How will the team adjust to a new coach, and vice versa?
For the first time in the Checkers’ AHL existence, there will be a new face behind the bench. Mark Morris and his impressive resume were brought on during the offseason, and Tuesday’s training-camp-opening practice marked the first instance of him leading and addressing his team.“It felt good to be on the ice,” said Morris after Tuesday’s practice at Extreme Ice Center. “We’ve been waiting for a long time to get some semblance of what our team will look like. I think these guys are getting a feel for me and what my shtick is. I’m doing my best to get everybody on the same page.”
Morris served as the head coach of Carolina’s prospect team at the Traverse City tournament earlier in the offseason, so some of the younger players have had a small amount of exposure to a Morris-run practice. But for the majority it was their first taste, and the feedback seemed positive.
“On the first day it always takes some getting used to,” said Danny Biega. “New guys, new faces, new coach. I thought it was a pretty good tempo and I thought the guys did a good job and worked hard. It’s good to be back on the ice here.”
As has been the case in years past, the organization’s goal is to have Morris run the same systems in Charlotte that Hurricanes’ head coach Bill Peters has implemented in Raleigh. While it marks a change for Morris, there is a definite benefit to mirroring the NHL club, and he seems to be ready to embrace it.
“[Peters] is kind of on the cutting edge of where hockey is going and so I’m getting up to speed with what the Red Wings and the Blackhawks have done and some Hockey Canada things,” said Morris. “I’m a guy that likes to learn the game and add to my repertoire, so that’s been exciting. To see it in action and to be a fly on the wall there during training camp, and also getting to coach the prospects games, gave me a taste of what he wants to see. It’s a lot of skating and a lot of offense and I think we can add that defensive component. If you play solid D you’re going to get some chances offensively and that’ll play right into Bill’s game.”
It’s just one practice into a long stretch of camp before the team’s season-opening road trip, but the first impressions Morris made have made an impact and the players have taken notice.
“The scouting report on him was that he runs hard, short practices,” said Kyle Hagel. “And today, for the first day of training camp, it was just a little bit over an hour. There was a very good pace to it, guys were definitely sweating and the tempo was high. If that’s going to carry through the end of the season, I think that that’s what we need in order to be a great team.”
Who will win the number two goalie spot?
When Drew MacIntyre inked a new contract early this offseason, it secured that the Checkers’ crease would again feature a solid veteran presence. MacIntyre shouldered a large bulk of the workload last season, finishing in the top five in the AHL in games played and saves, and should once again carry most of the goaltending duties for Charlotte (barring any injuries up top). With the starter job essentially locked up, the focus during training camp will be deciding which of the three other netminders will serve as the number two goalie.Rasmus Tirronen and Daniel Altshuller have the inside track, as both are signed to entry-level NHL deals. Offseason addition Anthony Peters, brother of former Checker Justin Peters, is on a two-way AHL contract, making him the most likely to wind up in the ECHL. Still, all three will be under the microscope throughout camp.
“I think the most important thing is just them stopping the puck,” said Morris. “It may take a couple of days to start to see some patterns develop and see who’s successful and where the rebounds are, if they can play the puck.”
Juggling four goalies in a practice can be tough, but Morris is determined to make sure they are given the opportunity to show their worth.
“We wanted to get the goalies a lot of shots and we did that,” said Morris. “It’s hard when you have three or four goalies to get them enough work, so a lot of the drills at the start of practice were designed for them to see as much rubber as possible.”
Former ECHL Checkers coach Derek Wilkinson, who currently works in the team’s front office, was on the ice before practice working with the goalies, and will have a hand in how the decisions pan out.
“Wilkinson is going to bring some of the things that [Carolina goalie coach] Dave Marcoux wants to see from up top,” said Morris. “I’ll be confiding in him as well, he has a lot of experience in that area. So as a group we’ll be able to sort out who our guys are going to be that stick here in Charlotte.”
Will the lack of exhibition games matter?
In the past, the Checkers have usually played in a preseason exhibition game before kicking off their slate of games. This year is different, however, as there aren’t any. The Checkers will go through a string of practices before embarking on their season-opening road trip.But the lack of preseason games is, in the end, not an issue, given that the vast majority of these players saw significant ice time between the Traverse City tournament, scrimmages at Hurricanes camp and NHL preseason games.
That being said, these practices are extremely important in getting the team prepared.
“Guys are just going to have to keep the tempo high and keep the motivation there so when the first game does happen, guys are ready to go and we can get on it right away,” said Biega.
With a month-long road swing looming at the start of the campaign, more seasoned players like Hagel are very aware that the team has to be prepared for games and can’t afford to start slow again. Monday’s high-tempo practice was a solid ramp up to that.
“Guys were passing the puck hard and competing hard in those battle-type situations that we had,” said Hagel. “I feel like the energy is directed in the right way this year. We know that we have to have a resurgent year where we play well and win early. A big focus is going to be coming out of the gates hot for that first month where we’re on the road.”
While exhibition games are arguably the most ideal to get your team ready for the regular season, Morris knows the aspects he needs to focus on through these practices in order to put the best product out on the ice.
“We’ve got to compete every day at practice,” said Morris. “We had some battle drills today to try and expose some guys through one-on-one type of situations. Hopefully a lot of these guys have done their work in the summer, and now it’s time to put the X’s and O’s and the details in our game to try and make sure that we’re playing well as groups of five when we hit the ice.”
