Around 70 players attended this weekend's Dauphin Kings Spring Camp.
With games from Friday to Sunday afternoon the Kings split the younger and older players up and it allowed them to focus in on who they want to invite back for Fall Camp and players they may be looking at when it comes to the MJHL Draft which is in Selkirk this year.
It was tough to judge the younger players when it came to the weekend, but there were a few of the older skaters that stood out I thought. Locally (Parkland), Andrew Liwiski looked good showing solid speed and puck movement on the back end and I think Evan Gullett has a very bright future as well. Meanwhile, both Quin and Grady Hobbs (Southwest) looked strong playing on a line together and I'm a big fan of Kyle Oleksiuk (Winnipeg) and the way he plays on both sides of the ice.
Along with games throughout the weekend the Kings and their coaches held goalie sessions on Friday and Saturday. They also held a number of meetings with players in the older age groups.
There were of course some players that were absent from Kings Spring Camp, mostly because their seasons either just finished or they are nursing minor injuries. Some key absent players were Kayle Tosh (Eastman), Brad Goethals (Eastman), Brendan Kochanski (Winnipeg) and Branden Storey (Parkland) to name a few.
Brendan Arnold, Ian Briscoe & Matt Radomsky were not at camp as their Winnipeg Wild took part in the Midget West Regional for the Telus Cup. Sunday afternoon saw the Wild fall 4-3 in overtime of the championship game to the Saskatoon Contacts, the hosts of the event. Arnold had a goal in the affair for Winnipeg. The Telus Cup is in Quispamsis, New Brunswick this year in case you're wondering.
Below is an interview with Kings Head Coach and General Manager Marc Berry, beginning with his thoughts on Spring Camp overall...
