HabsWorld.net --
The first day of the Canadiens developed camp kicked off at 2pm sharp, the entire 25 invitees along with several coaches (and a translator for Kastsitsyn) took to the ice, the forwards wore white jerseys while the goalies and defense wore red jerseys. Thankfully the players all had their names written on the jersey (no need for a numerical roster).
Doug Jarvis instructed the practice, he first had the players go for a free skate, then stretch, and then it was onto the drills, Jarvis started off with a 3 on 3 stick handling and passing drill, followed by breakaways in groups of 3’s. For the rest of the practice the players practised various odd man drills, defensive drills, etc. The practice ended at 3:30pm .
Kostitsyn: Looks bigger then his listed size, alot bigger, size is not an issue with this player. Very strong skater, strong powerful stride. Slick stickhandler, has a very very powerful shot, although his accuracy needs some work. Andrei is full of skills, and he will only get better as this camp goes along, he wasnt spectacular tonight but he did not disappoint. Btw: Andrei needs to learn english ASAP, and dump the translator.
Chipchura: Is strong in most areas like the scouting reports say. Has a thick body. Good skater, good shot. Looks good at both ends of the ice. Didnt stand out, but none of the other players did either.
O’Byrne: Very big player. Is very strong, can manhandle most players. Performed very well in defensive situations, was hardly ever beaten. Does alot of things well, good skater.
Locke: Very impressive, his speed has improved since the last time I saw him play, was the hardest working of the players on the ice today. One of the best players on the ice.
The first day of camp was like the first day of most camps, the players looked rusty and fatigued, but as the practice progressed the tempo picked up and the rust shook off. One thing I noticed today was how the drafted/signed players were a step ahead of the try-outs, although it wasnt unexpected. I would like to apologize for the shortness and quality of this report, as I am in a rush out the door, but I will leave you with some advice, if your planning on attending a practice remember to wear a sweater/long-sleeves, it may be the middle of the summer but hockey arenas are still really cold (especially this one).
Check back tomorrow on HabsWorld for continued daily coverage of the camp (and more detailed reports).
