Springfield, Illinois – Four days, 12 games, 120 players, and countless fans and sponsors. That’s the weekend we just had here at The Nelson Center during our 28th Annual Main Camp. The effort, commitment, and skill level of the players this year was far beyond anything we could have anticipated.
We want to thank everyone for the time and energy that they put into this past weekend. From the players and their parents to our staff and the Jr. Blues Alumni Association, this year’s Main Camp was one for the ages. Our Coaches and Scouts put in countless hours of scouting and preparation for these last few days and are excited for the team that has formed in front of them.
“We’re coming off a very long and rough year without Jr. Blues hockey, and we basically have had to fill an entire roster for this upcoming season,” said Head Coach Tyler Rennette. “We know that other teams have a lot of returning veterans, but we’re building something special here. And the players we have selected are players we believe are going to get us where we want to be come playoff time.”
But it’s not just the skills and abilities of the players during practices and games that have caught the eyes of our coaching staff.
“The players we’ve chosen to build this team around are good representatives of the Jr. Blues,” said Assistant Coach Todd Pococke. “They have the right kind of character, attitude, and respect off the ice and that’s every bit as important to aid in developing the culture we are striving to have here in Springfield.”
2021-22 Jr. Blues Training Camp Roster:
Jared Kaplowitz – D Nashville Jr. Predators
Noah Marino – D Amarillo Bulls
James Callahan – D Benilde St. Margaret’s HS
Mac Gadowsky – D Pittsburgh Pens Elite
Sam Saccone – D Minot Minotauros
Luc Doran – D Vermont Lumberjacks
Andrew Schultz – D Little Caesars U18
Connor Smith – F Totino-Grace HS
Jonathan Panisa – F Springfield Jr. Blues
Zach Bade – F Rosemount HS
Carter Schram – F Meijer 18U
Leo Bacallao – F Chippewa Steel
Mason Hoehn – F Richmond Generals
Noah Holt – F Ohio Blue Jackets
Coby Weber – F Carshield 18U
Joey Dosan – F Steinbach Pistons
Mathieu Belanger – F La Range Ice Wolves
Carson Jones – F North Iowa Bulls
Hayden Riva – F Berkshire School
Dalton Wright – F Northeast Generals
Cole Schneider – F El Paso Rhinos
Ethan Roberts – G Nashville Jr. Predators
Matthew Smith – G Carshield 18U
Players will report to Springfield at the end of August for training camp, and then our regular season gets underway September 10 & 11 up in Janesville, WI against our rivals the Jets. Our first regular season home game at the Nelson Center will be on October 1st against the Minnesota Magicians.
