Five Bulldogs to keep your eyes on at camp
A few hours from now, 55 players will report to FirstOntario Centre from cities and towns across North America and Europe for the opening day of Hamilton Bulldogs training camp.
Here are five to watch when they hit the ice for a series of practices and scrimmages this week:
Kaden Fulcher
The 18-year-old from the outskirts of Sarnia comes into camp looking to reclaim his role as starting goaltender after an inconsistent 2016-17 campaign in which he was bumped from the No. 1 spot by overage acquisition Dawson Carty. The demotion didn’t dampen his work ethic, though — a testament to his commitment to the team and likely one of the reasons the Detroit Red Wings tapped the six-footthree, 182-pound free agent to suit up for them at the NHL prospect tournament next month.
Arthur Kaliyev
The six-foot-one, 171-pound left winger arrives in Hamilton on the heels of a standout performance at the Five Nations Tournament in the Czech Republic, where he helped lead Team USA to a third consecutive under-17 championship. A pure goal scorer and the team’s second round selection in the 2017 OHL draft, the Americanraised Kaliyev also led all players, including a couple of Bulldogs veterans, with three goals and two assists at orientation camp in April. Expect the 16-year-old to turn heads this week.
Reilly Webb
The 18-year-old from Stoney Creek is entering his third year with the team with his fingers crossed. Injuries, including a pair of serious shoulder separations, sidelined him for all but 27 games over the past two campaigns. When he was in the lineup, however, he was one of the team’s most reliable defencemen, which is part of the reason the Red Wings took a chance on him at this year’s NHL Draft. He has the potential to be a stabilizing force on Hamilton’s blue line this season, as long as he can stay healthy.
Jake Murray
Here’s a player with skills, smarts, and above all, character. After being diagnosed with cancer in January 2016, the five-footnine, 152-pound centre from the London area came from behind to capture the Alliance scoring title and help his minor midget team to a playoff berth. He failed to make the cut in Hamilton a year ago — he was still recovering from treatment — but was back up to speed by April, when he impressed coaches with seemingly impossible small area plays at orientation camp. A fourth-round pick at the 2016 OHL draft, Murray, 17, also put up nearly a point-per-game with the Jr. B St. Thomas Stars last season.
Navrin Mutter
With 19 players returning from last season’s roster, there’s a decent chance the sixfoot-one, 170-pound left winger won’t end up in a Bulldogs uniform this season — which is too bad, because the heavy hitter from tiny Lucan, Ont. is seriously fun to watch. Mutter, a fifth round selection at the 2017 OHL draft, checked everything that moved at orientation camp, which quickly made him a fan favourite. That’s not to say, however, the 16-year-old doesn’t have skill — one of four Bulldogs prospects at Hockey Canada’s under-17 development camp in Calgary this summer, he notched a goal and two assists in three games. NOTES: All training camp practices and scrimmages are open to the public. Visit e2e.thespec.com for the schedule. The Bulldogs also have two home games in their calendar this pre-season — they face the Guelph Storm on Sept. 1 at Ancaster’s Morgan Firestone Arena and the Barrie Colts on Sept. 17 at Valley Park Arena in Stoney Creek.