Login

***notorioustig*** · 07-10-2018, 02:49 AM

(2x Draft Content Bonus)
Word Count: 1118

With the emotional high of Sunday's SMJHL Entry Draft still hanging in the air. teams hit the ice for training camp today - some of them for the very first time.

The Detroit Falcons made eleven selections at the draft, restocking the cupboards with a promising crop of players at every position. These picks are listed here, along with their positions and draft number:

- Tig Murphy, D, 10th overall
- Marc Palicka, C, 16th overall
- Tobias Viklund, LW, 18th overall
- Dank Boija, RW, 26th overall
- Wolfhard Richter, D, 28th overall -
- Hippo Passamus, LW, 36th overall
- Cedric Robinson, G, 44th overall
- Vladislav Konstantin, RW, 52nd overall
- Liam Kimmer, C, 60th overall
- David Fantobens, RW, 68th overall
- Juha Teravainen, C, 76th overall

A theme is apparent in the Falcons' selections: depth at forward. Eight new forwards will line up for the team this coming season, offering a blend of offensive talent and two-way play that the Detroit brass hopes will round out the roster into a 200-foot force to be reckoned with.

Two selections expected to step into major roles right away - including the team's first pick of the draft - are the team's two new defensemen, Tig Murphy and Wolfhard Richter. Both players are aggressive, offensive defensemen, and should help the team immediately in its transition game as well as the powerplay. They are likely to face a heavy workload immediately and will be relied upon to acclimate themselves to the faster pace of the SMJHL quickly.

Finally, Cedric Robinson is touted as one of the most talented goaltending prospects in recent memory, and should push for a starting role immediately.

"We feel really good about this group of rookies," said one Falcons fan who arrived early to watch the day of on-ice sessions. "For these guys, we're just excited to see how they react to the practices this week extremely high-pace and watch them get used to thinking and moving at the speed of the game in this league."

After stepping off the ice from his first session as a member of the Falcons, a tired Tig Murphy was complimentary of the pace of play on the ice. "Everyone was flying out there which was great to see, especially after fitness testing this morning. We're all pretty tired at the moment, but I think now that we have Day One under our belts, the rest of the week is only going to get better."

While the on-ice sessions were a lot to take in for the youngest members of the team, the learning off of the ice is just as important. "Yeah, we've spent a lot of time getting to know each other a bit better. The vets have been really great to us and we're learning lots from them about what it takes to train and prepare to play in this league, and us rookies all have a bit of a common bond with this being our first camp. It already feels like a special locker room to be a part of."

While goaltenders are normally the strong, silent type, Cedric Robinson was extremely animated on the ice, with a smile that never seemed to fade. "It's been a ton of fun getting to know everybody so far. We're all nervous, but the nerves are turning into excitement pretty quickly. We're all coming up with nicknames for each other which is only adding to the fun."

And what nicknames might those be? "Well, everyone is calling Tobi Viklund 'More Delicious' for some reason, I actually don't know how it started but it seems to be sticking. I accidentally stumbled over a word and yelled 'GROK' at the top of my lungs so now the guys all start saying 'grok grok grok' anytime I skate by. It's all in good fun."

While it's still too early in camp to read into line combinations, a few consistent groupings emerged over the course of the day. The young guns line of Viklund, Palicka, and Boija seemed to be generating chemistry early and often with a number of talented passing plays. Wolfhard Richter noted that his newfound friendship with Tig Murphy seemed to be paying dividends already, and may result in a dependable second pairing for the team right out of the gate.

"We were sitting next to each other at the draft and struck up a bit of a friendship there, and it's definitely carried over," noted Richter from his stall, holding a plastic bowl of mixed greens he'd prepared before arriving to the rink. "He's a left shot and I shoot right so it's a natural fit. We're both good skaters and puck movers which makes us a dual-threat on the breakout, which makes covering us a lot harder on the forecheckers. Nothing is set in stone yet obviously but it would be fun to play on a pairing with him."

Murphy echoed that sentiment. "Wolfy is a really heady player out there and he's a good communicator, which is amazing in a d-partner out there. We play slightly different styles offensively too; he's a bit more of a shooter and likes to attack the net where I like to walk the line and distribute pucks, so we have a bunch of different options available to us when we're out there."

While pure skill was obviously the order of the day on the ice, there were some who drew attention to themselves for other reasons. Observers came away impressed by the work ethic and wide frame of Swedish winger Hippo Passamus, who stands 5'6" but clocks in at 290 pounds. He wasn't taking it easy on his new teammates, frequently using his low, massive centre of gravity to bowl them over in the corners during battle drills and walk away with the puck. "I skate, I hit, I skate some more, I hit again," Passamus explained through a toothless grin. "Maybe score, maybe hit. Maybe both. We see."

The Falcons will continue to hit the ice over the rest of the week before beginning preseason play on Friday. The team hopes that this short training camp will provide enough preparation for the team to step seamlessly into exhibition, before beginning league play next Monday. As the coaches try to drill down tactics and build early chemistry among new teammates, many of whom have never played at the SMJHL level before, anticipation and anxiety is high among the Falcons faithful. With such a young roster, there will surely be ups and downs in performance throughout the year, but the talent on display is undeniable. Whatever happens, it will be an entertaining experience for the Falcons and their fans.

***Waters*** · 07-10-2018, 02:57 AM

Mayuu · 07-10-2018, 03:02 AM

RETIRED

Plastic Bowl · 07-10-2018, 09:54 PM

Justice · 07-10-2018, 09:59 PM

07-10-2018, 02:57 AMWaters Wrote:

Jedi · 07-10-2018, 10:11 PM

WOO LETS GO FALCONS YEAH

Alucard,Apr 14 2016, 03:33 PM Wrote:May the harvest be with you, young spud.

enigmatic,Aug 26 2016, 10:05 AM Wrote:Jedi could have 1 TPE and still improve any team

First ever Norwegian IIHF Goal!!

Code:
2. Team Norway , Jackson Rodgers-Tanaka 1 (Isabella Esparza-Osvaldson, Aleksander Andrezjeck) at 5:50

Special Thanks to Count Chocula for the Hugo G sig <3

Navigation

Extra Menu

About us