Team Canada Camp Day 2

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The brass for Team Canada decided to give the players the morning off from on ice activities. Some are healing bumps and bruises while others aren't yet able to skate. Another reason is that most guys played Friday night before jetting to Calgary on Saturday. Here are some notes from the media availability before tonight's 2nd inter squad game.


-Brett Connolly left last night's game with a lower body injury. Coach Don Hay was optimistic that Connolly would be ok. The team would know more after he takes the pre game skate, but it's expected he'll be in the line up. Really there's no reason to rush Connolly back as he's a lock for this team, and going on his past history from Hockey Canada it might be a good reason to let him rest.

-Jonathan Huberdeau hasn't skated as he's still using a walking boot for his broken foot. I asked Hay when he needs to see Huberdeau by but he was non committal, simply stating they would wait and see what the Saint John Sea Dog was like Wednesday. Huberdeau was seeing a doctor about his foot this morning.

-Mark Pysyk and Joe Morrow are picking up where they left off in bantam. The best friends who grew up playing together in Sherwood Park and now are opponents in the WHL. Pysyk with Edmonton, Morrow with Portland. They both went 23rd overall in their respective drafts. They were paired together at times on Sunday night and both said it was like they had never stopped playing together. Both kids spend hours together on the outdoor rinks and ponds as kids, but strangely never pretended to win World Junior gold. Maybe they'll be able to make every kids dream come true together.

-Brendan Gallagher isn't expecting any special treatment from Canadian bench boss Don Hay, who also happens to be his coach in Vancouver. The gritty and skilled forward says if you know Don Hay you know he doesn't play favourites. For Gallagher it's almost like when your dad coaches you and you have to be better then everyone else just to prove there is no favouritism. That won't be a problem for the Canadians draft pick who can play anywhere in the line up.

-It seems strange that a guy with 32 goals in 32 games could be on the bubble, but with Ty Rattie that might be the case. The addition of Devante Smith-Pelly and Brett Connolly takes away 2 winger spots. Rattie trotted out the tried and true line of playing anywhere in the line up. He said he's not worried about scoring but bringing a 2 way game to the try out.

You can here a lot of these conversations tomorrow night on TPS, as well as a conversation with Kevin Prendergast about the cuts the Head Scout will me making tomorrow morning.