At the start of the 2003-04 season, I was working in St. Louis for 9 weeks, with a theater schedule that gave me most weekdays off. The Blues were holding training camp at the Savvis Center, with practice and scrimmages open to the public. They provided schedules, "rosters," and free bubble hockey. Life was good.
Training camp gave me more insight to the team, and certainly into who was waiting in the wings. You can read the names, look at the stats, but seeing the players skate gives you a much better understanding of the makeup of things. We were picking out some of out favorites (Sejna, Beckford-Tseu), figuring out who would make it, and picking abstract colors to win the scrimmages (if I picked the yellow jerseys, the girlfriend would pick white). It was fun, it was free, and it gave me a better appreciation of the Blues. When I saw the Worcester IceCats that year, and Colin Hemingway signed my puck, I knew who he was, and was more excited about it than if he were just some name in a book.
The point is: Which teams are doing this? Who has open training camps? I always seem to find out about these things when it's too late. If you know of any, put it down in the comments, would you?
3 comments:
I believe the Thrashers generally have had open camps in the past. No word on this year's, as of yet.
The Blue Jackets hold an open camp, and open practices during the season as well. If I ever get time off, I always try to make it down.
nuts4pucks - How do you feel about the AHL team moving to Albany?
Drew - Sure is nice having that practice facility attached to the arena. I've skated there a few times. Do they use both for training camp?
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