THUNDER BAY – Christian Veneruzzo says this past weekend’s Kam River Fighting Walleye evaluation camp was a chance to build camaraderie on and off the ice.
The 19-year-old Thunder Bay Kings graduate was one of about four dozen players who took to the ice at the Thunder Bay Tournament Centre, vying for a chance to move on to the Superior International Junior Hockey League team’s main camp, which opens on Tuesday.
Veneruzzo, who played south of the border last season, putting up 52 points in 40 games for the Bozeman Ice Dogs of the North American Tier III Hockey League, on Sunday said the camp accomplished what it set out to do.
“A lot of it was team building, getting to know everybody, hanging out with the guys, getting team chemistry starting to flow,” said Veneruzzo, who had a goal and two assists for the Kings when they hosted the 2018 Telus Cup.
“We were just getting ready for the season, making sure everybody knows what the coach wants, what he expects out of us.”
Hockey-wise, he admitted he felt a little rusty, returning to high-level hockey after the sport shut down in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was a little out of shape out there, but it was good. It was fast-moving, fast-paced, hard-fought battles in the corners.”
While Veneruzzo was familiar with the Thunder Bay contingent in camp, Kelowna, B.C. native Austin Madge was just happy to have found a spot to spend the entire season, after a 2019-20 campaign that included stops in Hearst, St. Paul, Alta., Nelson, B.C. and Spokane, Wash.
The 18-year-old goaltender said it felt good to shake the rust off, especially the way last season came to an abrupt end.
“It was bad, especially all the 20-year-olds out there who couldn’t finish their junior career. I feel bad for them. But it is what it is. Everyone got the same stick,” Madge said.
“I’m really stoked to be here, actually. It’s great coaching, great players. I just want to (explore) my options and hopefully a college career out of it would be the ultimate goal.”
Madge said he’s been on the ice just about every day this summer, once it was permitted, so he wasn’t completely off his game when camp began on Friday.
“I felt like I got the butterflies out, but after that I feel like I was pretty solid.”
For Fighting Walleye coach Matt Valley, it was chance to finally see the team’s recruiting effort in action. Valley said the coaching staff and players have been itching to go, even though the SIJHL season will not begin before Nov. 14 at the earliest.
“The goal was to see these players on the ice playing together and see what we’ve got. A lot of times when you’re recruiting, you’re either taking a scout’s word or you’re watching a video clip. You can only tell so much on the video,” Valley said.
The team, which was still awaiting the arrival of a handful of carded players, plans to take up to 30 players into the main camp and will cut that number back to 23 to 25 if and when the season begins.
SIJHL notes: The Thunder Bay North Stars likely won’t open camp until mid-October, a team spokesperson saying they want further clarification on the likelihood of a season going forward before bringing players in ... The Fort Frances Lakers have hired Bernie Lynch as their new head coach, replacing 2019-20 coach of the year Wayne Strachan.
