Spits open training camp

By Ashley Davidson

Windsor Spitfires looking to improve

The Windsor Spitfires opened training camp Monday, and several veterans on the team are hoping a productive summer will pay dividends this season.

The Spitfires ended last season losing four straight games against the London Knights in the playoffs. The Spits qualified for the playoffs with a home-ice victory over the Knights late in the regular season. Since then, players have been training in preparation for this year.

Last year was the beginning of a rebuild for a Spitfires club that won back-to-back Memorial Cups in 2009 and 2010. With a young core, the Spits are looking to play harder and go further than last year, using what they learned from last season to improve.

Adam Bateman was a rookie defenseman last year who also played in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He admitted his first year in the league wasn’t his best, but he is expecting to be better.

“My expectations are always pretty high,” said Bateman. “I feel I’ve had a pretty good summer so I’m expected to do pretty well in this training camp, especially now that I’ve already gone through the process. I should have some more experience going through.”

Bateman isn’t the only one with high expectations. Five of the Windsor Spitfires were drafted in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and Bateman says the rest of the team is looking to learn from those players throughout training camp.

“Everybody wants to be drafted, everybody wants to be that guy,” said Bateman. “So everybody is looking up to them and asking them questions, asking how training camp was for them. Because it takes a lot of hard work and then to see someone actually make it, we really look up to those players.”

Among the drafted players is Spitfires veteran, Brady Vail. He was drafted 94th overall by the Montreal Canadiens. He said he is hoping to be a leader on the team this season and in camp.

“I’m just bringing my experience from Montreal (rookie camp) and kind of bringing that level of intensity and work ethic to this team and just showing the younger guys what it takes to be successful in this game,” said Vail. “You go as hard as you can, you always want to come in first so you just push yourself and you go until you cant go anymore and that’s really the main thing and that’s really what everyone tries to do.”

Rather than just talking the talk, Vail said he hopes to lead by example with the young players.

“You show the players what it takes on the ice, how hard you need to work and even in practice how you need to pay attention to the little details,” said Vail. “When they see it, they want to do it and everyone follows along.”

Another veteran player, Nick Ebert was drafted in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, although not in the second round as was predicted a year ago. Ebert was chosen in the last pick by the 2012 Stanley Cup Champions, the LA Kings.

“It was a little bit of a shock to me, I thought I was going to go a little bit higher,” said Ebert. “At the end of the day it’s the same thing whether you’re drafted second round or seventh round, you’re going to get the same opportunities and as long you go to camp and try to make the most out of it and try to turn some heads.”

Ebert said this is the first time he’s come to training camp feeling prepared. Due in part to the work in the off-season, and also due to the draft.

“The draft was motivation to say the least. Hearing your name be spoken of very highly and then you go that late it’s a little bit of a wake up call,” said Ebert. “I’m very confident of my abilities still no matter where I was drafted and just make the most of it.”

The Spitfires training camp is open to the public and will continue throughout the rest of this week, culminating with their annual Blue-White scrimmage game Thursday.