7/6 prospect update
Due to the prospect camp being held this week, there are plenty of prospect articles to be read.
The new Detroit Red Wings website actually has an article about the camp up, which is unique considering most of their articles are from the Associated Press or are short press releases.
As many metro-Detroiters enjoy a relaxing, extended Fourth of July weekend, the ice has returned to Joe Louis Arena, and preparation for the 2007-08 season is underway as the Red Wings opened their annual, seven-day prospects camp today.
The camp is a chance for the Wings’ brass to evaluate some of their more recent draft picks on the ice in a controlled setting, while acclimating some players to the big leagues.
This year’s first-round pick, Brendan Smith, and third-rounder, Joakim Andersson, are in town for the camp and got their first taste of Joe Louis Arena today.
“I was on Cloud Nine for the longest time, and I never really came down,†Smith said. “You’ve got great guys like (Jakub) Kindl, and (Darren) Helm — it’s an unreal experience. I looked up to these guys and used watch them play.†…
Griffins assistant coach Jim Paek, who won two Stanley Cups as a defenseman with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and ’92, is overseeing the camp’s on-ice activities. Peak played fives season with Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Ottawa.
For most players, prospect camp is a time to get in shape for next season — wherever that may be — and demonstrate their skills.
“This is just the first step,†Smith said. “The door’s open, you’ve just got to walk through.â€
The Wings’ 2007 first round draft pick, defenseman Brendan Smith, grew up in Brendan Shanahan’s hometown and was greatly inspired by his play. The Detroit Free Press wrote about Shanahan advising Smith before and after the draft.
Smith, who played last season for St. Michael’s in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, grew up in Mimico, Ontario, which is also the hometown of former Wing Brendan Shanahan. Shanahan has called Smith a few times in the past year to offer advice. He told Smith to call anytime he had questions.
“He called me after the draft,” Smith said of Shanahan. “He’s called me before about choosing a university. He’s helped me a lot, actually. He’s kind of an inspiration for me.”
What advice did Shanahan give him?
“He’s like, ‘The two things you gotta have — you gotta be humble and you gotta work hard,’ ” Smith said.
Smith normally wears No. 14 — also Shanahan’s number. But the Wings didn’t give Smith a choice of numbers for the conditioning camp.
Unfortunately, Igor Grigorenko was unable to make the prospect camp due to visa problems.
“He has a visa problem and Monday he’s got a hearing about his (Russian) contract,” Wings general manager Ken Holland said. “They owe him some money. That’s what’s been told to me.”
Wings management is pleased with the depth of their prospects shown at the camp as they usually had in the past.
“We feel good about the depth in our system right now,” general manager Ken Holland said. “We believe going forward there could be six to eight kids right now (in the system) who, down the road, could play in the league.” …
“Excellent skill,” said Grand Rapids Griffins assistant coach Jim Paek, who is running the on-ice camp, of the Wings’ young players on hand. “It’s a credit to the Wings’ scouting staff. They really do their work. They pick good character kids, and they have good skill.” …
Paek said the on-ice instruction will get more intense in the next few days. But a large focus of this camp will be on what players can learn off-ice and take with them back to their junior and college teams.
“Basically teach them how to be professional and what it takes to be professional,” Paek said. “Teach them what habits you need to be a professional player and be part of this organization.”
The players at the prospect camp will go to the Detroit Tigers games on Friday and Saturday when the Tigers face the Boston Red Sox.
Hockey’s Future has a 2007 draft review for the Detroit Red Wings:
Back in the 1992, the Detroit Red Wings managed to go through the entire entry draft without selecting a single player from Europe. They haven’t done that since. This year they had only one European draft pick in Columbus.
“We had only five picks in this year’s draft, which leads to less Europeans drafted,†said Håkan Andersson, Red Wings Director of European Scouting.
This year’s only European pick came in the third round, with center Joakim Andersson from Frölunda.
“I’m very happy with Joakim in the late third round. We had him ranked somewhere in the 30’s,†said Andersson.
But the first player selected was defenseman, Brendan Smith from the St. Michael’s Buzzers of the OPJHL. Andersson said that the Red Wings were very high on him and were happy to see him still available at the 27th spot.
“We had Smith ranked 13th overall on our list. If he wasn’t available at the 27th pick, we would have tried to trade down and get two second-round picks instead,†said Andersson.
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