Hitting the Ice at Camp Watchamacallit

Yesterday some of the Canes hit the ice for the beginning of informal skates known colloquially as Camp Brind’Amour. Twitter was all, well atwitter, about it still being called Camp Brind’Amour and how that is not ok since Roddy is now an NHL coach. The name isn’t formal. It’s a nickname and was not generated by the organization. I see no harm in the reference unless it is used officially by the Hurricanes organization. This topic seems to make grown people act nutty telling each other not to use the term, and debating other terms that need to be used instead. There can be no hint of an official team practice with the powers that be or the Canes will be in trouble. It’s not an official practice. It has never been an official practice. Just in case, I have begun to refer to it on the Twitter as Camp Brind’Arosey. Alternative names are Camp Rose’Amour and Skating with Pete. How about Camp Rock? How about I get back the minutes of my life I wasted today on this topic?

Present today at Camp Voldemort (Well you said I couldn’t say the other name) was the unofficial leader of the unofficial camp, right-winger Chad LaRose. He led guys in drills and was joined on the ice by Zac Dalpe, Jiri Tlusty, Jon Matsumoto, Patrick Dwyer, Justin Faulk, and Jamie McBain. Anthony Stewart reportedly showed up after the non-practice was over but will be participating tomorrow. Camtastic veteran goalie Cam Ward laced up his skates too as did Canes newcomer Brian Boucher. I am thrilled that Boucher showed up and am really anxious to hear what the netminder chemistry was like. Initial reports from the News and Observer’s Chip Alexander on Twitter indicated Wardo and Boosh have revealed information about themselves that could be chirp inducing. Ward is a Yankees fan. Boucher is a Red Sox fan. I think they both need a talking to concerning their baseball allegiances. But that is neither here nor there. The informal, unofficial workouts are taking place at the former RecZone which has been remodeled and reopened as Raleigh Center Ice. Those of you who are are lucky enough not to be trapped in an office can drop by this week and watch the guys from 10am-noon.

Camp Brind’Arosey usually continues until the official Hurricanes training camp begins. The organization released the official schedule today with the players set for physicals on September 16th. That ought to give winger Patty Dwyer (@pattydwyer39) time to burn off that Five Guys Burger and Fries he tweeted about on Saturday. Official practices begin on Saturday the 17th at 8:30am.

Everyone is very excited to have a chance to check out the guys old and new on the ice. There has been fervor all summer about guys skating and working out more, going to train with nutrition and hockey fitness guru Gary Roberts or skating with fellow players in their hometowns. That is quite a change from a Darren Dreger TSN article I came across from 2008 where Jim Rutherford demanded changes in the training schedule to keep guys from getting injured. Are they using whatever techniques he asked trainer Pete Friessen to come up with in 2008 or are we still training the old way? I thought it was a bit ironic since Brind’Amour, lauded for his devotion to fitness and the namesake of the unofficial workouts, was also mentioned as one of the oft-injured players. I plan to dig a little more on this topic.

In the meantime I will be checking Twitter regularly for updates from Camp Whatchamacallit. I am also thinking of signing up for a summer camp I found online, Le Rosey Summer Camp. Sure it’s for kids and it’s in Switzerland. But at least no one is arguing over what to call it.

Attending Camp {insert name here}? Leave us your observations about the skaters, Raleigh Center Ice or Justin Faulk’s flow in the comments!

Thanks for reading! Remember you can follow Cardiac Cane on Twitter: @CardiacCaneFS, @Esbee92 & @Caniac176 and on Facebook.