Dylan Smith was supposed to be the guy everyone was measured against at the Estevan Bruins' annual spring camp this past week.
Friday on his post-game penalty shot, Smith looked like he was the one who could use some pointers.
"I could probably use some," said a laughing Smith, the Bruins' leading scorer in 2009-10. "I haven't been doing too well on the breakaways and shootouts so far but hopefully I can get some goals before the end of the camp."
Smith, who didn't score a shootout goal all season, deked twice and appeared to have a sure goal but shot the puck wide of the net.
The result drew laughter from most of those on the ice, who had just watched Smith guarantee Bruins head coach/general manager Karry Biette a goal on the play.
"I had one move and I thought I had him I just missed the net," said Smith. "I don't know what's going on. Maybe tomorrow I'll try something new, something a little fancier."
When it came down to more serious business, however, Smith and fellow 1992-born Bruins teammate Michael Hengen -brought in by Biette to help him better gauge the progress of the team's prospects - did exactly what they were supposed to do.
Smith (Team Black) and Hengen (Team White) elevated the play of their teammates, and their respective lines were hands down among the best in the tournament.
Another of the Bruins' '92s, Justin Waskewitch, injured his groin in a tournament the previous weekend and did not attend camp as scheduled.
Spring camp ran Friday through Sunday at the Civic Auditorium.
"One of the big reasons Smitty and Hengen were in the camp was to help us recruit some of these '92s that may have other options," said Biette. "You don't have a better recruiter than one of your players. Having those guys in the stands, maybe there becomes a connection. But there's definitely a connection when you're suiting up with a guy and listening to him talk all weekend.
"It was definitely kind of a tactic of mine to make sure I had a couple of players in the lineup that could talk to some of these guys on a one-to-one basis and hopefully it works."
The Bruins brought 52 forwards (out of 78 total players) to camp and it was the offence that shone through most of the weekend.
Team Gold's line of Austin Daae (93), Ben Johnstone (93), and Ryan Ostertag (92) contributed all four goals, including a Johnstone hat trick, in a 4-0 win Saturday over White. Ostertag, who suited up with the Bruins for a handful of games at the end of the season, also scored on a beautiful backhand effort in Friday's four-on-four scrimmage.
Team Red's Manitoba duo of Bryn Chyzyk and Cole Olson drew rave reviews for their play, as did Smith's linemates Josh Jelinski and Spencer Mault. Smith, Jelinski, and Mault combined to score four goals of Black's six goals Saturday against Red.
"I thought it was very good," Biette said of the camp. "I thought back to my first spring camp with the likes of [Chad] Filteau, and [Tyler] Murray, and [Davis] Brown and I definitely thought it compared with that, if not better."
