Training camp is officially underway for the Minnesota Wild, and while the main storyline remains when/if Quinn Hughes will sign an extension, there were other storylines that came out throughout the first day. Hughes did speak following his group’s practice and basically repeated what he has said for most of the offseason: that he doesn’t feel stressed to sign before the season, something could happen, but it is what it is.
Back to training camp, it’s a bit shorter with two fewer preseason games and two more regular-season games, so players have to step up if they want to prove themselves. There were fewer new faces at this training camp than in seasons past because of the shorter duration, but everyone still has the same goal: to make the team. In this article, we’ll take a look at how the first day of training camp went, and we’ll start with who stood out the most among the newer players at camp.
Wild Have a Mix of Standouts
The first day of training camp is a process of feeling things out but also putting in 100 percent. These players have been training on their own during the offseason, but that first full training camp day can be a bit of a learning curve for the new players, no matter how much they’ve been training and skating during the offseason.
While no one completely stood out, everyone looked pretty good, and the majority of eyes were on the new players to the team like Blake Coleman, Olli Määttä, and Maxim Shabanov. All three players looked like they adapted well to their new surroundings, and of course there’s still a long way to go, but they blended in nicely.
Määttä stood out with his point shot; although it didn’t make it in every time he tried, he was still willing to shoot instead of pass. Shabanov was on a line alongside Ryan Hartman and Kirill Kaprizov, and they looked pretty good together, although it’s early. It’s hard to say now if those three will be together opening night, but they do have a bit of chemistry so far.
“I think they’re looking great; I think they’ll be awesome additions. I think Coleman’s fast and obviously plays a hard game. I like Shabanov’s game, a lot of skill, and Olli’s (Määttä) very, very good at what he’s doing, so yeah, I like the additions, and I think they’ll fit right in…it’s just up to us to bring them into the team and bring them into the group so they feel hopefully they feel welcome and like they belong and are family here,” Jesper Wallstedt said to the media following day one of training camp when asked about the new additions to the team.
Wild Show Up With Speed
It’s not surprising to see the young players at camp trying to showcase their skills by giving it their all, but everyone who hit the ice for the Wild was ready to go. Everyone had an edge of speed and physicality that looked more like a regular-season effort than the start of training camp.
Riley Heidt, who isn’t exactly a newcomer to the Wild but has yet to earn a full-time spot, was one of those players who stood out with his speed, especially during the scrimmage. However, he wasn’t the only player to bring the speed, as both Matt Boldy and Kaprizov showed off a bit of their skill set and speed during both the scrimmage and practice sessions they took part in. Training camp isn’t just for the new players, but for everyone on the roster to prove they came ready to go and are ready for a grinding season ahead.
Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy celebrates a goal (Nick Wosika-Imagn Images)
While some were showing off with speed, nearly everyone on the ice showed off a bit of their physical side as well. In one of the small-area games, Boldy and Quinn Hughes could be seen battling each other in the corner; at first, it seemed like they were a bit hesitant, but once that wore off, they battled like there were points on the line, and their teammates followed suit in their respective battles. As the camp goes on, it’ll be interesting to see how these players adjust to the shorter time frame.
Wild Players Remember to Keep it Light
Training camp can be a pretty serious time for the coaching staff trying to make their roster as well as the players who are trying to earn a spot on the team. However, it’s also a time for the team to come together when points aren’t on the line, and they can have some fun during competition.
There were several times throughout the first day of training camp that cheers could be heard from the bench or on the ice from the players when one of their teammates scored a goal or their goaltender made a save. There were also times players playfully shoved each other into the glass, goofing around, or passing pucks back and forth and making a game out of it.
They may be professional hockey players, but they also know there’s a time to be serious and a time to have a little fun. It’s great for the younger players to be reminded that not all times have to be serious, and it’s okay to show a bit of your personality and have fun. Hockey is a game, and sometimes it’s good for players to have a laugh or a cheer and show support for their teammates as well.
This is just day one of training camp, which is about two weeks long, and then comes the 84-game regular season and hopefully the postseason after that. The Wild looked very promising, and hopefully they’ll continue to build on that and have a successful season.
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