Camp is Underway

Well, it is late August, and that means one thing around the WHL, camp. The Portland Winterhawks, yes one word now not two, are back at it like the other teams around the Northwest and Western Canada. So far this off season has been full of admin changes around the Hawks. The team changed their name, have a new look with Twitter, a new web site and have moved the team into the modern techno savvy world. I would guess that this is a big selling point to teens and parents alike with getting kids committed to playing in Portland. And from the look of things, it is working. Once again Portland was quickly able to get their top picks signed...

Going into camp, the team has some real on ice decisions that need to be made. The team has made their big off ice moves, now it is time to make the same splash on the ice. Coach has come out and stated that this year camp is not only for players wanting to make the roster, it is also for players that want to make the 50 player protected list. This should make for an exciting camp, as part of those battles, three things stand out to me.

1 - Overage players, It was nice to see Radim Valchar in camp. I really didn't think he would be back in Portland as a 20 year old Euro... Radim has done some really great things over the past two years on this team, but is he worth two slots? Other overage guys in camp include Kurtis Mucha, Stefan Schneider and Chris Francis. Portland still has the WHL rights to Brock Cornish and Travis Ehrhardt, but I do not think either defensemen will be here, leaving Portland to pick between the remaining four players.

2 - Defensemen, this has to be one of the youngest groups of talented players with only one 19 year old potentially coming back from last season, and several key players returning as 17 year olds. If this core comes together, Portland could have a very good back end for the next 2 or 3 sesasons. I really could see 18 year old Brett Ponich stepping up to lead this group, and could be the guy in line for the "C". One of the newspaper articles from St. Louis suggest that Brett has some of the same qualities as Zendo Chara. I am not suggesting that Brett is the next Chara, or Chris Pronger, but he has some of the same qualities that both of those guys had as young, physical defensemen and Brett could be the leader the back end needs this year.

3 - Goalies... Portland will not carry three all year, like they did last year. So, who is the future to Kurtis Mucha? Ian Curtis is back trying to win the back up job, yet he is 19... so, is Keith Hamilton ready to be that back up net minder? Ian did a good job last year, yet how do the Hawks really move forward with the future in net? Kurtis may stick with Edmonton (Where he is going to NHL camp) and then is it Ian and Keith? It will be interesting, not for this year, but for the future.

The team brings back most if not all of the front line scoring from last year. With Brad Ross, Taylor Peters and Ty Rattie all being a year older, add in the new Euro's and I believe the Hawks have the makings up a US Division challenger.

They drop the puck at the MC against Seattle on Saturday night...