Coyotes close prospect camp with game-like scrimmage
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Coyotes will wrap up Prospect Development Camp at 7 p.m. Friday with an intrasquad scrimmage at Gila River Arena. The public is invited to attend at no charge.
Coach Dave Tippett said the scrimmage is set up to emulate an actual NHL game-day experience.
There will be three 20-minute periods, with abbreviated intermissions. After the third period, the teams will play five minutes of 3-on-3 overtime, followed by a shootout, regardless of the final score.
"We're trying to replicate an actual NHL hockey game, and an NHL hockey day with a pre-game skate and everything that goes with it," Steve Sullivan, director of player development, told ArizonaCoyotes.com. "The mentality is that it's a game. It's not a scrimmage, it's a game."
The 43 players who participated in the camp have been divided into two teams. Team White included first-round draft pick Jakob Chychrun and forwards Dylan Strome, Brendan Perlini and Ryan MacInnis. Team Red includes first-round draft pick Clayton Keller and forwards Christian Dvorak, Christian Fischer and Conor Garland.
Dvorak and Strome are hoping to continue to make a strong impression as they position themselves for inclusion on the Coyotes' roster for the upcoming season.
Strome, the third pick in the 2015 draft, came close to making the team last season. Instead, he returned for a third year with Erie in the Ontario Hockey League and tallied 111 points (37 goals, 74 assists) in 56 games.
Dvorak, a second-round pick in 2014, led the OHL with 52 goals while leading London to the Memorial Cup championship.
Tippett told Craig Morgan of ArizonaSports.com that both have made significant strides in the past year.
"They have both come ahead," he said. "Look at what Dvorak has done -- won a championship and really led his team in that direction. Strome, I thought could arguably have been the best player on the World Junior team for Canada. Both of them made huge strides this year."
While both would seemingly add to the Coyotes' firepower, it's unclear if there's room to incorporate two young centers. The team currently has three experienced centers under contract in Martin Hanzal, Antoine Vermette and Brad Richardson.
Strome said he has put on about 10 pounds since last year's prospect camp and worked on the mechanics of his skating.
Dvorak, attending his third prospect camp, said both he and Strome are more comfortable and confident in their abilities.
"I don't feel any pressure, and I'm sure (Strome) doesn't feel any either," Dvorak said. "I think we'll just try to play our games and try to do what we do out there, and whatever happens, happens. We're both trying to make the team this year. That's our goal."
The scrimmage will also be streamed live on ArizonaCoyotes.com.
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