Lucas Punkari
Fort Frances Lakers’ forwards Ryan Wildman and Jordan Larson had quite a busy week prior to suiting up for their SIJHL regular-season opener Friday night here against the Thunder Bay North Starts.
After playing in a pair of pre-season games against the Sioux Lookout Flyers, the pair flew to Canmore, Alta. a week ago Sunday to participate in the Canada West evaluation camp for the 2011 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge, which takes place Nov. 7-13 in Langley, B.C.
Both competed in two inter-squad contests during the camp, along with taking part in a number of practice sessions, before heading back to Fort Frances last Thursday evening to get ready for the start of the SIJHL campaign.
“It was great to go out there and to just be able to compare yourself to the best players in Western Canada,” said Wildman, an 18-year-old forward from Timmins.
“It was a really neat experience and I was able to learn a lot from the coaches there,” he added.
“The whole camp was just unreal,” enthused Larson, a 16-year-old forward from Fort Frances.
“Just being in Alberta was really cool, and the hockey was really good and fast-paced during the entire week,” he noted.
While taking part in the camp, both Larson and Wildman came away with a few different things from the experience.
“The pace of the game there was just completely different,” Larson remarked. “It was way faster out there than what it is out here, and you just have to make sure that you can keep up to that pace.”
“For me, the biggest lesson that I learned while I was there was the fact that it’s not the most skilled player or team that is going to win, it’s the ones that are the hardest-working,” stressed Wildman.
“You might be projected to be a highly-skilled player but that doesn’t mean you are just going to out there and win championships,” he reasoned.
“So you just have to go in the corners and cycle the puck down low.”
Wildman felt he had a good performance during the camp, and also found the back of the net during one of the scrimmages.
“I didn’t get credit for it on the scoresheet but everyone knew that I got it,” he smiled.
“I thought that I was able to fit right in there during the camp, and the staff there said that they liked my work ethic and that I left a good impression on them.”
As for Larson, he was able to register a goal and an assist during his two games at the camp, and also felt he had a good showing there.
“The first day of practice was just about getting used to the speed for me,” he recalled.
“And on the second day when we had the first game, it was a little different for me as I had only played two junior games at that point, and after that I felt right in place,” he added.
Although they’ll have to wait and see if they are invited to the main camp for Canada West in October, both feel having the experience of attending the evolution camp will help them as they progress through the SIJHL season.
“For me, I think the biggest thing was that it helped me to get used to that junior speed,” said Larson, who netted three goals for the Lakers on the opening weekend of the SIJHL season.
“Now instead of trying to get used to things out there, I’ve already had that experience and I think it’s helped me a lot, especially in my first couple of games,” he noted.
“For me, it’s just going to be about playing at that high tempo and just bringing everything over here,” echoed Wildman, who has one assist so far in the SIJHL season.
“You need to make sure, as well, that you are on your ‘A’ game every night because there a lot of good players that are in this league,” he stressed.
If Wildman and/or Larson make the final Canada West roster, it will mark the second-straight season that a member of the Lakers has been part of the tournament.
Goalie Jameson Shortreed of Emo made the squad a year ago.
