GALIEV WANTS WJHC CHANCE

Stanislav Galiev kicked off Washington Capitals development camp on Monday.

Several folks on Twitter who attended the first day of camp mentioned that the speedy forward stood out among his fellow prospects – and in a good way. WeagleEye, who has been sending Station Nation messages from camp, said “he's fast, aware of everything on the ice, and has a great smile!”

In an interview with the Capitals blog Russian Machine Never Breaks, Galiev said that he wishes to play in the World Junior Hockey Championships this winter with the Russian team.

“I like North American-style hockey… it is faster, better, they hit harder.”

On the thing he misses most while in North America: “Friends.”

On goals: “[I want to] make the [Russian] World Junior Team.”

On being on the Caps: “It is incredible to be on a team with the best players in the world.”

Pictures of Group B from Caps in Pictures and Caps Snaps.

Three incredible videos after the jump.

PENS CAMP HAS A SEA DOG FLAVOUR

By Bert Richardson
Station Nation Staff

One current and two former Saint John Sea Dogs are set to begin Pittsburgh Penguins development camp tomorrow. The players arrived today, begin sessions tomorrow, and will stay at camp until July 17.

According to Penguins press release, the group of rookies and prospects will take part in on-ice practice and scrimmage sessions at Southpointe, medical and fitness testing at the UPMC Sports Medicine Complex on the South Side and workouts, meetings and seminars at Mellon Arena.

The instructors will be Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach Todd Reirden, WBS assistant coach John Hynes, Penguins assistant to the general manager Tom Fitzgerald, Penguins goaltending coach Gilles Meloche and Penguins strength and conditioning coach Mike Kadar.

For a full roster of the camp, click HERE.

“The main function of the camp is not to necessarily grade the players on their individual performance, but rather to teach the kids about the daily structure of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization,” writes Jason Seidling of Penguins.com.

“One of the days we will have a flow practice where there isn’t much battle drills but rather a lot of flow where goalies see a lot of pucks,” Fitzgerald said. “We will also work on system drills which show them how we like to break the puck out, what we like to do in the neutral zone and what we like to do on the forecheck.

“Finally, we show them a work day. Those are days where you better put your work boots and hard hat on because you will be going to work out there on the ice. When we have those days your legs will feel it within 50 minutes to an hour. We give them what we try to teach our guy.”

It’s been a while since the name Alex Grant came onto Sea Dogs' fans radars. The former captain and first player ever drafted by Saint John spent last season with the East Coast Hockey League’s Wheeling Nailers and American Hockey League’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

“We can teach guys like Alex Grant how we defend a one-on-one,” Fitzgerald said. “Do we cross over or do we defend them stick on puck? Up front, it might be something different. It could be how we cycle the puck.”

In 40 games with the Nailers, Grant recorded seven goals and 20 assists in 40 regular season games. With the AHL’s baby Pens, Grant scored three goals and added two helpers in 14 games.

In 245 career QMJHL games, the first overall pick in the 2005 midget draft registered 44 goals and 99 assists. He spent three-and-a-half season with the Sea Dogs before being traded halfway through the 2008-09 season to Shawinigan.

Grants teammate in Shawinigan, Nicholas Petersen, is also on the camp roster. In three seasons in the QMJHL, Petersen scored 87 goals and added 111 assists. Last season with Saint John, the winger recorded a career high 39 goals and also produced 40 assists.

Despres, a first round pick of the Penguins in the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft, is expected to get a long look at training camp this fall. Despres has 12 goals and 81 assists in 193 career Quebec League games.

CANUCKS CAMP COMES TO A CLOSE

Steven Anthony finished up Vancouver Canucks Prospects Development Camp by defeating his Saint John Sea Dogs teammate Yann Sauve in a three-on-three game.

“We played Yann’s team in our last game - he was teamed with Tochkin and Jordan,” wrote Anthony in the final entry of his Canucks.com blog. “I’m not going to lie, our team wanted to win really bad going into this last one because our record wasn’t so good and because it was against Yann so bragging rights were on the line. We ended up winning 2-1, which is really the game we needed to win most any way. Yann will definitely hear about it all the way to the airport. He didn’t say much to me after the game though, but that’s probably because he figured we would win anyway.”

Anthony also stated he hopes to see another teammate from last year’s Saint John team at the Traverse City prospects tournament in the Fall.

“Right now, all I can think of that might be at the tournament is our goalie from Saint John, Marco Cousineau, who was an Anaheim draft pick so he should coming with them,” wrote Anthony. “I think our first game’s against Taylor Hall, the first overall pick so I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of media checking out his first game. That will be exciting.”

To view his final entry click HERE.

“Steven Anthony chronicles prospect development camp in Vancouver for a week with insights from a player's point of view,” reads the official description of the blog.

Anthony, a seventh round pick of the Canucks in the 2009 National Hockey League entry draft, is partaking in his second summer prospect camp in Vancouver.

Speaking of Sauve, he "stood out" during the three-on-three tournament.

”It was a great tournament and we had fun and that was the goal of it, but it sucked to come up short,” laughed Sauve said to Canucks.com, who added that his team faced a tougher draw than the rest.

“It just felt like one really long shift and I don’t think our schedule was fair, we had back-to-back games, I mean come on!”

While the tournament didn’t finish the way Sauve had hoped, development camp did.

”It was a great camp. There were so many activities that we learned from and the nutrition and the Iron Chef and things were great.”

This was Sauve’s third time attending prospects camp with the Canucks and what stood out to the defenceman was the time dedicated to forming team camaraderie.

”The team building was really good, like the rowing, it brought us together. Then the baseball game was good to relax together. In the last two years we didn’t do any activities like that and it really made a big difference, the group was a lot tighter this year, everyone got to know everyone and that team building and joking around is important.”

SEA DOGS NOTEBOOK

GALIEV LOVING THE CAPS
You’ll often see Stanislav Galiev smiling for a photo. But on draft day, did the Russian go a little overboard?

“A third-round pick from Russia, Galiev offers a glimpse of what it looks like when he hits the final note while singing in the shower,” said Greg Wyshnski of the very popular and comical blog ‘Puck Daddy.’

Galiev’s photo was named the seventh most awkward rookie glamour shot of the 2010 NHL Draft.

To view the top 10 photos, click HERE.

Former/current/future Moncton Wildcat Kirill Kabanov is listed twice.

SUNDAY START TIMES EXPLAINED
If you subscribe to the PEI Rocket newsletter, you were probably a little surprised to read that “all Sunday home games from December to March will be held at 3:00pm.” This came after news that the Sea Dogs proposal to have all Sunday games at Harbour Station start at 3:00 pm was voted down by the league.

Station Nation contacted Sea Dogs team president Wayne Long about the issue via email.

He went on to explain that all teams that were more than 300 km away the night before had to agree on the time adjustment. But, some teams would not sign on.

Like the Rocket, some games could have started at 3:00 pm – but not all. The Sea Dogs, as they have stated before, did not want flipping start times so they chose to stay with 4:00 pm starts.

“But I really wanted three,” stated Long.

TIME CHANGE
Speaking of the Rocket, Sea Dogs, and schedules, there has been a time change for the September 19 Sea Dogs/Rocket game at Charlottetown Civic Centre. Instead of the usual 4:00 pm Sunday start, the tilt will begin at 7:00 pm. It will be Saint John’s first regular season road game of the campaign.

SAUVE STUFF
The Vancouver Canucks Fan Zone portion of their website recently posted a rather descriptive scouting report on Yann Sauve.

“While conventional thinking places him with the Manitoba Moose right away, there is thought that his presence could be seen in a Canucks' uniform very soon,” stated the article.

Our thanks to Cody for sending this in.

MORE MacAULAY REACTION
Stephen MacAulay reacted to being drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the NHL Draft way back on June 28 to Metro Halifax.

“It’s St. Louis, but it could have been anywhere and I’d be just as happy,” MacAulay said. “I just wanted to be picked.”

“My main goal is to win a championship in Saint John,” he said. “My secondary goals are to keep playing my role, put on some pounds and chip in a little bit more offensively.”

KIRKY AT SUMMER CAMP
Despite asking just about every Dallas Stars fan that is on Twitter and located around the Frisco, Texas area, Station Nation could find very little on Michael Kirkpatrick’s development camp experience.

“Among the tryout players, one guy who caught my attention was Mike Kirkpatrick, who played for St. John of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season,” wrote Mark Stepneski of Andrew’s Dallas Stars Page. “He’s not big (listed at 5-10/175 pounds), but he’s got some nice offensive skills. He’s got a nice shot and just seems to find ways to put pucks into the net. Nice scoring touch and nice playmaker too.”

“He had a sick goal during one of the drills,” said Stars99Lobo37 on Twitter when we inquired about Kirkpatrick. “Didn't practice in the first sessions but played well in the 2nd part.”

COUZY ON THE WEST COAST
Marco Cousineau continues to wear his Saint John gear at Anaheim Ducks development camp.


HOW HE GOT HERE
Halifax Mooseheads play-by-play man John Moore has been tweeting about the cost of bringing import players to the Canadian Hockey League with the Herd awaiting the arrival of Martin Frk.

“SeaDogs selected Stanislav Galiev 1st overall in 09 Import draft,” wrote Moore. “They sealed the deal by agreeing to set his mom up in an apartment in SJ.”

YARD SALE
The CHL has Stanislav Galiev’s game worn Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game jersey up for bid on NHL.com. The leading bid is currently at $260.00 with the auction closing on 07/13/2010 at 21:12 EST.

SAD DAY
Sea Dogs head coach was given the tough task of being one Bob Probert’s pallbearer's at his funeral on Friday in Windsor, Ontario.

"It is awful news to hear," Gallant said to the Telegraph-Journal last week. "He was a great fella and a great teammate. It is just devastating news to hear."

Gallant and Probert were teammates with the Detroit Red Wings for eight years.

CAPS CAMP BEGINS TOMORROW

Stanislav Galiev and the rest of his fellow Washington Capitals prospects are scheduled to arrive in Arlington, Virginia today for Development Camp. The camp officially begins tomorrow and runs through to July 17 at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The camp, which features recent Capitals draft picks, select rookie players and other prospects, includes on- and off-ice workouts led by head coach Bruce Boudreau and his staff.

According to a Capitals press release, confirmed participants are Capitals first-round draft picks Evgeny Kuznetsov (2010), Marcus Johansson (2009), Anton Gustafsson (2008) and Joe Finley (2005). Three participants – Cody Eakin, Braden Holtby and Zach Miskovic – played for the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears during their run to the 2010 Calder Cup. Two players from last season’s development camp played for the Capitals in 2009-10 (John Carlson and Mathieu Perreault).

All development camp on-ice workouts, which will include multiple scrimmages, are open to the public. The off-ice workouts are closed to the public.

Galiev, a third round selection of the Capitals in the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft, will be one of three players at camp who played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season.

The Capitals released a large and informative media guide for the summer skating session. Here is what it said about Galiev:

Galiev’s friend, Evgeny Kuznetsov, was Washington’s first-round selection in June’s draft and as the two had breakfast the morning of the second day of the draft, Kuznetsov predicted that Galiev would join him in the Capitals organization. Sure enough, his name was called, 60 spots behind his friend. Like Dmitry Kugryshev (but unlike Kuznetsov or Dmitri Orlov), Galiev opted to play junior hockey in North America, and figures to be back with Saint John of the QMJHL in the fall.

Selected first overall in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft last summer, Galiev had a strong season. In 67 regular season games, the right winger registered 15 goals and 45 assists. In the playoffs, Galiev recorded eight goals and 11 assists in 21 matches that helped Saint John reach the league final.

ANTHONY'S BLOG - ENTRY FIVE

Steven Anthony and his fellow Vancouver Canucks prospects spent the morning dragon boating at Development Camp.

“I was sitting in the second row behind Yann, which was probably a bad idea because he was splashing me like crazy,” wrote Anthony in his fifth blog post. “He was probably doing it on purpose but now I know not to sit behind him on a boat.”

The Saint John Sea Dogs forward went shopping with his roommate later in the day.

“I got a new t-shirt and jeans but I might take them back because I found another pair I like better but we’ll see,” he wrote. “I do have to go back and get a Yankees hat because my other one doesn’t fit. I have a really strange shaped head - not strange shaped but I’m in between sizes and this one actually fits me perfect.”

To read his entire post click HERE.

“Steven Anthony chronicles prospect development camp in Vancouver for a week with insights from a player's point of view,” reads the official description of the blog.

Anthony, a seventh round pick of the Canucks in the 2009 National Hockey League entry draft, is partaking in his second summer prospect camp in Vancouver.