With roster spots open, training camp continued for the Soo Greyhounds on Wednesday as players took part in their first scrimmages of the event.
The pace of both practices and scrimmages on day two was something the Greyhounds brass was pleased with.
“I was really impressed with a lot of the young guys and a lot of the returning guys set the tone in some of the practices,” said Greyhounds General Manager Kyle Raftis. “For the most part, there was great pace to it and a lot of plays being made.”
For the coaching staff, the second day was a step up from what they saw on Tuesday in practice.
“Practice was a lot smoother,” said Greyhounds Coach John Dean. “You could tell that the guys got a day under their belt (on Tuesday).
“I was excited with the work ethic and I was excited about how they responded to coaching and their games showcased a lot of talent,” Dean added.
Dean also said the pace “was very good.”
Both Raftis and Dean spoke highly of Greyhounds first round pick Ryan O’Rourke.
“He didn’t look like a 16-year-old out there,” Raftis said. “He really took command when he was making plays and was really confident.”
“His play without the puck is what really stood out,” Dean said. “He’s not shy to stand up and he’s not shy to stand up early. Some young kids are scared and will have a big gap early as a defenceman. He showed a lot of confidence with really tight gaps and stepping up. He’s one of those guys that when the puck is on his stick, you’re pretty sure something is going to happen.”
Dean said the message for Thursday is a simple one.
“Every day you want to get better,” Dean said. “If you’re not getting better, there’s a problem. I want to see guys take steps.
“I expect another step forward,” Dean added. “It’s such a funny game. Everyone is so close. Confidence and the willingness to make plays and compete, I want to see thatgrow. Those are the guys that are fun to work with.”
In speaking on the Greyhounds import situation, Raftis said not much has changed. Czech-born winger Roman Pucek is in camp while Jaromir Pytlik did not make the trip to North America and has remained in the Czech Republic.
“Right now, I don’t see him coming in this year,” Raftis said of Pytlik. “It’s still a possibility but we’re going to start with Pucek and see what happens with some other guys.”
Former Greyhounds defenceman Rasmus Sandin, selected in the first round of the NHL draft in June by the Toronto Maple Leafs, remains an option depending on what Toronto decides following training camp but early reports have the Swedish blueliner playing pro at home this season.
Rasmus Kupari, selected in the 2017 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft by the Greyhounds and a first round pick of the Los Angeles Kings would be a long shot to join the Greyhounds and is expected to play in Finland this season.
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NEWS AND NOTES
At the annual Board of Governors meeting, the OHL announced policy changes on Wednesday.
Among the changes are a new policy in regards to the trading of draft choices.
Beginning on Sept. 1, teams will be allowed to trade picks a maximum of six years in the future. Prior to the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, the period will change to five years before transitioning to four years prior to the 2021 draft.
Tiebreaker scenarios when determining the final standings at playoff time will also change.
Shootout wins will be eliminated from win totals in a situation where two teams are tied in the final standings at the conclusion of the regular season.
The tiebreaker system will now read as:
If two or more teams are tied for the final OHL playoff position in either conference, sudden-death playoff games will be used to determine the team that advances, with the home team for such tie-breaker game being determined through the OHL standard tie-breaking system listed below.
For all other playoff positions, the following tie-breaking system is in place:
- The team with the most number of wins (excluding shootout wins) during the regular season shall be declared higher in the standings.
- If two teams are still tied, the team with the best record in head-to-head competition (based on points including overtime and shootout losses) shall be declared higher in the standings. If more than two teams are tied after the first tie-breaker, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other shall be used to determine the standing.
- If still tied, the team with the greater differential between goals scored for and against by clubs having equal standing after the second tie-breaker shall be declared higher in the standings
Intermission lengths will also be changed. All intermissions will now be 17 minutes.