TRAINING CAMP: Welcome to Hockeyville, Blue Jackets ...

CLINTON, N.Y. - The corners are sort of squared off, the boards are cemented in place and there's an old-time scoreboard at one end that looks like a casino game.
Welcome to Clinton Arena, where the sign on the gray brick façade reads, simply, "Arena," and where the Blue Jackets will play their next preseason games against Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday (7 p.m., NBCSN).
It's the kind of facility you find in small towns across the U.S. and Canada, and likely in Europe too. It's quaint. It's classic. It's old. And, after receiving $150,000 in renovation upgrades by winning an online vote to host this annual Kraft Hockeyville USA game, it's ready for NHL hockey.
"Obviously, they've done a great job with the renovation," said Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, who enjoyed the seeing a jam-packed arena for morning skate. "The thing that's fun is, we're involved the middle of our [training camp]. As a coach, you want to keep the business attitude, but when you come here and you see all the kids and just the excitement that it's bringing this area here …"
Well, that can put a smile on your face pretty quick - even for a task-driven coach who wasn't keen on getting a group of players up before sunrise to fly off for a night hockey game.

"I'll be honest with you," Tortorella said. "You start thinking about the travel, you've got work to do with your club, but once you get here … I'm glad we're here. It's exciting, especially for the youth. That's why we play. We're entertainers and the kids [love] seeing a practice. I can imagine what a game is going to be like."
It's going to be a lot of fun, from the action on the ice to the Blue Jackets' famed mascot, Stinger, roaming the arena. Yeah, it rained. A lot.
It just didn't dampen the excitement in town.
"It was awesome," said defenseman Seth Jones, who stood in the rain with his teammates, an umbrella overhead, signing autographs before the skate. "When we got here on the bus, everyone was lined up and we got to sign autographs and everything for the kids. It was a great turnout. I kind of like the music and the upbeat tempo during our pregame skate."
It was a change-of-pace, to be sure. It could also be a needed pick-me-up.
"Preseason and training camp can get kind of bogged-down sometimes and get a little repetitive, so it's nice to do something out of the box and change it up a bit," Jones said. "The guys are enjoying themselves so far."

So is the head coach, who's soaking in a visit to an area he became familiar with years ago as a player. Tortorella played four seasons in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL) in the 1980s, so he knows the area well.
In fact, he remembers a brief stint with the Mohawk Valley Stars in 1983-84, when former NHLer Ricky Ley was the Stars' coach and forward Jay Miller (Boston Bruins) was a player.
Tortorella didn't get into a game with the Stars but latched on with the Virginia Lancers, helping them defeat the Mohawk Valley Comets two years later at Utica Memorial Coliseum. According to an article from a local newspaper, which was handed to Tortorella by a former opposing player Tuesday, the Jackets' head coach led Virginia with a hat trick at what's now called Adirondack Bank Center.
"I know I came here at a point in time," Tortorella said, smiling. "Someone gave me an article today. When I got off the bus today, a guy that I played against gave me that article. I just remember the league. I bounced around in that league, but I'll tell you, I wouldn't trade it for anything."
It's how his coaching career began, for starters.
"When I left Virginia, the owner asked me if I wanted to coach and that's how I started coaching," Tortorella said. "The league's changed its name a couple of times along the way here, but just like anything, that's the foundation for a lot of people in leagues like that."

Looking around Clinton Arena, another memory came to mind. Tortorella said he remembers skating in Clinton as a player, likely during a practice with the Stars. He remembers metal chicken wire strung up along above the boards, rather than glass.
Not long after his media huddle, that memory was confirmed by an arena worker.
"That's the neat part about this here," Tortorella said. "Guys who played in the low minors, guys who played juniors … this is where it starts. We drove through the little town square coming in here. It's just gorgeous. That brings back memories for sure, for a lot of guys, as far as how they started in the game. We can't forget that, as far as what this game's about - especially the kids. That's what's so enjoyable for me."
As for that old-timey scoreboard, well, it apparently works. A sign underneath it states that it's been restored to working order, which the Blue Jackets are hoping to see. Deciphering all the lights and numbers, however, might be a challenge.
"I guess it still works and that's the original scoreboard," forward Boone Jenner said. "I haven't seen that before, ever, so I thought that was pretty cool. I hope it gets going. I'll definitely be taking a peek at it."

Not if he's in the penalty box.
"I heard there's no penalty times or two-minute clock on there," Jones said. "I'm not sure how that's gonna work. Maybe you just yell it out, 'There's one-minute left!' or something like that."
Time will tell.