Not Your Average Summer Camp

By Ara Nazarian
Special to UNHWildcats.com

Not everyday you get to experience and learn about what it takes to play professionally. Nine members of the UNH men's hockey team earned the opportunity this summer to get a feel for hockey at the NHL level.

THIS IS SHARKS TERRITORY

Sophomore goaltender Mike Robinson (Bedford, N.H.) and senior forward Marcus Vela (Burnaby, British Columbia) were both selected in the 2015 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks. Heading into camp this year, they were both older and more experienced as a player and person.

"Going to camp as an older player was definitely a different experience than going my first year as an 18-year old," said Robinson. "I felt much more confident and it is great to go into camp already having a relationship with the coaches."

Many teams have a game at the end of the week to wrap up the camp. This was a special moment for Robinson to play in front of the San Jose faithful.

"A moment that stuck out for me was playing in the SAP Center in front of over 9,000 people. It shows how loved the Sharks are in San Jose."

Vela, who won UNH's Warren R. Brown Memorial Award given to the best defensive forward, had a big takeaway from camp and learned that it is key to keep striving and keep challenging yourself every day to become better.

"They emphasized learning from the pros, see what they are doing and how they are doing it. With the conversations surrounding this topic, I came to the conclusion that time is our most valuable asset and we should take the extra 20 minutes after a skate or in the morning to work on something new. By challenging ourselves, we will get better and the staff with the Sharks organization really stressed this point and it stuck with me."

THE SUNSHINE STATE

Max Gildon (Plano, Texas), who was a National Rookie of the Month and a two-time Hockey East Rookie of the Week, was heading into his second camp for the Florida Panthers this summer where he was the 66th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. Camp was a little different for him this time around with one camp already under his belt.

"It was a lot more comfortable the second time around," said Gildon. "I got to see some familiar faces and was able to make new relationships with guys that just got drafted."

The sophomore defenseman, who finished with 23 points last season, also felt that he was ready for camp because he was putting in the work back at home.

"I felt prepared for the camp, I had been working out and skating hard back home in Dallas. I understand I still have a long way to go but it was a fun camp and I learned a lot. The biggest takeaway for me was that I need to have good body position in the defensive zone. It is something we worked a lot on in the camp and I feel like I learned a lot from the coaches and other players that were there."

WELCOME TO SMASHVILLE

Junior defenseman Anthony Wyse (Newton, Mass.) and sophomore forward Charlie Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) both had a positive experience as they got to enjoy their first NHL development camp together for the Nashville Predators. The Predators had a very successful season, posting the best regular season record in the NHL.

Wyse and Kelleher were able to spend some quality time together at camp.

"It was a great learning experience, I was able to see what teams expected out of pros," said Wyse, who received UNH's Rod Langway Best Defenseman Award last year. "It was awesome having Charlie there. Having someone you know really well helps keep things light. I think we were both a little anxious before camp but being able to hangout and joke around really helped me settle into Nashville a lot quicker."

"Attending Nashville's camp was a great experience for me," said Kelleher, who posted 19 points his freshman season. "Having Anthony there helped me feel more comfortable at the camp and was awesome to experience it with him."

Nashville is also known for it's electric atmosphere and strong support from the city.

"Nashville is a cool city with a fan base that loves hockey and it was awesome to be a part of that for the week," said Kelleher.

STANLEY CUP CHAMPS

Defenseman Benton Maass (Elk River, Minn.) attended the camp of the Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals, where he was the 182nd pick of the 2017 NHL draft. Maass is coming off a freshman year in which he recorded four goals and 13 assists for 17 points.

This time around at the Capitals camp he was more loose and relaxed after already attending camp the year prior.

"Going into my second development camp was a lot different than my first," Maass said. "I definitely felt more comfortable and knew my way around a lot better. It was also cool seeing some of the guys that I had become friends with in my first camp last year."

The Washington Capitals are known for having a loyal and tremendous fan base always rallying behind their team. With the Capitals just winning their first Stanley Cup trophy, the attitude and emotions around the rink and city were electric.

"The mood at camp and around the city was awesome. All of the people that played a part in the Stanley Cup victory were super excited. On the last day of camp they had the Stanley Cup at the rink for fans to take pictures with and thousands of fans showed up which was really cool getting to see all of the support that the team had from the community."

FRESHMEN DRAFT PICKS

Freshman forward Angus Crookshank (North Vancouver, British Columbia) and freshman goaltender Ty Taylor (Richmond, British Columbia) were both selected in the 2018 NHL draft. Crookshank was the 126th overall pick by the Ottawa Senators and Taylor was the 214th overall pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

For Crookshank, it was a dream come true for him and his family.

"It was a very special moment. It is something you dream of happening since you were a kid growing up. It was amazing to share that experience with my family. The camp went really well and there were a lot of really good players out there."

It was also a great experience for Taylor to be selected in the draft and he got to understand what the Lightning expect from their players.

"When it happened I was shocked and I didn't know how to react and it didn't feel real, once it set in it felt amazing and I could not have been happier. The camp was great it was so professional and it was so much better than I expected. I learned a lot and they taught me what they expect from their players, which is excellence."

At the Senators camp, there were some team events where Crookshank enjoyed some pretty cool experiences.

"There was a lot of team building activities while I was in Ottawa. My favorite was the axe throwing competition. I had never thrown an axe before so it was a cool experience. Also being on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Canada Day was pretty special as well."

Taylor played in a 3-on-3 tournament at Tampa's camp.

"It was really good for me because it showed me how if I make one small mistake there is a pretty good chance that it will end up in the net. Also competing against some of the best players in each league around the world was fun."

IN THE 'BURGH

Freshman defenseman Will MacKinnon (Plymouth, Mich.) attended the Pittsburgh Penguins development camp at the UMPC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township, Pa. The Penguins are a very successful organization in the NHL with back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017.

At camp, MacKinnon definitely got a feel for what it takes if you want to play professionally and what that entails.

"We had a strength and fitness presentation that talked about the importance of taking care of your body and training hard," said MacKinnon. "Sidney Crosby and Matt Murray were in the gym and practicing while the camp was going on so we got to see how hard they work every day. The biggest thing I took from this was seeing how even in June these guys are going just as hard as if it was in season and it opened my eyes to how hard you have to work if you want to play at the highest level."

These camps are very serious but there is no shortage of fun going on as well.

"An activity we had at camp was the axe throwing competition. This was more just a fun thing to do and to create an opportunity for the young guys to get to know some of the older players."

Each of these Wildcats had an opportunity to attend these camps and learn what it takes to play hockey at the highest level. They are continuing to work hard over the summer, gearing up for the upcoming season of UNH hockey.

Season tickets are on sale now for the 2018-19 UNH men's hockey season. Season ticket members receive the best possible savings on tickets but also much more, including in-arena discounts, access to exclusive parking and invitations to special events with the team. Mini plans including the "6 OR 3" package as well as "The Holiday Hat Trick" will also be available. Season tickets can be purchased by calling the Whittemore Center Box Office at (603) 862-4000 or by visiting the men's hockey ticketing page.

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Angus Crookshank

Max Gildon

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Mike Robinson

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