BROSSARD, QC — The Canadiens development camp is over for another year month. Yes, part two of the camp takes place in July for the players selected in the NHL amateur draft later this month.
I did run into the Joe Stejskal fans again. They wanted me to know that they also like Philippe Lefebvre. The hand-made Stejskal greeting appeared on one side of the poster with Lefebvre on the reverse.
During the week it was announced that Lefebvre along with Drummondville Voltigeurs’ teammate Charles Landry were designated as the players-to-be-named later from an earlier trade and were sent to the Montreal Juniors.
Habs prospect Louis Leblanc was also involved in a trade. Leblanc met with general manager and head coach of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, Richard Martel. It was described as a polite meeting.
Seemingly, Chicoutimi team management saw little chance of Leblanc playing for their team so traded his rights and 2011 third-rounder to the Montreal Juniors for Guillaume Asselin and a 2011 first-rounder.
While Leblanc wasn’t ready to announce a change in teams or leagues, he did hire a new player agent. As college players technically are not allowed to employ agents, Pat Brisson of CAA Hockey will take on the role of the Leblanc family advisor.
Brisson stated that for now, Leblanc is committed to continuing his studies and hockey at Harvard.
The names of David Fisher and Alexander Avtsin have been mentioned in previous articles as being absent from the camp. Dustin Walsh also comes to mind as being missing from the roster. Walsh was born in Shannonville, Ontario and was drafted in the 6th round (169th overall) in 2009. There was no word on Walsh’s absence.
Looking through the development camp roster, you will not find another player from Ontario or currently playing in the OHL. That seems odd given that typically more than 21 percent of players taken in the NHL draft from the OHL.
The head of the NHL’s Central Scouting, E.J. McGuire says, “Certainly, the OHL right now is the prime spot for any scout. This year any scout has got to get in here rather extensively. This year is strong. I think that opinion will be shared and borne out by the numbers.”
Let’s hope that Pierre Gauthier’s restructured scouting system will put more emphasis on Ontario.
The vast majority of players in the Stanley Cup final are OHL-grads including Flyers goalie Michael Leighton who played for the Windsor Spitfires. Leighton has a connection to a Canadiens’ development camp player.
After picking up Leighton on waivers, the Habs traded Leighton to the Carolina Hurricanes for a seventh-round draft pick in 2007. The Canadiens used that pick to select Scott Kishel with the 192nd pick overall. Kishel is currently playing with the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs in the WCHA.
NHL Vice President of Hockey and Business Development Brendan Shanahan advises to watch the eyes of young players to see how they are engaged. Patrick Johnson was one prospect that impressed at the camp with his attention span, and focus.
A second development camp for players selected at the 2010 NHL Amateur Draft will take place from will take place from July 6-9.
(photo credit: Getty)