Tigers veterans eager to showcase their skills at upcoming NHL rookie camps

Forward Brett Kemp will be one of those faces, set to skate with the New York Rangers at Traverse City.

“It’s kind of cool knowing that we’re all going to NHL camps and we could possibly play each other in those uniforms,” said Kemp.

Medicine Hat’s foursome of Kemp, Mads Søgaard, Ryan Chyzowski, and captain James Hamblin will be vying for attention and contracts at the tournaments to the delight of Tigers staff.

That includes assistant coach Ryan Smith, who said the players will get a crash course in what it takes to reach the pro level.

“The experience they get up there will only benefit us as an organization, it will benefit them as individuals,” said Smith. “They’ll get some feedback on what they need to do to make that step.”

Søgaard will join the Ottawa Senators in Belleville just months after being picked in the second round, 37^th overall by Ottawa in June’s NHL Entry Draft.

The only Tiger to be called on by an NHL team not as a free agent, the Danish netminder said he’s excited to follow up the progress he made at Senators development camp earlier this summer.

“Looking forward to getting to Ottawa and seeing everyone again, it was a really fun time at development camp,” said Søgaard. “Now thinking that I’m going to actually suit up in a game and put the Sens jersey on, it’s going to be a really good feeling.”

The six-foot-seven giant is coming off a breakout first season at the WHL level, throwing up a 2.64 goals against average and a 0.921 saver percentage in 37 regular season games last year in Medicine Hat.

Getting a glimpse at what the Senators can provide for his development, the 18-year-old Søgaard added the off-ice models employed by Medicine Hat and Ottawa are in a similar vein.

“There’s a lot going on off the ice and we have a lot of good staff there,” he said. “But, it’s pretty much the same as here, just a little step up. I feel very lucky I ended up in Ottawa and as I said, really excited to go there.”

Ontario’s NHL clubs will be fully represented by local players with Hamblin set to don the blue and white of the Toronto Maple Leafs once again.

However, that regional rivalry between the Leafs and Sens hasn’t quite spilled over to himself and Søgaard in the Tigers locker room.

“No real chirping there,” said Hamblin. “His head’s gotten a little bigger, but other than that no nothing.”

While this is Hamblin’s second trip to Toronto this summer after attending Maple Leafs development camp, it will be his first true showcase of his two-way skills.

On the third day of development camp, Hamblin suffered a left knee injury that forced him to be stretchered off the ice and miss the remainder of the camp’s on-ice sessions.

“It was kind of unfortunate,” said Hamblin. “But, they still treated me really well and I still had a great week. So, I’m still very excited to get down there.”

Luckily for both the Tigers and Maple Leafs, Hamblin’s knee injury proved to be less severe than first thought and is in playing condition ahead of the WHL season.

And by earning another invite from Toronto brass, the pending Tigers overager said he’s ready to seize his second chance with the Leafs.

“I think I got to show off a lot of my off-ice abilities, kind of my character and everything,” he said. “So, I think just with my knee being a lot more healthy, just showing that on-ice skill that I got.”

Joining Hamblin in Traverse City will be Kemp with the Rangers, which marks his second such call by the ‘blueshirts’ this summer as well.

New York offered Kemp a free agent spot at their development camp after the 19-year-old was passed over in the 2019 NHL Draft despite achieving career highs in goals (33) and points (60).

“Not getting picked is not what you wanted,” said Kemp. “But, getting noticed and knowing teams are still interested in you and having the belief to get invited back, it’s pretty humbling.”

While they aren’t scheduled to face each other at Traverse City, there is a chance Kemp’s Rangers and Hamblin’s Maple Leafs could face-off due to a cross-over on the final day of games.

Medicine Hat’s final NHL rookie camp invite was messaged to Chyzowski, who will be joining other Winnipeg Jets rookies in Belleville.

It is Chyzowski’s first exposure with the Jets organization after receiving a phone call from the team in August and is already asking around the locker room about the city.

“I’ve been talking to [Hayden Ostir] a bit,” said Chyzowski. “He’s from there, so he’s giving a little bit of input in what to do there. But, it will be interesting.”

Though this will be his first trial run with the Jets organization, it isn’t Chyzowski’s first taste of NHL rookie camp experience.

After being passed over in his draft year as well, the centreman received a camp invite from the Vegas Golden Knights and attended both their development and rookie camps in 2018.

“That was kind of my first taste of NHL hockey in an NHL camp,” said Chyzowski. “So, I’m just looking forward to going back up there and taking what I learned there. Obviously, it’s a pretty fast pace, everybody knows how to play the game up there.”

Chyzowski and Søgaard will duel on the first day of the Belleville Showcase, with the Jets and Senators taking to the ice on Friday.

While news of the invites leaves the Tigers down four players ahead of this week’s pre-season action, Smith added players get opportunities at the next level is what junior hockey is all about.

“It’s an outstanding opportunity for them,” he said. “We hope they don’t come back, we hope they make the team and that can happen.”

Both rookie tournaments begin on Friday with the Belleville rookies winding things up on September 9, while the Traverse City players will play their final games on September 10.

As for the Tigers, they play their first pre-season game of the year on Wednesday with a 7:00 pm puck drop scheduled against the Swift Current Broncos at the Irvine Sports Complex.

by Scott Roblin

Tigers veterans eager to showcase their skills at upcoming NHL rookie camps

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