CAMP CONTINUES...

Andy Miele

Thunder Bay, Ont.- One week into the 2011-12 Training Camp for the Thunder Bay Timberwolves, and there are some players who's dreams of making this year's club have been taken down a notch, while others are surprising fans, coaches and management with making it through this first week.
>>>First, the cuts...
>>>The players from the NCAA knew their time in Thunder Bay would be limited. Not necessarily because they weren't ready, but because of the "48-hour rule" where in order to maintain their college eligibility they cannot have more than 48 continuous hours in contact with a professional hockey team. Those players include, in order of their prospect ranking... Anders Lee [Notre Dame], Blake Coleman [Miami], Max Gardiner [undeclared], Nico Sacchetti [Minnesota], Erik Haula [Minnesota], Zach Budish [Minnesota], Joe Basaraba [Minnesota-Duluth], Jake Hansen [Minnesota], Justin Jokinen [Minnesota State], Ben Blood [North Dakota], Justin Holl [Minnesota], Scott Mayfield [Denver], Mark Alt [Minnesota], Mike Lee [St. Cloud State] and Dan Dunn [St. Cloud State]. All were re-assigned to their university except for Gardiner who was sent to the USHL's Dubuque Fighting Saints. All were released on Tuesday, but officially released on Day 3 [Wednesday].
>>>Day 5 cuts are initially re-assigned the Timberwolves minor-league affiliate in Duluth, MN [Pups] and evaluated again there. Those cuts include, Justin Mercier, Mike Carman, Jay Barriball, Pat White, Josh Birkholz, Josh Godfrey and Chad Johnson.
>>>Making it through the first week are eight 2011 draftees [Casey Cizikas, Nick Cousins, Andy Miele, Carl Hagelin, Travis Ewanyk, Justin Fontaine, Stuart Percy and Ryan Sproul].
>>>Camp continues through October 15th, and culminating with the team tradition of running to the top of Mount McKay.