Head Coach Rick Tocchet was pleased with what he saw on the first day of Training Camp and he’s hoping see that same energy through the rest of camp.
Three groups took the ice, group A and B at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, and Group C at the Esquimalt Army Base.
Quinn Hughes’ and J.T. Miller’s leadership was evident to Tocchet when the second group hit the ice. The second group was a little quiet during their first session, except for Miller and Hughes, who were able to rally the troops in between sessions and get more chatter on the ice, raising the intensity.
“What I like is the second group in the first session they were a little slow, but the second session when leadership talked about it, they were really good. I like that,” Tocchet said, feeling good about ending the day on a positive note.
The coaching staff had the group do some extensive five-on-five drills and defensive zone coverage. He said he wanted to keep certain pairs together for the on-ice sessions to let that chemistry bake before the season starts
“I want certain guys to be with certain guys. I want to keep Kuzi and Petey together, Millsy with Boes, Ams and Dakota [like] last year, and then you can rotate guys in,” he said.
Tocchet’s still leaving room to change lines throughout camp and while he liked the effort on Day 1, he’s looking for consistency through the weekend.
He’s measured in his approach, ensuring the players know where they need to be on the ice for regroups and defensive dives, and learning the basics before they start implementing plays.
Day two starts at 10 a.m. at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre with group B skating first, followed by group A.
