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Hollett’s biggest takeaways from Senators camp

Sep 17, 2018 | 5:33 PM

 

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Jordan Hollett has returned to the Medicine Hat Tigers crease after what he considers an exceptional learning experience at his first Ottawa Senators training camp.

“I learned a lot while I was up there,” said the 19-year-old netminder, who was drafted in the sixth round by the Sens in 2017. “I learned a lot of little things that’ll help me, but I think the most I learned is how (the professionals) warm up and how they cool down and treat their bodies. They really do everything they can to put themselves in the best condition to perform out on the ice, and that’s something that I’ll take and try to apply to my game.”

Hollett returned to the Gas City Monday morning after a week and a half of soaking in the glitz and glam of fall camp. The Langley, BC product was forced to miss last year’s September session after contracting a case of mono. 

He wasn’t completely foreign to the Sens level of play, however. Hollett took part in the Sens previous two summer development camps, which included a variety of fitness testing, practice sessions, and orientation. Through those experiences, he knew what he had to work on to make sure he left a good impression.

“They had a couple things that they wanted me to work on physically, and I was able to reach all those goals throughout my training in the summer,” Hollett said. “It’s one of those things where I think it’s more of a mental battle. You’re going out and obviously there are quicker shots, harder shots, the game’s faster and it’s more about trusting your ability.”

Most of the former Regina Pat’s time in Ottawa was spent with other prospects during rookie camp. Hollett participated in a three-game rookie tournament against youngsters from the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Senators successfully defended their tournament championship from last year, with Hollett taking several turns between the pipes.

“I thought overall the goaltending was pretty solid this weekend but a kid like Hollett, who missed this tournament last year because of mono, has seen his game improve quite a bit from when we drafted him in 2017 which is a good sign,” said Sens chief amateur scout Trent Man to the Ottawa Senators. “Goalies take so long to progress but he’s taken another step forward this year so that was exciting to see.”

Five more Tigers remain at various NHL camps, with the regular season set to open on Friday in Lethbridge. Medicine Hat’s roster currently has three goaltenders; Hollett, along with rookies Mads Sogaard and Garin Bjorklund.