By Sheldon Spackman

Rebels wrap-up three day Prospects Camp in Penhold

Jun 3, 2018 | 1:27 PM

Over two dozen Red Deer Rebel hopefuls put their talents on display during the team’s annual three-day Prospects Camp held at the Penhold Multiplex this weekend.

Team officials say the 27 players from all over western Canada who attended were either born in 2002 or 2003, making them 15 and 16-years-old.

Assistant General Manager Shaun Sutter says the camp is essentially a development and orientation camp where the players can come together, compete, get to know each other and build a relationship with the team and its staff before Rookie Camp begins in late August.

“On the parent side of it, it’s for the families to get familiar with our organization, understand the structure, understand the expectations and ultimately how everything works,” he explains. ”It’s so that they get all that information so they feel confident and comfortable with their sons playing here one day.”

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Sutter adds the camp is a great opportunity to see the players that are listed or they’ve drafted up close.

“Now, the game is about speed, you have to be able to skate, you have to be able to think, you have to compete and you have to have skill,” states Sutter. “If you have those four things then you have a chance to play and then it’s just a matter of going out there and performing.”

He hopes the players who attend take away some confidence and familiarity with how everything works so when they arrive at camp in late August, they can focus on hockey.

“We have a mentorship program in place where the players that have been here before mentor other players,” says Sutter. “Whether they’ve been to this camp in June or maybe to our camp in August, we try to really put a player that’s been at a camp with a player that hasn’t been at a camp and really kind of mix up the players so that they get to know maybe kids that they’ve never been around. That all goes into it in terms of them growing as people and hockey players.”

Sutter concludes the Prospects Camp helps everyone involved feel more comfortable.

“They ultimately just want to wear the jersey and go on the ice and play and practice,” states Sutter. “I think its confidence for everybody, not only on their side but on our side too to see how they interact with everybody. It allows us to give them some honest feedback too for where they’re at right now as we stand today leading into their training and their on-ice development as well throughout the summer.”