It's been a busy week in Winkler Flyers land as several players announced their future intentions with commitments on top of the staff preparing for the upcoming spring camp taking place this weekend at the Icon Arena.
Associate Coach Coltyn Bates says it's been a special week for the organization watching players move on to the next phase of their hockey lives. "I think for our program, it's really exciting for the three guys that have announced and there is more coming, I think a few guys are still weighing options of which program would be best for them. In terms of the three that committed, it's great and any time you can continue your education and hockey career, it's a good day."
The three players that announced are Andrew Morton, Connor Jensen and Will Brophy.
Bates says while he wasn't here for a long time, Morton left quite the impression. "We got him at the deadline and he was a big pickup. He had a great junior career, he was a captain, he put up 65 points in a season, he went down south and came back north after Christmas. He came in and bought in right away, adapted to our system and showed he was a guy that could be clutch. He found ways to score massive goals. Looking back at that Niverville series, he stepped up with three goals and in that Blizzard series, he just found ways to score. A guy that's clutch, he's going to a good school with Curry College, a program that has a chance to win every year and that was something he's wanted to be a part of, being a competitive team and keep pushing every year. Good for him."
Jensen will be heading to St. Olaf College and for Bates, he says the blueliner didn't demand a lot of attention but his game demanded respect. "Jenny was a huge part of culture the past three years. He came into camp a few years ago when we returned almost our whole d-core and he stole a job. Honestly, from that day on in my opinion, from that day on he became one of the most underrated defenders in the league. He's not a guy that's had 50 or 60 or 70 points, but he's a true number one d-man that does everything. He's a power play quarterback, first guy on the kill, plays in all situations. He's a big reason why we had the success we did. He had a coming out party at Centennial Cup and he was incredible. Not the finish he would have liked in terms of the way the year ended for him, but we couldn't be happier for him to move on, he's put in a lot of time and had a heck of a career here. He's left this place better than when he got here."
For Bates, Brophy is the kind of guy that can make a long career for himself as he showed he can elevate and transform his game to whatever his team needs, a trait that he'll be bringing to Trinity College. "In meetings with schools and in conversations with him, I truly believe that his best years are still ahead of him. When you're that big of a kid, even at 20, you're still a kid and there's time to fill out and grow. He's going to add muscle and for a guy like that, stepping in at the trade deadline last year, when he stepped in for that series against Virden, we could argue he was our MVP in that series. He maybe didn't get 14 points, which we know is weighted a little different, but in terms of guys that were crucial for us, that was Will Brophy. Some nights you can play him 16 minutes and you wouldn't hear boo from him, other nights you need him to play 30 and he could do that. He's an all situations guy, incredible person, terrific teammate and couldn't be happier for him to move on. He's going to be closer to home, it's an incredible school for education which was a big deal for him given how smart he is. It's going to be a great fit."
As he transitions from celebrating the graduating players, Bates and company set their sights on their spring camp this weekend and Bates says it'll be a little different given there is no longer an MJHL Draft. "It maybe changes things a little, but it remains to be seen how it'll all shake out over the next couple of years. I'm thinking it's the same process. For us, and I'm kind of assuming here given we haven't been even a full year without a draft, for us it's going to be about fit. We're looking forward to having three age groups coming out where in years past you could only have the draft class, we'd only get the one birth year. To have three and start developing those relationships with players that are 15-years-old, like it used to be, it's going to be huge. We're going to try and find those diamonds in the ruff, it gives you a longer runway to know guys and see how they develop. I think for us, it's more about fit and relationship. For those we kind of identify as potential Flyers down the line, we'll follow them closely."
It's the same every year, there are more players than there are spots available either on a team or in the system of a team and Bates says there are ways for players to stand out beyond being tagged as one of the best players coming into a camp. "I think something that's getting lost these days is guys being that traditional really good teammate. Play extremely hard, dress professional and handle yourself with character, all those little things mean a lot to us. We have an incredible community with tons of great sponsors and there is that part of the game we value a lot. I love when we send the kids an email and there's communication with me and other staff, then they show up, they look the part and they come in and compete. We do our research all year, nothing is based off this camp, but it does give us a chance to talk one-on-one with guys several times throughout the weekend, which we specifically value a ton. It makes a lot more work but it's one of the most important thing, finding good kids with good character and seeing how things work for them. Getting to know guys and finding the best ways to get the most out of them is our goal."
Being around the game for a long time, Bates says his advice is pretty simple. "Play your game, do what makes you successful and stand out. Know your role. It's just a spring camp, we know there is a body of work that leads up and comes after, we don't want guys putting too much pressure on themselves, we want them to have some fun, learn some things this week and we'll go from there."
Spring camp at the Icon Arena starts this weekend, details on Winkler Flyers website.