EAGLES CAMP OPENS THURSDAY
Mitchell Balmas home for final junior hockey training camp.
This week marks the fifth and final Quebec Major Junior Hockey League training camp for Mitchell Balmas, and his first at home.
The 20-year-old Sydney native hits the ice with his new team, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, starting Thursday.
“It’s different for sure,” he said. “It’s my fifth training camp I’m going to but it’s a lot different. All my buddies are packing up and heading to camp and I’m staying home, so there’s definitely a different feel to it.
“Growing up, I was a big Eagles fan and watched a lot of their games, so it’ll be neat to stay at home, live under my own roof and be able to play for them.”
Balmas captured the Memorial Cup last season with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. He was dealt to the Screaming Eagles in June in exchange for Cape Breton’s first-round pick and a second-round pick in the 2018 draft and defenceman Ryan MacLellan. Cape Breton will be his fourth QMJHL team, after playing with both Charlottetown and Gatineau earlier in his career.
He brings a scoring punch to the Screaming Eagles lineup. Balmas scored 42 goals to go along with 30 assists for 72 points in 68 games last season. His 15 power play goals put him tied for third overall in the league.
“There’s always maybe a little bit of pressure being a hometown kid,” he said. “But I wouldn’t say there’s too much. I’m just going to go out and play my own game.”
The training camp will be an opportunity for Balmas to both workout with his new team and prepare for the Philadelphia Flyers rookie camp. He leaves for that camp on Sept. 8.
“I’m really looking forward to Philly,” he said. “It’ll be a good experience for me either way and I’ll just try and do the best I can down there.”
Players hit the ice at Centre 200 on Thursday morning for sessions at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and later that night at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The first black and white game is slated for Saturday at 6 p.m.
The Screaming Eagles will get their first exhibition action on Sunday when they host the Halifax Mooseheads at 4 p.m. at Centre 200. They’ll play more exhibition games Aug. 21 against the Mooseheads in Dartmouth, Aug. 24 versus the Charlottetown Islanders at Centre 200 at 7 p.m., and Aug. 26 in Charlottetown.
Cape Breton opens the regular season Sept. 21 on the road against the Islanders. Their home opener is Sept. 28 at Centre 200 against Halifax, a 7 p.m. puck drop.
*For a complete camp schedule and roster, see page B4. *For a complete camp schedule and roster, see page B4