Golden State Rookie Faceoff: Day 1
Nico, first off, just uh how’s the offseason been? What have you been working on here since the last time we checked in with you? It’s been good. Uh obviously, I’m still building my strength. Uh trying to get bigger, stronger, faster, all those things. Still a young guy, but um so I was able to improve in that area. Uh weighing in a little bit heavier, and then uh also just keep grinding on the ice, you know, working on my puck skills, shooting, all that stuff to be ready for this season. Uh what do you take from from last year? I look at like I sat down with Mlane for like a season preview and just pointing question you know who’s who sto stands out to you and how they improve from the start of last season this year and you were the name that came up for him and you know we could see it too that first goal in college your production took off from there in the second half of the year. Um how did you get more confident? How did it feel more confident by the time the season came to a close? Yeah, I think you know just you know learning what the league was all about. you know, obviously starting to play against older guys and I I got a bit of a taste of that at the end of my year there in junior. But then, you know, to play my first full year, yeah, up until Christmas, there was some learning curves for sure, but um you know, looking into this year, I’m just I’m just trying to improve and and build off of what I was able to do in the last half there. How much more confident do you feel going into year two full season of pro hockey? Yeah, I feel really confident right now. Um you know, I know everyone around. I know the league a little bit more now. So, um you know, now there’s not there’s not that learning learning phase, I think. So, I’m I’m able to just go in and uh and play my game. With a tournament like this, rookie camp, uh the rookie tournament, games against other prospects, uh guys your age, what do you take away from this? What do you want to go out and accomplish this weekend? Uh when you step and put on the the Ducks jersey. Yeah, I just want to show uh you know, what I’ve been working so hard for this offseason and like I said, build off of what I did last half there. And then, um you know, this is also an opportunity for all of us to kind of get a head start uh going into main camp. That’s kind of the message the coaches have been relaying uh today. you know, we we learned some of the new system Coach Quenville is uh implementing here. So, I think it’ll be great for all of us. Uh for you with this group, I mean, I would imagine you’re looked at as a as a leader. You’ve been to a couple of these now. You’ve played that full year of pro hockey. What’s kind of the message to maybe some of the young guys in their first camps? Are you seeing guys come talk to you, lean on you for some advice and what you got to do? Yeah, I think just just soak it all in. Um you know, that’s kind of a cliche, but it is important. You know, it’s the first time some of these guys are putting on an NHL sweater. Um and then just to, you know, attack it. Uh, I remember maybe my first camp I was kind of like in star struck, you know, NHL logo and stuff, but you know, I want I think all these guys have to feel at home and just, you know, they’re all brought here for a reason, so just play their game. First time under two new coaches here with NHL experience under their belt. How are you kind of adjusting to their new systems, everything? Excited to get to play with them first time this weekend. Yeah. Yeah, it’ll be great. Um, yeah, learning learning the new systems, but um, you know, it’ll be good to get these two games and and kind of get a feeler for what it’s all about and be ready for main camp. Eagor, how’s the, uh, how’s the offseason been? What have you been working on? Uh, great. Offseason’s great. I spent time at home for 4 months with my family, so it was it was great. And, uh, yeah, I work a lot on the ice off the ice. So, uh, excited to start a season. What did you learn in your first year of of of pro hockey? What lessons did you take into this off seasonason to get better for year number two? Uh I learn I learned a lot. It’s uh well faster with juniors. So uh you have to be pro too this you have to look for small details right and uh uh my weakness is uh speed. So I work on my uh quick free two steps on uh so uh yeah uh we know you have that goal scoring ability and that prowess. You saw that a lot in San Diego. How do you continue that into another year? Uh just work a lot on my shots. I shoot lot of lots of pucks uh on the ice, off the ice. So uh yeah, just my uh my uh good size shooting packs. When you come into a camp like this, you played one year pro, now into a rookie camp and a tournament. What are your goals? What do you want to accomplish when you step out on the ice and get to that that competition this weekend against uh some other guys your age? Uh every year my goal to make a team, right? So uh I’m just getting better every camp and uh yeah, looking forward for a rookie rookie tournament and uh it’s going to be fun. Uh two games, so I’m I’m really looking forward. Matt, your third rookie camp and and rookie tournament coming up here. How have you seen just the growth of this thing and the way these players have come back? You had a few guys you already know, but uh the new prospects come in and it seems like uh this is kind of your realm. The exciting part about rookie camp is you just put yourself in the player shoes. And there’s some guys that just got drafted and the only thing on their minds is is putting on this jersey and representing the Ducks for the first time. And there’s there’s another group of guys who’ve been around and um maybe been to a rookie camp, played in San Diego, something like that. But um they’ve got an opportunity to show their growth that they made in the summertime. And so it’s it’s a really exciting time of year. uh it kicks off the start of another season and um I know there’s a ton of excitement on on our side. It’s a short camp. What’s the message to these guys? This is just the first time on the ice and and you’re going to jump right into game play tomorrow. Um what do you say to these guys to to get out there when they’re going to some of them first time in front of some of the ducks brass and and for others it’s kind of a leadership role. So for us our our big thing is we want they’ve been playing summer hockey, you know, for for the last several months and and we want to give them enough structure to stand on. our our sport is the ultimate team sport. You have to play as a unit to have success. So, um give them enough structure, but we’re not trying to suffocate anybody. Everybody’s here for a reason. They were drafted or invited because they have a specific skill set, and we want to make sure those can can show. So, um you know, we had a great conversations with with Coach Q getting ready for this. His big thing is, you know, start to lay some foundation for for some of the systems and we consider it a head start. It’s a head start to training camp. So, when Coach Q takes over, uh guys will be hearing things for second, third times and they should feel like they’re pretty far ahead. What is that transition like with a new head coach coming in and kind of working in those systems back into your routine? Uh, you know, making that work. It’s exciting. Um, you know, when when when a guy like Joel comes in, you know, with with that kind of a resume. Um, and he’s and he’s that that kind of a man. Uh, you’re just you’re just so excited to to learn anything that you can um from my side. Um, you know, I’d seek out any mentorship I can get from a guy like that. And so, it’s the conversation happened on the ice today. we start talking about defensive zone and the one of the players said to me, “Yeah, well, it’s it’s proven this this thing will work.” And so there’s there’s an automatic belief in what’s going on and that’s shared from everybody. There’s a shared excitement and I’m certainly a part of that. You get a chance to see guys for a second time around like Becky or Stan. What do you make of their growth over the year and and coming into this camp? different cases because I had a chance to coach Stion and so you got a pretty good relationship started already and it’s fun to watch you know guys come back after the summer he’s stronger uh he’s confident he’s open to ask questions and you know you’ve got that relationship and rapport together that that we can build from um Beckett I haven’t had the privilege of coaching just yet and so I haven’t seen him play as much outside of highlights which some are remarkable in the last year but it’s fun to check in with him see him at dev camp and then be able to check in with them here. Those two are just like the others where there’s just so much excitement to be able to get out and show what they can do. What kind of habits are you looking to either instill in these players or keep going perhaps from last rookie camp and the last development camp? I think the habits are inside of systems at this point in time. So, we we’ve got just a short window of coaching opportunity and we certainly don’t want to overload with information. Um, but there are habits inside of systems, uh, stick positioning, um, contact, some aggressive play that we we can lay a foundation for, uh, to get ahead for for coach Q and and where they’re going to take off when when the Ducks get started. I think that finding those little ones inside of the systems, that’s our our big task for Tomasuk to come in here and get his first competitive games in over 17 months, he said. uh what is that what do you see in him and and how he’s kind of taking this opportunity again? I kind of jokingly say with our staff my my favorite part of development camp was watching Suki in net uh as a full participant and you know he’s he’s just the first one to joke around. He’s got so much confidence and um he looked great. Uh and you know, practice moves quick today and to be honest with you, I’m not watching goalies at this moment in time, but I know for him he’s chomping at the bit and he’s uh built such a strong rapport in San Diego. We can’t wait to to watch him go again. Some new additions to your coaching staff this offseason. What has it been like um getting to grow those relationships with those guys? It’s a total privilege. Um, we for different circumstances had uh two openings to fill. We’re fortunate enough to get a guy like Dave Manson to come in. Anaheim is rich with defensive prospects. Um, we are at no shortage of defensive prospects in San Diego. Um, and to be able to grab someone like Dave who’s, you know, been there and, uh, and lived it as a player. uh his last opportunity on the bench was behind an NHL bench and just for him to be able to lend that expertise, it’s huge. And then, you know, when we’re looking at the the forward and and power play position, um to get someone like Michael Babcock that’s also coming right out of the NHL, um he was listed as a skills coach, but it was when you hear what he was doing, he was more of an assistant uh helping out on Monty staff and he got to be a part of that turnaround that was that happened in St. Louis last year. uh which was one of the most intriguing parts as I was uh as I was getting to know him and and I know he’s been around a lot of great coaches. Um and just to be able to, you know, for me grab people with different experiences that that we can all use. Um it’s a it’s a huge blessing. Jeff Glass is now kind of been your longtime running mate in San Diego. What kind of impact has he had um on the team? Jeff’s, you know, obviously his focus is goalie coaching and taking care of those guys. um it’s a steadying presence, you know, whe when there can be some continuity within the staff um specifically for our goalies, but I think his eyes are are primarily on them. And I know that between him and Sudsy uh and and Peter, we’ve got that department really well covered.
Aaron Cooney caught up with Nico Myatovic, Yegor Sidorov and Gulls head coach Matt McIlvane following practice. The Anaheim Ducks prospects take on the San Jose Sharks tomorrow night at 6 PM in the first game of the 2025 Golden State Rookie Faceoff.
