Wolves Summer Camp a Huge Success

     The Westshore Wolves Summer Camp brought in a lot of new talent that are just getting their foot in the door of the VIJHL, but a lot of young kids made positive first impressions at camp. The Camp fielded a total of 66 skaters and 9 goalies, including a handful of returning Wolves players gearing up for main camp next month. For the Westshore Wolves, the summer camp was a large success, and the future is bright for the young organization.

     Over the course of the three days the camp ran, four teams were assembled, featuring both returning players and newcomers alike. The four teams played against eachother numerous times, featuring some teammates turned against one another, most notably linemates Connor Krupa and Spencer Preece. The Blue team finished the camp with the best record, with the likes of Cory Hatcher and Kyle Richter leading the way with a good supporting cast in Kyle Mace and their three goaltenders: Taylor Findlay, Jordan Spandli and Joe Barton. The Grey Team was unable to find a victory over the weekend, but did display some high end talent with newly signed forward Nick Polomark displaying his physical, big frame. Polomark displayed some Great forechecking, good stickchecking, nice hands in tight. Polomark also moves exceptionally well for a bigger guy. Throughout the camp, Polomark displayed good finish, great positioning and an underrated playmaking ability that made him a standout player for his team. The Grey Team also featured '99 forward Ben Berard, who dazzled the crowd with some nice moves and pretty goals, a great feat for the youngest player in the camp. 


      The other two teams also had standout performances from multiple players, as the Black team had loads of young talent to display. '96 forward Jordan Martin showed great offensive talent, potting the majority of his teams goals throughout the weekend with his smooth hands, shifty moves and quick release. The Black team also featured '97 born players in Parker Ellis and Nick Klein-Beekman who made an impact for their team. Ellis' wheels were in top gear, as he blew around the defence multiple times with his great top-end speed and footspeed, while big, bruising Klein-Beekman was rock-solid on the blue-line while showing off his cannon of a shot and good skating for a larger frame. The Black team may have not enjoyed as much success as the other teams, but they still had a lot of highlights and improvements to take with them moving forward.

     The Gold team finished second behind the Blue team over the weekend, and had '96 forward Jacob Malloch lead the way for the team offensively. Malloch was a beast all weekend; he's big, physical, quick on his feet, has a nice set of hands and most impressive, his cannon of a shot. Malloch scored numerous goals for his team over the weekend, including some lazers from outside the slot that the opposing goaltenders didn't even see. Jaret Malloch also made an impact for his team, showing that he too could throw his weight around and score some goals as well. The veteran presence of Spencer Preece and reigning leading scorer Brett Lervold also propelled the Gold team to some outstanding games throughout the weekend.

     While the main camp is still a month away, the Westshore Wolves displayed some high-end talent at their summer camp. The event was a great opportunity for young talent to get noticed, and also for some of the returning players to get back in shape in time for main camp. With the summer camp officially in the books, it's now time to prepare for the main camp, which judging by the amount of high-end talent at the summer camp, should be nothing short of excellent.

Day One of Wolves Summer Camp In the Books

     The Westshore Wolves kicked off their 2014 summer camp this friday, an event that saw returning players and newcomers take to the ice for the organization to watch as the offseason is in full swing. The camp was divided into four teams, with all four featuring both returning players and newcomers to the team. For the Westshore Wolves, it may only be July, but it feels like hockey season is right around the corner.

     The Black Team featured returning players Jesse Nixon and Justin Gill, along with newcomer from the Campbell River Storm, Braydon Horcoff. Horcoff put up a point-per-game last season in Campbell River, potting five goals while adding twenty-two assists in twenty-seven games after coming over from the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. Horcoff is a shifty two-way forward that isn't particularily physical, but uses his great stick checking to strip his opponents of the puck, it also helps he's got great footspeed, a nifty pair of hands, great top end speed and an accurate shot. Making their mark for the black team was Jordan Martin. The '96 born player has a great offensive touch, potting a collection of goals throughout the day. Martin is exceptional at finding open space in the offensive zone and also features a great shot. Horcoff and Martin were two standout players for their team, but there was a handful of other players on the squad that made a positive impact on the organization on day one.

     The Gold Team featured a lot of young talent that made a splash on day one. Most notably, Jacob Malloch was a beast on day one. He's built like a brick house, throws big hits and has an incredible shot. Malloch scored a handful of pretty goals, most of which were lazers from outside the slot. It's not like Malloch is slow either, he's a freight train once he gets his feet going as well. A pleasant surprise for the Gold Team was Kyle Bell, a built defenceman who had great reaction time, an active stick and threw his weight around effectively throughout the day. It also helped that returning players Brett Lervold and Spencer Preece lit the lamp on a few occasions throughout the night to lead Gold to an undefeated record for the day.

     The Blue Team had some issues with chemistry and puck movement early, but the group seemed to get better as the day went on. Kyle Richter, Cory Hatcher and Clay Carson headline the team as the Wolves' returning players, but the team got lots of production from newcomers as well. Kyle Mace made good impressions for the squad,  he's got a good work ethic, hard on the forecheck and the puck carrier. Mace also keeps his feet moving, possesses a very hard shot, although not the most accurate. Good frame, good build. Team Blue seemed to just get the ball rolling at the end of the day, and will look to keep the momentum building heading into Saturday.

      Lastly, the Grey team contained the most returning players of the four teams, as they fielded all three of Kayle Ramsay, Connor Krupa and Clay Carson throughout the day. However, it was a young gun that stole the show on day one for the Grey Team. '99 born Ben Berard was dynamite for the team throughout the day, as he has exceptional skating along with a sleek pair of hands and a great shot. Berard lit the lamp on the first day, and at just 15, his potential is sky high. Nick Polomark was another bright spot for the Grey squad, the forward was the captain of the provincial championship winning Midget Tier 1 team last year, and he showed his all-around game in the first day. Polomark has size, great hockey IQ, nifty hands and moves very well for a big body. Polomark and Berard combined for the majority of the Grey Team's scoring throughout the first day, and they'll look to continue to produce on Day 2.

     The opening day for the Westshore Wolves' summer camp was a major success; a lot of young talent displayed some serious skills and the returning players looked in tip-top shape. A lot of the younger players still have a lot to prove moving on forward, but many of them have taken the right steps thus far heading into Saturday.