Some of the MSU hockey team’s upperclassmen are feeling like freshmen during the first practices of the season this week.
With new head coach Rick Comley at the helm, every player has the proverbial “clean slate” to work with during training camp. There are no preconceived notions about who is better than whom.
Everyone’s starting over, which should provide a competitive week and a half of practice.
“It’s exciting,” senior forward Troy Ferguson said. “Guys are going to have the opportunity to create some ice time for themselves, or to move up in the lineup, or even to move down if they don’t have good starts.”
Ferguson is one of the players who can boost his stock with a strong camp. After playing on MSU’s second line as a sophomore, Ferguson played mostly on the fourth line last year. He also was a healthy scratch at times.
Amid the uncertainty about his playing time, Ferguson posted career-lows in goals (1) and points (6). This week, he wants to catch the coach’s eye for long enough to earn more ice time.
“I’m a senior now, and I think I can establish some leadership on and off the ice,” Ferguson said. “I’d like to improve my ice time. Everyone wants to play as much as they can, and I definitely feel I can contribute this year. I just hope I have a good start, and the coaches find a place for me.”
Figuring out who will go in which place is dependent on what the coaching staff sees in the next couple weeks, Comley said. While longtime head coach Ron Mason knew what his players were capable of, Comley comes in with little knowledge about what players have done in the past.
“We know who the top nine or 10 forwards are. We know who are top six or seven defensemen are. It’s just where they’re going to fall,” Comley said. “I’ve gotta be on the ice to see who really plays well together. There’s going to be a lot of scrimmages in the next eight to nine days so I can see them play and find out what they can do.”
Comley also has to finalize his roster before the first exhibition game, which means adding a third-string, walk-on goaltender and cutting a skater to get the roster down to 26 players.
Sophomore center Jim Slater doesn’t have to worry about getting cut, but he still plans to “give 110 percent” during training camp. In this summer’s NHL Entry Draft, Slater became MSU’s first first-round draft pick since 1990. He played on the Spartans’ top line last season and hopes to do the same this time around.
“I don’t think I have to establish myself,” said Slater, who scored 11 goals and 21 assists last season. “I’m going to play my game, and if (Comley) likes it, he likes it. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t. We’ll see how it unfolds.”
