FOUR DOGS INVITED TO R&D CAMP

Four members of the Saint John Sea Dogs hockey club have been invited to the National Hockey League’s Research and Development Camp.

Only 35-40 of the best 2011 draft eligible players were invited to the unique camp which takes place this August in Toronto, Ont.

Forwards Jonathan Huberdeau, Tomas Jurco, Zach Phillips, and defenseman Nathan Beaulieu were all given an invitation.

The news of this new initiative was released a few days ago. Players will be “guinea pigs” as they go through several sessions of trying new rules that could one day be part of the game.

“We'll test potential new ideas. Some may never see the light of day," said Brendan Shanahan to NHL.com about the camp he is in charge of. "But it's just putting into play some game-situation rules, some game-situation equipment and some potential innovation into the game of hockey."

Shanahan and the NHL's entire Hockey Operations Department will preside in late August over a research and development camp at the Maple Leafs' practice facility in Toronto. Two on-ice sessions per day on Aug. 18-19 will allow Hockey Ops and many of the league's general managers and coaches to watch 35-40 of the top-rated prospects eligible for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft put potential rules changes and strategic innovations to the ultimate test -- real game action.

"The idea is just to create a camp that gives us information about the game -- not because we think the game is broken and needs fixing, but to allow our hockey people to think and act progressively," Shanahan said Friday at the United Center, after NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the camp during his annual pre-Stanley Cup finals address to the media.

The session will be used to hopefully advance the NHL game to become safer for players and more entertaining for fans.

"Invitations have just gone out and we're starting to get replies from the players," Shanahan said of skaters chosen based on the year-out projections for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the league's Central Scouting Service. "The overwhelming response from the agents and commissioners of their leagues that I've contacted has been really positive. In fact, they're trying to get more of their clients and players invited."

Shanahan did point out that the camp will not be primarily used for scouting because of the strange environment that the players may go through.

The Hockey News recently ranked Drummondville Voltigeurs forward Sean Couturier the best player available for the 2011 NHL draft.

-With files from NHL.com