RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes scrimmaged just 80 minutes into their first on-ice workout of training camp at PNC Arena on Friday.
All 51 players, divided into two groups, played in game-like conditions with two officials on the ice and with time and score being kept.
From the opening faceoff, much of the play was congested and with little semblance of any system or structure to it from either squad.
It was a typical first structured scrimmage amongst players who hadn’t played with or amongst one another since last April, and for some, who had never ever played together before.
That’s the reason head coach Bill Peters wasn’t overly impressed by what the intra-squad game that ended in a 1-1 draw presented.
“I didn’t love the scrimmage to be honest with you,” Peters said.
“I thought we were a little bit sloppy and that’s to be expected. You’re comin’ off playing summer hockey and informal skates and scrimmaging. Realistically, it’s not gonna’ be perfect and it was far from perfect. I thought the intensity was fine; I just thought the execution could have been better.”
Though the finite details of play weren’t polished, the one thing that was evident following two shortened periods was that the intensity level was high.
Every player was battling for the puck and gaining space to do so through tough, physical play.
Veteran defenseman Jay Harrison rocked rookie forward Brock McGinn in the corner at one end, causing the youngster to work to keep his balance, while another veteran defenseman, Ron Hainsey, stood last season’s top goal-scorer, Jeff Skinner, up at the opposite blue line with the same outcome.
Former Brown captain and defenseman Dennis Robertson rode free agent winger Carter Sandlak towards the bench, and save for a little extra effort, held off from launching him right into it.
Sandlak wasn’t impressed and his response back was to chop at Robertson with his stick while offering a nasty glare.
Robertson wasn’t fazed by it as he briefly affirmed Sandlak’s displeasure and continued to play on.
Even Alexander Semin didn’t take kindly to an aggressive bump along the boards that former Toronto center Jay McClement gave him to gain possession of the puck.
The Russian forward offered his reactionary stick tap to McClement’s hands which elicited a glance back that spoke volumes – ‘deal with it’.
“Everyone comes to camp these days in top condition,” Skinner said.
“It’s not too often that guys are using it to get in shape. Getting into that scrimmage, it’s a little bit different from informal skates because it’s a little bit more competitive, a little bit more hitting and stuff like that. I think everyone in our group was pretty solid. It’s a good first day in my opinion.”
Even with so much going on the ice, the new head coach and his staff saw bright spots and pointed them out.
“There’s lots of little things,” Peter said.
“There’s always things we read into as coaches, hockey-sense wise. I thought Victor Rask was real good. He’s a smart player; you can see his hockey sense out there. McGinn is always around the play. He’s involved offensively; he’s involved physically. Just things like that. I’m impressed with Harry (Jay Harrison) and (Ron) Hainsey on the back end; they skate real well. I think we have a team that is going to skate and possess the puck. I like our team speed and our ability to get up and down the ice.”
From the time the players stepped onto the ice, little time was afforded to sit in front of a whiteboard or pause for long water breaks.
That’s not Peters’ style.
He got right into it and assessed everyone’s hockey I.Q. and compete level.
Mission accomplished.
“I liked the practice for sure, I did,” Peters said.
“I thought guys paid attention and dug in and did a good job.”