Here are some behind-the-scenes photos from this morning's fitness testing and player headshots.
Players were up early this morning, and jumped on a 6:30 a.m. bus to Islanders Iceworks, where they did physical evaluations and headshots. Everyone did baseline psychological examinations and fitness testing, which included a vertical leap, chin ups and a “chest pass” exercise where the players threw a five-pound ball from a seated position.
After a meal and a couple hours of testing for each individual, the players hit the ice for even more testing, including acceleration and endurance exercises.
Check back this afternoon for photos from day one, as well as a story about some of the players attending their first pro camp, including Brock Nelson, Kirill Kabanov and Johan Sundstrom.
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| Defenseman Ty Wishart and forward Matt Watkins chat after checking in at the team hotel Thursday |
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers open Training Camp Friday morning, meaning Thursday was check-in day at the team hotel. Players arrived throughout the day, bags in hand, and their equipment was taken to Iceworks in preparation for Friday.
VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY OF PLAYERS CHECKING IN
The Islanders announced today that Saturday’s 10 a.m. practice will be open to the public. Sound Tigers forwards Casey Cizikas and David Ullstrom will sign autographs and take pictures afterward. CLICK HERE for more information.
The Sound Tigers also released their Training Camp roster today. They will break camp with 16 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders. CLICK HERE to view the training camp roster.
On Friday, players will do physicals, take headshots and do a skating test at Iceworks. Check this space for updates throughout Sound Tigers Training Camp.
Bridgeport Sound Tigers 2012 Training Camp Roster
| FORWARDS (16) | |||||||||||
| NO. | NAME | POS | HT | WT | SHOOTS | BIRTHDATE | 2011-12 (LEAGUE) |
G | A | P | PIM |
| 16 | Backman, Sean | RW | 5'9 | 172 | R | 4/29/86 | Bridgeport (AHL) |
7 | 11 | 18 | 20 |
| 11 | Cizikas, Casey | C | 5'10 | 192 | L | 2/27/91 | Bridgeport (AHL) |
15 | 30 | 45 | 30 |
| 72 | Clark, Jason | C | 6'2 | 195 | L | 2/27/92 | Wisconsin (WCHA) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 42 | DeFazio, Brandon | LW | 6'1 | 200 | L | 9/13/88 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) | 11 | 5 | 16 | 104 |
| 44 | Gallant, Brett | LW | 6'0 | 185 | L | 12/28/88 | Bridgeport (AHL) | 2 | 1 | 3 | 80 |
| 40 | Halmo, Mike | LW | 5'11 | 192 | L | 5/15/91 | Owen Sound (OHL) | 40 | 45 | 85 | 162 |
| 77 | Kabanov, Kirill | LW | 6'2 | 194 | R | 7/16/92 | Shawinigan (QMJHL) | 21 | 34 | 55 | 42 |
| 17 | Mackay, Max | RW | 6'1 | 194 | R | 1/17/91 | Walpole (AtJHL) | 25 | 37 | 62 | |
| 13 | McDonald, Colin | RW | 6'2 | 205 | R | 9/30/84 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) | 14 | 35 | 49 | 41 |
| 29 | Nelson, Brock | C | 6'3 | 205 | L | 10/15/91 | North Dakota (WCHA) | 28 | 19 | 47 | 4 |
| 22 | Niederreiter, Nino | RW | 6'2 | 205 | R | 9/8/92 | NY ISLANDERS (NHL) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| 23 | Persson, John | LW | 6'2 | 210 | A | 5/18/92 | Red Deer (WHL) | 23 | 35 | 58 | 56 |
| 20 | Riley, Blair | RW | 6'0 | 210 | R | 11/1/85 | Bridgeport (AHL) | 7 | 4 | 11 | 77 |
| 28 | Sundstrom, Johan | C | 6'2 | 196 | R | 9/21/92 | Frolunda (SEL) | 6 | 5 | 11 | 8 |
| 24 | Ullstrom, David | LW | 6'2 | 195 | L | 4/22/89 | Bridgeport (AHL) | 24 | 6 | 30 | 22 |
| 14 | Watkins, Matt | RW | 5'10 | 180 | L | 11/22/86 | Portland (AHL) | 11 | 25 | 36 | 48 |
| DEFENSEMEN (8) | |||||||||||
| NO. | NAME | POS | HT | WT | SHOOTS | BORN | 2011-12 TEAM (LEAGUE) |
G | A | P | PIM |
| 15 | Cantin, Marc | D | 6'1 | 200 | L | 3/27/90 | Providence (AHL) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| 12 | de Haan, Calvin | D | 6'1 | 195 | L | 5/9/91 | Bridgeport (AHL) | 2 | 14 | 16 | 24 |
| 46 | Donovan, Matt | D | 6'1 | 209 | L | 5/9/90 | Bridgeport (AHL) | 10 | 35 | 45 | 63 |
| 3 | Hamonic, Travis | D | 6'2 | 203 | R | 8/16/90 | NY ISLANDERS (NHL) | 2 | 22 | 24 | 73 |
| 7 | Landry, Jon | D | 6'3 | 210 | L | 5/1/83 | Bridgeport (AHL) | 2 | 18 | 20 | 27 |
| 8 | McIver, Nathan | D | 6'3 | 205 | L | 1/6/85 | Providence (AHL) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 68 |
| 27 | Ness, Aaron | D | 5'11 | 184 | L | 5/18/90 | Bridgeport (AHL) | 5 | 22 | 27 | 36 |
| 6 | Wishart, Ty | D | 6'4 | 218 | L | 5/19/88 | Bridgeport (AHL) | 5 | 14 | 19 | 32 |
| GOALTENDERS (3) | |||||||||||
| NO. | NAME | POS | HT | WT | CATCHES | BORN | 2011-12 TEAM (LEAGUE) |
GP | W-L-T | GAA | SV% |
| 45 | Nilsson, Anders | G | 6'5 | 220 | L | 3/19/90 | Bridgeport (AHL) | 25 | 15-8-2 | 2.42 | .921 |
| 38 | Poulin, Kevin | G | 6'2 | 211 | L | 4/12/90 | Bridgeport (AHL) | 49 | 26-18-4 | 2.79 | .912 |
| 30 | Reiter, Ken | G | 5'11 | 170 | L | 11/24/86 | Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA) | 38 | 23-9-6 | 2.43 | .911 |
VIEW FULL ROSTER WITH HEADSHOTS
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders top minor league affiliate, open Training Camp this weekend and will hold their first on-ice workout this Saturday, Sept. 29, from 10-11:30 a.m. at Islanders Iceworks in Syosset.
Practice is open to the public and the first 250 fans in attendance are guaranteed admission. At the completion of the players’ day, fans will have the chance to meet Sound Tigers forwards Casey Cizikas and David Ullstrom. Both will sign autographs and pose for photos.
Team Canada beat the Russians 4-2 in Game 4 Tuesday evening. With the win, Canada tied the series at 2-2, forcing a 20-minute sudden death overtime following regulation.
Canada had a 20-8 edge in shots during the first period, but Russia's Andrei Sigarev led off the scoring at 14:23 of the opening frame. Less than two minutes later, the Canadians evened up the score on Lucas Lessio's tally. Jonathan Huberdeau and Strome assisted on Lessio's goal.
The Russians took another lead four minutes into the second on Albert Yarulin's power play marker. Once again, Canada countered, as Ty Rattie scored the tying and go-ahead goals midway through the period, giving Canada a 3-2 advantage going into the third stanza.
Jonathan Huberdeau gave the Canadians an insurance goal at 14:02 of the third, and Canada skated to a 4-2 victory.
With the series tied 2-2, the teams played a 20-minute overtime to decide a series winner. Strome fired a shot past Andrei Vasilevski at 4:02 of the extra period to clinch the series for Team Canada.
The 2012 Canada-Russia Challenge was played to mark the 40-year anniversary 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union, in which Canada went 4-3-1 during the eight-game tournament. The 2012 exhibition started last week in Yaroslavl, RUS, also paying tribute to the players, coaches and staff of the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv hockey team who perished in a plane crash last September.
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
14:23 RUS 12 Andrei Sigarev (23 Sergei Shmelev)
16:05 CAN 38 Lucas Lessio (11 Jonathan Huberdeau, 18 Ryan Strome)
2nd Period:
04:02 RUS 5 Albert Yarullin (9 Nikita Nesterov, 21 Kirill Kapustin) PP
09:51 CAN 26 Ty Rattie (19 Mark Scheifele, 24 Ryan Murphy) PP
12:47 CAN 26 Ty Rattie (11 Jonathan Huberdeau, 19 Mark Scheifele) PP
3rd Period:
14:02 CAN 11 Jonathan Huberdeau (19 Mark Scheifele, 26 Ty Rattie) PP
Overtime:
04:02 CAN 18 Ryan Strome
GAME 4 BOX SCORE | WATCH GAME 4 HIGHLIGHTS | WATCH STROME POSTGAME | GAME 3: RUS 6, CAN 5 | CANADA-RUSSIA CHALLENGE BLOG
Forwards:
Jonathan Huberdeau - Ryan Strome - Lucas Lessio
Sean Monahan - Mark Scheifele - Ty Rattie
Phil Di Giuseppe - Phillip Danault - Charles Hudon
Hunter Shinkaruk - Boone Jenner - Tom Wilson
Defense:
Xavier Ouellet - Scott Harrington
Adam Pelech - Matt Dumba
Morgan Rielly - Dougie Hamilton
Ryan Murray - Ryan Murphy
Goalie:
Malcolm Subban
Maxime Lagace
Unlike in Games 1 and 2, both teams lit the lamp often in the first period. Andrei Sigarev got things going for Russia with a goal at 1:43 of the opening frame. Less than five minutes later, Vladimir Tkachev made it 2-0 on his first tally of the series. Islanders prospect Andrey Pedan earned an assist on the play.
The Canadians battled back, with Ryan Murphy scoring a power play goal at 8:49. Toward the end of the opening period, Ryan Murray followed up his own rebound for his first goal of the tournament, tying the score at 2-2.
Just seven seconds later, Russia went to the power play, and capitalized on the opportunity. Mikhail Naumenkov scored on the man advantage with just over a minute remaining, giving Russia a 3-2 lead heading into the first intermission.
The pace didn't slow down the rest of the night. The Russians were short handed early in the middle frame when Anton Zlobin beat Canada goaltender Laurent Broissoit to make it 4-2. The Canadians countered one minute later, when Islanders prospect Ryan Strome set up Sean Monahan for his second goal of the series. Strome now has two points (one goal, one assist) in the last two games.
Charles Hudon scored for Canada later in the period, and the teams went to the dressing room tied at 4-4.
But Russia went up 5-4 just one minute into the third stanza on Anton Slepyshev's goal. Canada tied it up again at 5-5 on Jonathan Huberdeau's power play marker at 5:43.
Russia took the lead for the fourth and final time on Sigarev's second goal of the game at 13:37. Albert Yarulin got the assist, and Russia held on to the 6-5 lead for the rest of the night, despite several chances for Canada to tie the contest.
The teams will stay in Halifax for the fourth and final game of the Canada-Russia Challenge on Tuesday, Aug. 14 at 7:00 ET.
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
01:43 RUS 12 Andrei Sigarev (15 Sergei Tverdokhlebov)
06:16 RUS 14 Vladimir Tkachev (16 Daniil Romantsev, 2 Andrey Pedan)
08:49 CAN 24 Ryan Murphy (27 Ryan Murray, 19 Mark Scheifele) PP
17:13 CAN 27 Ryan Murray
18:46 RUS 6 Mikhail Naumenkov (3 Artyom Sergeyev, 10 Nail Yakupov) PP
2nd Period:
04:09 RUS 17 Anton Zlobin (10 Nail Yakupov) SH
05:12 CAN 20 Sean Monahan (18 Ryan Strome)
13:01 CAN 10 Charles Hudon (5 Morgan Rielly, 20 Sean Monahan) PP
3rd Period:
01:01 RUS 11 Anton Slepyshev (7 Nikolai Prokhorkin, 21 Kirill Kapustin) PP
05:43 CAN 11 Jonathan Huberdeau (5 Morgan Rielly, 24 Ryan Murphy) PP
13:37 RUS 12 Andrei Sigarev (5 Albert Yarullin)
Notes: TSN's John Bartlett reported via Twitter that Griffin Reinhart suffered a stinger in his shoulder. Reinhart did not dress for Game 3.
GAME 3 BOX SCORE | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS | GAME 2: RUSSIA 6, CANADA 3 | CANADA-RUSSIA CHALLENGE BLOG
Team Russia rebounded from a Game 1 loss, scoring three times in the second period, and three more in the third, taking Game 2 by a 6-3 margin in Yaroslavl.
The big highlight of the scoreless first period came at 14:10, when Canada forward Mark Scheifele took a five-minute major for kneeing and a game misconduct. Canada killed off the ensuing power play but played a man down the rest of the contest.
As in Game 1, the scoring opened up in the second period. Russia's Anton Zlobin scored a power play marker just 38 seconds into the middle frame. Three minutes later, Kirill Kapustin extended Russia's lead to 2-0 with an unassisted tally on the man advantage.
Canada countered less than three minutes later, when Ty Rattie converted a feed from Sean Monahan, making the score 2-1.
Kapustin gave Russia 3-1 lead later in the period with a shorthanded tally. Anton Slepyshev assisted on the goal.
The Canadians started a comeback seven minutes into the third period, when Morgan Rielly redirected Lukas Sutter's shot past Russian netminder Andrei Makarov. But just two minutes later, Russia countered on Maxim Shalunov's first goal of the series. Yaroslav Kosov picked up the lone assist.
Down three goals late in the game, Canada continued to battle, and Islanders prospect Ryan Strome scored his first goal of the tournament at 15:54, on an assist from Rattie.
With two minutes remaining, Shalunov put the game out of reach with an unassisted empty-net goal.
The rest of the series switches back to Canada, with Game 3 scheduled Monday, Aug. 13 at 7:00 p.m. at Halifax Metro Centre in Halifax, NS.
Scoring Summary:
1st period:
No scoring
2nd period:
00:38 RUS 17 Anton Zlobin (12 Andrei Sigarev) PP
03:43 RUS 21 Kirill Kapustin PP
06:21 CAN 26 Ty Rattie (20 Sean Monahan)
13:51 RUS 21 Kirill Kapustin (11 Anton Slepyshev) SH
3rd period:
06:55 CAN 5 Morgan Rielly (23 Lukas Sutter)
09:03 RUS 8 Maxim Shalunov (18 Yaroslav Kosov)
15:02 RUS 21 Kirill Kapustin (9 Nikita Nesterov)
15:54 CAN 18 Ryan Strome (26 Ty Rattie)
17:56 RUS 8 Maxim Shalunov EN
GAME 2 SUMMARY | GAME 1: CANADA 3, RUSSIA 2 | CANADA-RUSSIA BLOG
Forwards:
Phil Di Giuseppe - Mark Scheifele - Ty Rattie
Lucas Lessio - Ryan Strome - Hunter Shinkaruk
Sean Monahan - Phillip Danault - Charles Hudon
Kevin Roy/Brendan Leipsic - Lukas Sutter - Tom Wilson
Defense:
Morgan Rielly - Scott Harrington
Xavier Ouellet - Dougie Hamilton
Adam Pelech - Ryan Murphy/Cody Ceci
Goalie:
Maxime Legace
Laurent Brossoit
