The Florida Panthers open their rookie camp on this morning down in Florida at Incredible ICE, but I prefer to call it the warm up to Amerks training camp on September 24th!
A number of players were in Rochester this past week prior to heading down to Florida including David Brine who tossed out the first pitch at the Rochester Red Wings baseball game on Friday night. With camp starting the season now even closer.
“The rookie camp provides our coaching staff the opportunity to work with our prospects in an environment that enhances skill development and accelerates the process to play in the NHL,” Florida Panthers Assistant General Manger Randy Sexton said. “This camp focuses on high-tempo on-ice and off-ice workouts that will prepare our prospects to compete in pre-season competition.”
Here’s a list of players that will be at the camp and their positions:
Defense: Keaton Ellerby, Dmitry Kulikov, Colby Robak, Jason Garrison, Adam Comrie, Michael Caruso
Right Wing: Michal Repik, Brady Calla, James DeLory, Evgeny Dadonov
Left Wing: Garrett Wilson, Kenndal McArdle, Mike Duco, Andrew Sweetland
Center: Shawn Matthias, David Brine, A.J. Jenks, Scott Timmins
Goalie: Tyler Plante, Alexander Salak
A few players not on the rookie camp roster that I had expected to see would be Dan Collins, Jordan Henry, and Peter Aston. Technically they are still NHL rookies. From a depth standpoint they probably don’t stand a chance at making an impression over any of the names already on the roster.
I have stories on a handful of those players that I’m working on getting posted within the next couple of weeks.
It’s exciting for us die hard hockey fans that we can now say that the season has started. We’ve gone past development camps and players working out and practicing on their own to the official start of camps.
For us Amerks fans we’ll have to wait until the morning of September 24th to see players hit the ice at the ESL Centre in Henrietta. I already have a timer counting down the time on the front page of the site.
