When it comes to Ottawa Senators development camps, it doesn’t take long for a newbie to become a veteran.
Take, for instance, Drake Batherson, no longer in awe of the environment, no longer afraid of making the wrong step around the veterans.
After his stellar rookie professional season in 2018-19 — 22 goals and 40 assists in 59 games with Belleville of the AHL, along with three goals and six assists in his first 20 NHL games with the Senators — he has become a role model of sorts for the latest round of prospects.
“You just know what to expect,” Batherson, 21, said before taking the ice in Thursday’s scrimmage at the Kanata Recreation Complex. “It’s my third year here and as one of the older guys, I’m leading by example, I guess.”
For players such as Batherson, Rudolfs Balcers and Logan Brown, this week is about showing what a professional is all about. It’s also the first stage in a lengthy summer/fall process they all hope will land them a spot in the Senators lineup at the end of training camp.
“It’s just the experience,” Batherson said of what he gained from the 2018-19 season. “Pro hockey is a big jump from junior and there’s a change that comes with living on your own. Getting a taste of the NHL level was great.
“This time (at development camp), I’m not nervous, passing off to the older guys and stuff like that.”
It’s also the kick-start to a summer training program that includes skating with Sidney Crosby, Nate MacKinnon and Brad Marchand.
“When you go into every summer, you’re looking forward to the start of the season. You are checking boxes in what you have to do in order to prepare for that (next) season.
“I get to train with some elite players. We’ve got quite the group there. When you’re going against them in one-on-ones — they are the fastest guys in the NHL — it helped me out a lot last summer.”
Alex Formenton, meanwhile, is on a quest to skip the AHL stage altogether before establishing himself in the NHL.
Like Batherson, the speedy winger is in his third development camp and he also recognizes the importance of making himself a presence in the eyes of management and the coaching staff as soon as possible.
“I wouldn’t say it gets easier, because each year you want to work your hardest and develop as much as you can coming into these camps,” said Formenton, 19, who shook off the disappointment of the injury that kept him out of Canada’s world junior lineup to score 13 goals and 21 assists in 31 games with the OHL’s London Knights last season.
“It’s the first step towards the start up (of training camp) in September and I want to make this team for the full year. It starts now.”
If anyone knows the value of working hard in development camp, it’s pesky winger Parker Kelly.
Originally undrafted into the NHL, he showed enough during a series of camps in 2017 — from development camp to rookie camp to the main camp — to earn himself an entry level contract before returning to Prince Albert of the WHL.
Last summer, Kelly and Brady Tkachuk were named co-winners of the Jonathan Pitre Award, awarded to the hardest worker at development camp.
He went on to score 35 goals and 32 assists in 64 regular games with Prince Albert. Kelly scored eight goals and nine assists in 23 playoff games as Prince Albert won the WHL title and advanced to the Memorial Cup.
“I work hard every night,” said Kelly, who is likely headed to Belleville to start the 2019-20 season. “I didn’t think I would have a chance to win that award. Hopefully, I can get it again. It’s definitely a big motivation for me and it’s great that people are noticing my hard work.”
This year’s honour will be presented Friday. At that point, the Senators will also reduce the roster to between 15-20 players for Saturday’s camp-concluding 3-on-3 tournament at the Bell Sensplex.
Twitter: @Citizenwarren
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