Four Dutchmen Invited to NHL Prospect Camps

SCHENECTADY, NY - Coming off the most successful season in program history, the Union College men's ice hockey team sent four student-athletes to NHL Development Camps this summer. Junior forward Jeremy Welsh and sopohomore defenseman Mat Bodie were invited to Chicago for the Blackhawks' camp last week, while sophomore forward Josh Jooris was in the Boston area for Bruins camp. 

In New Jersey, senior forward Kelly Zajac joins goaltender Keith Kinkaid, who was signed by the Devils in April. New Jersey's camp continues through the end of this week.

The professional level camps, which do not affect a student-athletes NCAA eligibility, are designed to give players the experience of an NHL training camp. The rookies and prospects are subjected to on-ice practice and scrimmage sessions, medical and fitness testing and meetings and seminars.

Jooris, who concluded camp with the Bruins on Monday at Risuccia Arena in Wilmington, MA, kept a journal during the week. He shared his thoughts below:

The Boston Bruins development camp was a great learning experience for me as a player. The week was filled with on and off ice activities that took a toll on the body but were fun at the same time. The first day of camp we were up very early to do our medical and fitness testing. The fitness testing consisted of bench press, pull-ups, a vertical jump, and the dreaded shuttle run test. The test consisted of six 25-yard sprints that had to be done in under a minute in three sets in order to pass. It was a difficult test but I managed to pass it. I was used to the short shuttles from the spring workouts with our strength and conditioning coach Dan Gabelman, as we did them at least once a week. 

We then hopped on the ice for a practice. After the practice, I walked out to greet my parents who were down for a few days but was first met by a swarm of Bruins fans asking for pictures and autographs. This just showed how passionate the city of Boston is for the Bruins, and it was a real cool experience. The first night consisted of a social media meeting and a dinner. The meeting was very educational, teaching us how easy the internet can break you as much as it can make you. Learning about how to handle Facebook/Twitter is really useful considering how often they are used today by athletes. 

Day 2 included a lift, power skating, and a practice. The power skating was tough and was instructed by a Russian trainer named Besa. Never have I seen a better skater in my life… This guy could fly on ice! It was neat to learn some tips and tricks from him. We all then went paintballing for a little team bonding trip, and Tyler Seguin of the Boston Bruins tagged along. It was cool to be around “Segs” for the day and learn from him. Being around the same age as most the guys, he was able to relate to us and what we were going through which I found really helpful. He was just one of the boys, which was real cool.

Paintball was fun - I got a few welts but it was worth it.

Day 3 had the same on ice activities, followed by a cooking/nutrition class held at the TD Garden. The head chef went over healthy eating for hockey players, and showed us how to cook different meals such as chicken, salmon, steak, and pasta. This was very useful for the college kids at the camp as most of us were or will be having to cook for ourselves. Cooking is not my forte so I will pass on all the tips I learned to Cole Ikkala, as he claims to be the real chef of the '14 class.  We then went and checked out the Bruins facilities at the rink which were pretty cool! 

Day 4 was the first scrimmage we had, and the rink was packed with fans. It was nice to get away from drills for a bit and get into some game situations. Our team (Team Black) won 3-1. The scrimmage was followed by a workout, and then a community event. My group went to the Cradle to Crayons Foundation, which helps local kids in need of clothes and toys. My partner Molly and I sorted clothes and got outfits together for toddlers and packaged them to be shipped. We also cleaned and fixed toys that were shipped as well. It was a cool experience, and it was nice to spend a Sunday giving back to the community.

The last day of camp on Monday consisted of a final scrimmage, and a strength and conditioning meeting, as well as exit interviews and a barbeque at the Tewksbury Country Club. Team Black repeated with a 3-2 victory. The strength and conditioning meeting was a real eye opener as to how much work it takes to make it pro, I learned a lot from it. We then headed over to the golf course for a putting contest and some food. I unfortunately wasn't on my putting game (I never am), and didn't make it to the finals. Overall the week in Boston was a memorable one and a great learning experience. The fan support was unreal and that made it that much more exciting to get on the ice and perform. Now it's back to the gym as a Dutchman to continue preparing for a big 2011-12 season!