Online replaces blue and goal lines at virtual under-17 development camp
COVID-19 forces Hockey Canada to provide a different kind of training for young guns
There won’t be any contact on the ice next month when Hockey Canada hosts a national under-17 development camp in preparation for the 2020 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
That’s because there won’t be an arena — let alone, any ice for that matter — for a weeklong event that this year will be taking place entirely online due to COVID-19.
Centre Pano Fimis and defenceman Alec Leonard, the Niagara Icedogs’ first two picks in the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection, are among 113 players who have been invited to take part in the July 19-25 development camp.
Icedogs athletic therapist Chris Trivieri has been added to the support staff working with the three teams that will represent Canada at the 2020 World U17 Hockey Challenge presented by Telus.
Twelve goaltenders, 37 defencemen and 64 forwards will be split into six teams for the virtual camp. The focus will be player development through online education as participants take part in a range of sessions.
The timing for his chance to shine is unfortunate as far as Leonard is concerned. The 16-year-old from Toronto has heard from players who have gone through the camp, which is usually held in Calgary.
“With the virtual camp, it sucks. I’ve seen the kind of stuff that Canada puts on, and how amazing it is,” said Leonard, Niagara’s second pick in this year’s OHL draft with the 27th overall selection.
“It’s a bit unfortunate that we can’t go to Calgary and maybe move forward into the tournament.”
Nonetheless, the smooth-skating, puck-moving rearguard is honoured he received an invitation to the camp, regardless of how it will be conducted.
“But it’s still just an honour to be invited and just to know that they recognize me as one of the players they look to invite is still amazing,” he said. “It’s a great feeling.”
Leonard, who had five goals and 10 assists in 32 games for the triple-a minor midget Mississauga Reps of the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), takes solace in the fact that all players will have to make do with screen time rather than one-on-one face time with the talent evaluators at the camp.
“Anyone in sports right now is having to deal with this,” he said. “There is not much you can really get mad about.”
Normally, Trivieri and strength coach Nick Tamburri would have little, if any, one-and-one contact with Icedogs players during the off-season. Players are scattered across North America and, in the case of imports, throughout the world.
“All of our guys have their own trainers at home. But our phones and our avenues are open if the guys ever need a workout program or some extra help,” he said.
“As soon as we hear that gyms are opening and guys can start getting back to their one-on-one training with their trainers, myself and the strength coach will reach to their trainers and give them a detailed plan of things we need them to work on in the off-season.”
Trivieri was also part of under-17 development camps in 2017 and ’18 but this year’s will be vastly different than the ones he attended in Calgary.
“Our duty was to be with the players from the time they wake up at the hotel to the bus ride to the rink, get them warmed up for on-ice stuff, watch the bench, watch the ice in case any injuries occur,” the Welland native and Brock University graduate said.
With everything taking place online and with no on-ice sessions, the schedule will be “abbreviated,” nowhere near the 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. days that had been commonplace in the past.
“Even then, we’re still going to teach the guys how to warm up properly. They will be expected to warm up, cool down and go through the medical protocols we do during the camp,” Trivieri said. “A little bit different spin on how it usually is but, under the circumstances, I think it’s going to work.
“We’re going to make it work the best we can.”
He feels the “virtual aspect” opens up new avenues for training. “I think a lot of guys who are doing it now really opened up the gates that you can train a guy at the other side of the country as well as you can train them at home,” Trivieri said.
Kelly Buchberger of the Tri-city Americans in the Western Hockey League will coach Team Canada White, while Chris Lazary of the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL will head Team Canada Red and Stéphane Julien of the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will serve as Team Canada Black head coach.
Each team will have two assistant coaches. One-time Ancaster Avalanche general manager-head coach Ryan Kuwabara, now an associate coach with the Flint Firebirds, will be an assistant on Julien’s staff.
Niagara picked Fimis second overall in the draft after the 16-yearold scored 41 goals and collected 63 assists in 59 games, leading the Toronto Jr. Canadiens to the GTHL championship. He won 65 per cent of his faceoffs.