Just two weeks out from the Ontario Hockey League draft, the first weekend of May is an opportunity to get acclimatized.
For the Soo Greyhounds staff, it’s an opportunity to get familiar with the recently drafted players as well as get another look at players drafted last year who spent the 2022-23 season playing in leagues other than the OHL.
For the players, especially those taken in the 2023 draft, the weekend is an opportunity.
It’s primarily an opportunity for the players to learn in what’s their first OHL camp of any kind.
The Greyhounds two-day development camp was a busy one on opening day Saturday as players went through practices early in the day before getting their first chance to scrimmage with and against their potential new teammates.
For Greyhounds coach John Dean, the first day was a positive one.
“I had a blast today,” Dean said when asked his thoughts on opening day. “It was fantastic. The pace was very high. The skill was very high. Each and every player responded in a positive way. It looked like the guys were having a ton of fun, especially in the scrimmage. I saw a bunch of guys enjoying themselves and that’s half the battle.”
Dean added that the goal of the camp is to act as an introduction to the players.
“We want to introduce them to our core values, what the city’s all about, what the coaching staff’s all about, things that we want to emphasize for their training for the summer,” Dean said. “We just want them to get a feel of what it’s like to be a Soo Greyhound.”
The two-day camp wraps up on Sunday afternoon with a scrimmage at the Northern Community Centre.