors returned to their teams with renewed vigor and the rest are set to fill the void in Edmonton created by the NHL lockout.

Bucky’s Back

Longtime Oiler Kelly Buchberger was named to the coaching staff of the Edmonton Road Runners, the AHL affiliate that will open its inaugural season just under a month from now. Buchburger, the Oilers leader in career penalty minutes, is replacing Jeff Beukeboom who elected not to follow the team west from Toronto. For the fan favorite, the offer was simply too good to pass up and came at a time that fit Buchberger’s own schedule.

“I’m very excited,” Buchberger began. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I was finished playing here and with the way that the league is going right now, I was given this opportunity by Kevin and Scott to come and work with the organization and I’m looking forward to it. I take a lot of pride in working with young players and I want to be part of it.”

With his days as a player behind him, Buchberger had returned to Edmonton with his family and had settled back into life in the city.

“There was no way we were moving our family again, we’ve been gone for five years and through four different cities and it was time for us to settle home,” he said. “I’ve been gone for five years but it’s never really felt like I left the Oilers, I always felt like I had a little bit of Oiler blood in me when I was gone.”

It has been long rumored that Bucky would rejoin the organization once his playing career had ended and after brief stops in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Pittsburgh the time had finally come.

“We’ve had talks throughout the years but I’d wanted to keep playing as long as possible but with (the CBA) and my age, I was given the opportunity and I had to take it,” he concluded. “It’s something I really was looking forward to doing and the opportunities don’t come up all the time.”

Nervous Starts

Twenty-eight Oiler properties hit the ice September 10 in nearby Sherwood Park as rookie camp officially opened. Added to the list of participants were two free agent invitees, Simon Ferguson and Martin St. Pierre, who were trying to earn themselves contract offers now that their junior careers are finished. Although billed as a rookie camp, there were several players who did not fit the description but were involved largely to fill out the spaces needed for intersquad games as well as the two contests that wrapped up the camp.

Eight of the ten players selected in the 2004 Entry Draft were on hand, the first time they were able to practice and play in front of Oiler coaches, scouts and fans. For some, it took some getting used to in order to combat their initial stage fright.

“Yeah it’s pretty nerve racking but I just have to loosen up and I think it will be a good thing,” said the Peterborough Petes leading scorer Liam Reddox after day 1.

“It’s a big adjustment but I feel more used to it everyday,” agreed Bryan Young, who was a teammate of Reddox’s in junior last season. Young went on to say that he believed having Reddox around made the experience a little easier to get accustomed to. “For sure it does; when we’re away from the rink that always makes things easier, we can go and hang out.”

For Ferguson, the added pressure of being a free agent brought on the nerves despite being a veteran of other NHL camps.

“I was in St. Louis and Phoenix,” the former Kelowna Rockets power forward said before smiling and pointing out a significant difference between the camps. “This one there are practices! They were all just mini-tournaments before. There’s a lot of concentration on hard work here and that’s a good thing.”

St. Pierre, who had previously skated with both the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers, admits that being older was somewhat offset by being a new face in the room.

“The first couple days everybody has jitters but today was a bit better,” he said after skating on day 2. “You try to give the younger guys advice but at the same time there are older guys here as well so you try and get advice from them too.”

For many of the skaters it was their second or third time in the City of Champions and their familiarity with the surroundings gave them an added sense of comfort. Troy Bodie, who won a Memorial Cup title last year with Kelowna, noticed the difference right away.

“Yeah, at the last (camps) I had some jitters but I was able to get them out and now I’m just playing my game,” Bodie said.

“This is my third time and so you have more confidence in yourself and you know that you can play with the guys instead of just watching them,” the 6’4 J.F. Jacques agreed. “You want to be part of it and just improve yourself and show more to the GM.”

For others like AHL players Mike Bishai, Jeff Woywitka, Doug Lynch and Brent Henley the rookie camp was viewed differently.

“I look at it more as a way to get back in shape and get my feet back under me,” Henley, the towering rearguard explained. “With the games I played last year, and going from the AHL camp and the exhibition, I don’t look at this as a step backwards because I know they’re watching and they want to see if my feet have improved. I think it’s a good chance to jump ahead of some of the other guys who didn’t show up.”

Intersquad Games

The 28 skaters and two goaltenders were split into two groups and practiced simultaneously but on separate sheets of ice. At the end of each practice session there was a brief but spirited game lasting approximately 45 minutes in duration. During the scrimmages there were several cuts and bruises handed out but not a single incident where two players dropped their mitts and squared off, a sign that most knew jobs were not on the line.

Kenny Smith had a split lip thanks to a collision with Brad Winchester’s helmet during a drill, Jason Platt’s stick clipped Young producing a black eye and some stitches in his eyebrow, and Bodie was sporting an oversized bandage over a forehead wound he had received.

Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish was pleased with what he saw but cautioned the media and the fans to not get too excited about the players who were in the camp because, for the most part, they were in the long term plans, not the immediate future.

“It’s such a big jump from junior to the NHL that at this point we don’t get too excited by the hype of certain players because we know that the jump is so extreme that there have been only a handful of players over the last few years who have been able to make that jump,” the coach explained. “We want to see their development but we’re not sensing that there’s any one of the young draft choices that’s going to help us for a few years.”

When asked about a few specific players, MacTavish was only willing to offer brief comments.

“(Devan) Dubnyk looked very good for a first year goaltender and (Rob) Schremp showed us what we had read about him; he’s got good hockey sense, goes to the open ice very well and finds the open man.”

One player who started camp off slowly was Marc-Antoine Pouliot whose recovery from abdominal surgery in June prevented the Rimouski star player from being in top game shape.

“The last thing we want for (Pouliot) is to get hurt in this camp so he goes through the same thing as last year,” MacTavish pointed out. “Hopefully next time we’ll see a fully recuperated and healthy player.”

The scrimmages themselves were entertaining for the number of fans who were in attendance but provided little more satisfaction than the salad does before a steak dinner. The main attractions were on days 4 and 5 when the Oiler rookies played their two games against other organizations.

Oilers vs Flames

On paper, this was a game the Oiler kids had in the bag. The Flames were without the vast majority of their bigger named players who were in Europe, U.S. college or in the case of Dion Phaneuf, simply unavailable due to a contract negotiation. On the other hand, the Oilers had several of the key prospects dressed including Rob Schremp, Devan Dubnyk, Kyle Brodziak and J.F. Jacques.

The Oilers began the game well and throughout the opening period they dominated the Flames in all aspects of the game. Zack Stortini, parked at the edge of the blue paint, got a piece of a Schremp slapshot to open the scoring. Minutes later Schremp masterfully spun and fed a pass to a streaking Eddie Caron who buried a quick shot past Calgary Netminder Davis Parley. Before the period was over, St. Pierre netted his first of two on the night and the Oilers went into the second frame up three goals to none.

The Flames came out hard in the second but it was the Oilers who struck again while shorthanded when Simon Ferguson picked off a pass at center, broke in but was stoned by Parley only to have St. Pierre deposit the puck home. From that point on the score sheet was dominated by Calgary.

Dubnyk, who was solid in the first period, was the victim of bad luck on the Flames first goal. With Dustin Boyd barreling in on a breakaway, Dubnyk gambled with an excellent poke check banging the disc off Boyd’s stick blade only to see it then bounce in off either the Flame or Oiler Roman Tesliuk who was hard on the back check.

Moments later a brutal giveaway by Max Gordichuk handed Boyd his second goal and not half a minute later the Flames prospect completed the natural hat trick by burying a five-hole blast through Dubnyk. With momentum completely on their side, the Flames went into the third period down by a single goal. Calgary would score two more to steal the game from Edmonton with a 5-4 win.

There were a few highlights for Oiler fans on the night, including a very one-sided fight between Brent “the Henley Giant” Henley and Calgary’s Brandon Prust.

“I think I cut his face and his head pretty good,” Henley understated the day after. “Everybody’s out there trying to get a spot and if that’s his job then that’s his job. He asked me to fight and I’ve been in that position before so you go out there, get it over with and try to play the game. I give him full credit for trying but…he’s got a couple years to go.”

Henley had been expecting to tussle with Thomas Bellemare, another Flames tough guy, but it wasn’t until later in the game when that particular player was willing to dance. Bellemare blindsided the Oiler defender near the Flames bench after a routine dump in play, an act that Henley wasn’t shy of speaking about.

“He had ample opportunity, he was the guy I was looking for but in his first three or four shifts we were lined up against each other and he wouldn’t say a word. He wouldn’t even come into my corner when we were on the same side of the ice!” Henley said. “Then when I’m not looking and after I’d already had the other fight, you’re gone after your second one and the coaches told me to stay in the game, he jumps me from behind! I think that pretty much says what kind of player he is.”

Henley wore the captaincy with pride in the game claiming it was one of the proudest moments of his hockey career.

“That’s the best jersey I’ve ever put on in my life,” he beamed. “I know it’s just an exhibition game in a rookie camp but putting it on was unbelievable. Looking at the line of guys who have had that crest with the C on it, there’s no way to describe it better than it being a total honor. I didn’t even know, I pulled it on and one of the other guys said, ‘Hey, you’re the captain’ and so I looked down and was kind of shocked.”

The player most fans were there to see didn’t disappoint in his playmaking as Rob Schremp came out of the game with a couple of assists and numerous highlight reel plays.

“It was a good game, fast paced and pretty physical so it was a good first game,” Schremp said in the dressing room. “I clicked pretty good with Stortini and Caron, he and Zack just battle it out in the corners and do all the grit and grinding work, they were awesome tonight and it was a pleasure to play with them.”

That line was the most effective for the Oilers on the night and both of Schremp’s goal-scoring linemates were equally quick to share the credit for their success.

“Getting to play with Rob Schremp is a good opportunity for me because he’s a really offensively skilled player and we get along well off the ice as well so it’s a treat to play with him,” began Stortini. “Eddie’s a great player to play with, I’ve got to play with him for the whole training camp and he’s set me up on a couple. He’s a great guy too and the three of us have become pretty close I guess.”

“I had a great time out there, obviously I’m playing with some unbelievable guys and that really helped me out a lot,” agreed Caron who failed to convert on a marvelous breakaway opportunity. “We had some nice plays, I could have connected on a few more passes and I missed on that breakaway. I made one move too many, I had the whole net to shoot at on the forehand and all I had to do was get a stick on it but I missed it. I took a few shots about that on the bus this morning from the guys.”

The other player who helped himself with his performance was Marty St. Pierre whose two-goal night probably ensured his return for the AHL camp.

“It’s unfortunate that we lost but we tried to show a lot of character and bounce back and personally I’m really proud of myself. Like I said this morning, I was hoping the goals would come and they did,” St. Pierre said after the game.

“My line is playing really well right now and I have to give credit to those guys too,” he added with a chuckle as he talked about fellow free agent Simon Ferguson. “We were enemies at the Memorial Cup being that he was from Kelowna but we always joke about that, he’s a good guy off the ice and on the ice he battles really hard. He was the cause of my second goal by working hard and taking the puck to the net. He’s a grinder and we have another big guy on the other side in Jacques who just creates space for us so it’s been good.”

Despite the loss, there was a sense from the players and the team brass that the players showed many instances of exactly what they wanted to see. The same could not be said a night later.

Oilers vs University of Alberta

They wouldn’t admit it publicly but if the Oilers could have only won one of the two games, the one they would have chosen would have been Tuesday night against the University of Alberta. It was the 17^th annual grudge match between the two Edmonton based franchises and the perennial CIS powerhouse was riding a three-game winning streak over their professional rivals having shut out the Oilers in their last two meetings. In response, the Oilers were dressing a number of their older prospects including highly touted blueliners Jeff Woywitka and Doug Lynch as well as fellow Road Runners Mike Bishai, Brad Winchester and Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers.

Despite the added firepower, it was the Golden Bears who dominated the game from the outset and quickly had the Oilers behind by two goals in the opening five minutes of the game. By the end of the first period it was 4-1 for the UofA.

Simply put, it was a case of a great team overcoming a group of excellent individuals that resulted in a lopsided 8-2 win for the Golden Bears. The lifetime record of the series now stands at 9-8 in favor of the students who have outscored the Oilers by an embarrassing 21-4 over the course of their last four meetings.

The Oilers say that the game to them is a tool designed to place their key prospects in tough situations to gauge their responses. “If we wanted to, we could dress the Road Runners and play them straight up,” said VP of Hockey Operations Kevin Prendergast afterwards but that clearly is not the objective of the game from an Oiler standpoint.

Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers started the game but left early in the second period due to injury after a goal by Brian Ballman. The University player stepped into a slapshot at the hash marks and Drouin-Deslauriers was late reacting to the shot because Doug Lynch screened his view. The official word from the Oilers was that the goalie sustained a “high, inner-thigh injury” but after the game Drouin-Deslauriers put it in much simpler terms.

“It hit me in the nuts,” the francophone goalie explained in broken English. “It stung a lot, it’s better now.”

Understandably Devan Dubnyk came in to replace the starter and actually played better than he had the night before against the Flames.

Camp Quotes

“I’m down to about 225lbs but I’ve lost a lot because I was up to about 235lbs at one point. I feel a lot better and I actually still want to lose a few more pounds and I look forward to doing that. My target would be about 215lbs. If I lose a bit more body fat and a few more pounds I’ll be close to my ideal body weight. It’s been a real struggle for me this summer, I’ve tried to lose some fat and I’ve enjoyed some success but I’ve still got some work to do.”

– Eddie Caron on the subject of his “weight problem”.

“Strength. Stamina. Stretching.”

- Oilers fitness guru Daryl Duke’s three keys to getting Caron to his target.

“I don’t want to think too much about it, I just want to play my game. I think it was bad luck but I want to turn that this year into good luck.”

- Marc-Antoine Pouliot when asked if he thinks he’s injury prone or a victim of bad luck.

“I felt I was ready after three years there. I felt that if I was going to continue to improve my game it was a good choice for me to leave.”

- Brock Radunske on his decision to leave Michigan State after his junior year.

“Eenie, meenie, miny, moe…I like to try and keep players away from their own conference or so French players aren’t with French players, split them up. Some guys know each other from mini camp last summer so I might put them back together but for the first year kids you try and put them in with a veteran guy. It’s about making new friends and getting to know different scenarios, east and west, Europe or whatever.”

- Chief Oiler scout Kevin Prendergast on how he decides who will be roommates.

“Pouliot. Great kid but he sure likes to sleep!”

- Jason Platt on his roommate.

“I can’t play without a visor, it’s a semi conscious thing that it’s always in the back of your mind that you have to protect your eyes. I always wear a mouth guard too.”

- Martin St. Pierre before playing the two consecutive rookie games without a visor.

“With my size people don’t really give me a chance right off and it takes time but hopefully I can impress (the Oilers) right away and sign a contract.”

- St. Pierre on his need to make a big impression in a short time frame.

“I always try to come down on my off wing and shoot it low stick side and with the longer stick you get more whip and it works for me so I might as well keep it going.”

- St. Pierre on how he uses a stick that is three or four inches taller than he is even when he is wearing his skates.

“We get to play against him four times this year so it’ll be awesome! We’re both centers so it’ll be a battle out there for sure, just like in the summer!”

- Joe Cullen on playing against his brother Mark who is a Minnesota Wild prospect with the AHL Houston Aeros.

“It was a good time battling each other every shift. It’s a lot better now that we’re on the same team because we’re such good friends, it makes it easier because you never want to beat up on your friends but you’ve got to do it.”

- Jason Platt on his friendship with Eddie Caron who’s UNH Wildcats eliminated Providence from the playoffs last year in the final minute of game 3.

“I think it’s the best thing that could happen for me. I love the city, I like the coaching staff and the organization too. In the preseason games I was playing on the first line with (Adam) Pineault and (Steve) Bernier and that was awesome to play with those guys. The coach told me that if I work hard and I show him what I have got all year long then I’d play with those guys all year. I’m really happy with that, I want to stay on that line.”

- Eighth round pick Stephane Goulet on his far better situation this year with the Moncton Wildcats compared to last year with the Quebec Remparts.

“I have high expectations but I’ll try to keep it simple and not try to overdo everything. I have a role to do and so I’ll just play my role and not pay attention to what else might be going on.”

- Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers about how he will cope in the AHL with the pressure of being labeled the “franchise goalie”.

“Last year I was supposed to go to play with the Road Runners, Kevin called my agent, but there was a mix up with my school. I would have missed all my school so Kevin said ‘go to school and we’ll see you after’. Next year I will go there.”

- J.F. Jacques on the possibility of signing an amateur tryout contract with the Road Runners at the end of this season.

“I want to be out there, and fighting somebody.”

- Dan Baum in the stands at the Calgary game unable to participate in the activities after day 1 due to lingering headaches.

“I’m just going to come here and the AHL camp and give everything I have and let the management decide what is best for me. They’re pros, they’ve been doing this for a long time and they know what’s best to develop a guy so all I can do is come and give it my best and let the chips fall as they may. Whatever happens I’m fine with.”

- Defenseman Kenny Smith on the very real possibility of playing the year in the ECHL.

“I haven’t been in a game since last April so it will be good to get back into the battle. During camp you play hard but you don’t do the little extras like crosscheck guys.”

- Brent Henley before playing against the Flames.

“Stiff but I’m going to be ready. I flew in here to play a game…I’ve got some good drugs man!”

- Henley when asked if back pain would prevent him from playing the Flames.

“I shouldn’t have played. I had back spasms for the last half of the game. By the end of the game I couldn’t really contribute anymore but I’m glad that I got most of the game in. I’ll take pain like that any day for that jersey though.”

- Henley after the game.

“Oh man that sucked! I felt bad for him on that one because it was a great play. He had great patience and he waited and waited, then poke checked him and the (bleeping) puck bounces in off the guy. That sucked!”

- Rob Schremp on the attempted save Dubnyk made on Dustin Boyd who got credit for the first goal of Calgary’s comeback.

“It was so awesome putting it on before warm ups, it was just a rush to be putting on an Oilers jersey. It’s a big honor…it was awesome.”

- Schremp trying to describe the emotions of playing in his first game wearing the copper drop.

Camp Grades

Mike Bishai (A) – After splitting time with the Oilers and the Roadrunners last year, Bishai was everything anyone could have expected him to be this past week. Leader in the room and on the ice, Bishai scored both goals for the Oilers in the game against the Bears and was even the major participant in a line tussle after a whistle. Faster, more agile and definitely more confident than a year ago, Bishai could lead the Road Runners in scoring this year.

Rocky Thompson (B) – Thompson’s role here was to lead by example and that’s basically what he did. With Bobby Allen no longer in the organization, Thompson is a candidate for the captaincy this year if it doesn’t fall back to Dan Smith who wore it plenty last season. A fine example for the youngsters in the organization to learn from and a prime candidate for a bench job once his playing days are done.

Jeff Woywitka (A) – If there were any doubts a week ago that Woywitka is ready for the next step, there aren’t any longer. He’s big, physical and his transition game is nearly flawless. There wasn’t a better blueliner on the ice. The NHL rearguards should be looking over their shoulders.

Jeff-Drouin Deslauriers (B) – Exceptional in the intersquad scrimmages but clearly wasn’t ready for the peppering he took in the game against the UofA. That said, there’s little doubt that the kid from Quebec is a keeper worth keeping and he’ll get plenty of opportunity to develop this year as the starter with the Road Runners.

J.F. Jacques (B-) – Deceptively fast, especially for his size, Jacques had a very good week and played well with St. Pierre. His English is noticeably improved and his shoulder injury is no longer an issue. The Baie-Comeau captain seems like a prototypical power forward with the hands to give him an NHL upside.

Rob Schremp (A) – First skater on the ice each day, last one to leave. Constantly seen stick handling or trick flipping pucks, he is an exceptional gifted playmaker. His playing style is drawing comparisons to Doug Weight especially in regards to his control of the power play from the half boards. Schremp is quite possibly the most talented player in the organization at the moment.

Roman Tesliuk (B-) – He’s physical, he passes and skates very well and he has an absolute cannon for a shot. He’s young and still has plenty of his skills to refine but Tesliuk played very well against the Flames and fared no worse than the older Oiler blueliners did in the UofA game.

Zack Stortini (A) – Perhaps no one exceeded expectations more than Stortini who some regarded as too slow and others felt was not skilled enough. He is proof that effort and determination can often overcome physical limitations. He was the driving force against the Flames, returning to the bench at the end of every shift with a grimace or a helmet knocked askew. The question of whether he had impressed the organization enough was answered a day after the camp ended when Stortini was offered and subsequently signed a new three-year contract.

Eddie Caron (B+) – Scored goals in two of the three intersquad games and also potted another against the Flames. The only negative that could possibly be pinned on Caron is that he came to camp heavier than he would have liked. However, to his credit, this is an issue he is well aware of and appears determined to resolve. Prendergast commented that Caron’s strength is way up from this time last year but that his VO2 rating and endurance have suffered because of his “football-like exercise routine”. There is no denying that Caron showed plenty of hockey sense and ability this week.

Devan Dubnyk (C+) – In his first NHL camp, Dubnyk showed the difference between potentially being an excellent goalie and already being one. While the older and more experienced JDD can accurately be described that way, at 18 Dubnyk is still developing his skills and learning the position. In just under five periods of play in the two games he allowed eight goals, half of which he would definitely like back. Not a bad camp by any stretch of the imagination for Dubnyk, but a clear indication of the difference a couple years can make to a goalie. He’ll be the starter for Kamloops this year so next fall he should be well on his way up.

Kyle Brodziak (C) – Brodziak was noticeable at times in the game against Calgary but overall had a fairly average camp. He was neither terrible nor impressive on a regular basis but simply played consistently well. He does appear to have put on some muscle mass over the offseason, it will be interesting to see how he performs at Road Runner camp.

Brock Radunske (C+) – The former Spartan turned professional this summer and turned in a much better performance this year than he did in June of 2003 at the prospects camp. At times you could see the terrific fore checking ability that the New Hamburg native is capable of and the highlight of Radunske’s camp was a thunderous open ice hit he laid on Calgary’s Ritchie Regehr. Many shifts were very average though and overall the line of Radunske, Reddox and Brodziak was fairly ineffective.

Dan Baum (NA) – After Day 1 Baum did not participate at all due to mysterious headaches. There were reports that a few weeks earlier Baum was hit in the helmet by a puck in a pick up game but apparently any relation to that incident is unfounded. Results of hospital tests have not yet been made public.

Simon Ferguson (B) – The free agent forward who won the Memorial Cup last season with the Kelowna Rockets was dominant at times against the Flames. Ferguson also played well in the scrimmages but excelled once it was time to played against another organization. Twice against the Flames Ferguson came to the defense of a teammate and got involved with scrums after whistles. His efforts will earn him an invite back to Road Runner camp and possibly a minor league contract.

Max Gordichuk (C) – The organization was attracted to him because of his 6’4, 228 lb frame but they like him even more now that they see how mobile he is for a player his size. There definitely is room for improvement though as he was bypassed many times by speedy wingers in scrimmages and surrendered a brutal turnover in the Flames game that triggered Calgary’s comeback.

Troy Bodie (C) – A year ago this was a player who most would have considered a fourth liner in the AHL at best. With increased skating ability and a strong playoff performance with Kelowna last year, Troy Bodie is changing some minds but it will take another year of increased performance to convince most that he can be more than a minor leaguer.

Tyler Spurgeon (C) – The hardworking, gritty and fleet footed center plays to the best of his ability but in the games this week that didn’t result in much, although he was credited with a second assist against the Golden Bears. Most onlookers feel Spurgeon can have a successful pro career but that it likely will not be at the NHL level.

Mathieu Roy (C+) – For some defensemen, the less you notice them the better they are playing and Roy is in that category. As a stay at home blueliner, Roy is very sound and makes few errors. He’s physical, has a hard shot and appears to have some leadership skills on the ice as well. It was a good camp for Roy but not in a flashy way.

Brent Henley (B) – He’s not under any illusions, he knows what his job is and he’s more than willing to do it. With over 550 penalty minutes in two ECHL seasons, Henley’s job description is clearly defined and he two punched a young Flames prospect as proof. The fact that he holds playing for the organization and also for his teammates with such passion is refreshing and inspiring to those around him. This is another player who has leadership abilities and could one day make a fine bench boss.

Jason Platt (B-) – It was an impressive five days for Platt whose physical strength was clearly evident when larger players like Winchester and Radunske were stopped dead in their tracks when colliding with the sturdy blueliner. Staunchly defensive, Platt is a workhorse in front of the net and has the strength to clear the front of the crease.

Martin St. Pierre (B+) – The third highest scorer in the OHL last year, St. Pierre fell just eight points shy of the Guelph career points record held by Jeff O’Neill. The playmaking dynamo showed what he could do in the game against the Flames during which he notched a pair of goals and nearly had another. While most people seem to focus on his diminutive height and the extraordinary length of his stick, St. Pierre will seek to make an even bigger impression at Road Runner camp in a couple weeks.

Joe Cullen (C+) – While he didn’t get an opportunity to strut his stuff in either rookie game, Cullen was impressive during the intersquad scrimmages. He has underrated speed, agility and showed that he could be a solid leader on the ice despite his relative young age.

Bryan Young (C) – The Peterborough rearguard was steady but largely not noteworthy although he does have good defensive positioning. Cut above the eye during drills, Young wouldn’t identify the culprit who lost control of his stick saying he didn’t want to make any waves. Against the much older and more experienced Golden Bears, Young was ineffective despite being paired with older partners.

Doug Lynch (C+) – Lynch had a good camp but did not exceed expectations in any regard. He was strong in his own end and made accurate breakout passes. At the same time, he also seemed to struggle against the Golden Bears despite being partnered at many times with Woywitka. Much more will be expected from Lynch in a couple weeks when the AHL camp begins.

Marc-Antoine Pouliot (C+) – He wasn’t 100 percent, a flu bug hampered him and he sat out the game against the Flames. It wasn’t a wasted week for Pouliot but it clearly wasn’t a camp where he could perform to his abilities either. The best moment for Pouliot came during an intersquad game when he deftly redirected a mid-air pass over the shoulder of Devan Dubnyk who had gone down on the play.

Stephane Goulet (C) – Good size and above average speed made Goulet a standout on day 1 but after that he quickly blended into the crowd. An eighth round pick, if Goulet even reaches the AHL it’s to be considered a success but there is reason enough to believe that with a promising season ahead with the Moncton Wildcats, Goulet just might be a sleeper pick.

Brad Winchester (B) – Winchester possesses terrific size, a hard and accurate shot as well as a bit of a mean streak. Add those traits to his newfound confidence following a successful second half in the AHL and Winchester appears leaps and bounds ahead of where he was a year ago. Few players in camp looked as ready for the new season as the former Wisconsin Badger captain.

Kenny Smith (C+) – A strong skater and a good passer, Smith’s camp was noteworthy for the fact that he played much more physically than he did a year ago and looks to have much more confidence in his abilities. A very articulate player off the ice, he has a great attitude and will not be dejected by an assignment to the ECHL.

Liam Reddox (C+) – Small in comparison to all but a couple of other camp participants, Reddox was largely ineffective in the game against Calgary. Surprisingly he had a much better performance the next night against the Bears but still only in the scope of intermittent flashes. With a couple years of junior still ahead of him there is plenty of time for Reddox to develop physically and he will need to in order to survive.

Jean-Francois Plourde (C+) – The ECHL All-Star came to camp this year with an obvious sense of belonging and confidence. A year ago he was a free agent looking for a job and now he has his second professional contract in his pocket and is looking forward to the AHL camp. The shifty winger has a very accurate shot and has a feisty side to him that is much bigger than his frame.

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Oilers rookie camp review