Watch above: The veterans will lace up next week but right now it’s all about the “young stars.” Players like 16-year-old Alaskan Cam Hausinger are battling it out to make a lasting impression at Saskatoon Blades training camp.
SASKATOON – The Saskatoon Blades have hit the ice for their 2015 training camp. Right winger Cameron Hausinger is back with an intense brand of hockey that helped him stand out at last year’s camp.
“I’m just trying to bring the competitiveness out here. I mean, a lot of guys play better when it’s really competitive, so I’m just trying to bring out the best in the guys,” said Hausinger.
The 16-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska plays hard-nosed hockey, a quality that Blades head coach and general manager Bob Woods wants to inject into his team this season.
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“I just like that he’s got skill and he plays with a lot of grit and he’s just got a lot of tenacity. He’s got that Blade factor that we love to talk about and every time he’s on the ice, he’s giving you everything he’s got,” said Woods.
Hausinger has options this season. He could play for the Blades or the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
But Hausinger knows that whichever team he plays for, he has to earn his spot.
“I think that the Blades right now are the biggest bet and I’m not focused on that real much. I’m just focused on making the team … we’ll see where it goes after camp,” said Hausinger.
“He wants to be a Blade and we want him to be a Blade. He’s a very exciting player to get him and his calibre in the seventh round was a steal … if he keeps doing the things he’s doing, he’ll have a very good chance of doing that,” said Woods.
Training camp concludes with the team’s annual “blue/white” game at 7 p.m. on Sept. 4 at SaskTel Centre. The Blades play their first pre-season game on Sept. 6 in Edmonton against the Oil Kings.
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