Moose start camp with 15 players

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This article was published 26/01/2021 (1713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba Moose still don’t have a regular-season schedule and as of Monday, had only 15 players on the roster for the first day of training camp at Bell MTS Iceplex.

Pascal Vincent, the club’s 49-year-old bench boss, will have about 10 days to mould the latest edition of the Moose into a competitive squad for the start of the American Hockey League season on Feb. 5.

But it will be complicated.

Major changes brought on by the pandemic are creating ripples across the AHL, which has been realigned into five divisions.

To comply with border travel restrictions, the Moose will play only games within an all-Canadian Division that includes the Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens), Toronto Marlies (Maple Leafs) and Belleville Senators (Ottawa).

A fifth-team, the Flames-affiliated Stockton Heat, could be relocated to Calgary because county officials have yet to sign off on the club playing home games in California.

“I think this season is going to be looking like small playoff series — you’re going to play a lot of games against the same team,” said Vincent of the anticipated steady diet of Rocket, Sens, Marlies and Heat the Moose will have on the menu. “And maybe playing four games in a row against the same team, which would look like a playoff series…

“I think it’s going to be intense. I think there’s going to be some rivalries and it’s going to be emotionally intense. And that’s what we want… the component of staying disciplined but bringing your emotional level as high as you can.”

Pandemic rules and regulations will also require discipline.

“We had over an hour meeting with all the players Saturday and we explained the protocols and that’s going to be priority No. 1,” said Vincent. “We’re going to spend a lot of time reminding them what needs to be done.

“We have hard rules that we’re gonna follow as a coaching staff and it starts with the management, with the coaches. And that’s it. There’s no other way.”

Highly touted No. 10 overall Winnipeg Jets draft pick Cole Perfetti is starting training camp with the Moose and could play his first professional game next month.

Normally, he would have returned to his junior club, the Saginaw Spirit, but the Ontario Hockey League has not yet announced plans to start its season.

“I think what we’re doing right now is the second-best scenario,” said Vincent.

“For him to be exposed to our language and the way we do things here, the way we run our team and to be practising and battling against bigger and stronger players, I think it (gives him) a real good understanding of what it’s going to take down the line, and in the future, to become a Jets player.”

Perfetti, who turned 19 on Jan. 1, would like nothing better than to make his NHL debut this season, just like his world junior hockey championship teammates Bowen Byram (Colorado Avalanche), Connor McMicheal (Washington Capitals) and Dylan Cozens (Buffalo Sabres).

“I’m fortunate and lucky to get this opportunity,” said Perfetti.

“Normally, there’s only a handful of guys — one or two guys — that make NHL out of their draft year as an 18-year-old and the rest go back to junior or wherever they played last year.”

While the recent arrival in Winnipeg of centre Pierre-Luc Dubois seems to go counter to the Jets’ long-term plans to have Perfetti assume the No. 2 centre role, he didn’t sound concerned. He’s content to play where he is needed.

“I’ve always played wing and centre,” said Perfetti. “Same with the OHL — I played half the year at centre, half the year at the wing and then at world juniors I played wing, so you know, I’ve played just as much wing as I have centre. I feel that I’m very confident in my abilities on the wing and being able to play my game on the wall.”

Vincent plans to use him at both positions.

“I watched the games of the world juniors and the way he moves on the ice and his ability to change directions, he’s obviously somebody that studies the game,” said Vincent. “He can read plays, his reads are quick and he’s got real good hands…

“He’s gonna be a guy that will be able to create offence at this level pretty quick,” said Vincent. “But he will need some support 5-on-5 to understand the routes and what we’re asking of him.”

Manitoba also has a loan agreement with the Vancouver Canucks. The Moose are expected to receive goaltender Arturs Silovs, centre Tyler Graovac and defenceman Ashton Sautner from the Canucks, who, due to quarantine rules, will be unable to get quick access to AHL personnel playing for their Utica (N.Y.) Comets farm team.

“Whoever we’re gonna get, we’re gonna treat them like Moose players,” said Vincent. “That’s the plan, but who and when, I’m not sure exactly. We’re still trying to figure out the schedule.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14