SETTING GOALS: "We want to be a that team nobody wants to play in the playoffs" – 67's coach Cameron

Published Sep 19, 2024  •  5 minute read

Ottawa 67's captain Luca Pinelli is attending the Columbus Blue Jackets training camp. Photo by Tim Austen /Ottawa 67's)

There’s no mention of championships or first place or even top-four finishes when Dave Cameron is asked about the expectations for his club this season.

“We expect to be competitive every night,” the Ottawa 67’s head coach said Thursday. “Half our roster is either brand new or played limited time last year. So we’re young. We’re going to have some ebbs and flows to our year.

Article content

“There’s four teams on our side that our loading up (for a run at the title),” he added, referring to Ontario Hockey League Eastern Conference rivals Brampton, Brantford, Oshawa, and Barrie. “We want to be that team nobody wants to play in the playoffs.”

The 67’s have played two pre-season games thus far, losing 5-1 in Kingston and winning 5-0 in North Bay.

They make their lone pre-season appearance at The Arena at TD Place on Friday (7 p.m.) in a game against the North Bay Battalion that is being billed as Hockey For All, with free admission.

Prior to the game, the football field outside the arena will be open and filled with inflatable attractions and lawn games available for kids and their parents to enjoy.

The regular season for the 67’s starts a week from Friday on Sept. 27, when they play host to the Niagara IceDogs with a 7 p.m. puck drop.

By then, all seven players who attended NHL camps — goalie Collin MacKenzie (Washington), defencemen Matthew Mayich (St. Louis), Frankie Marrelli (Edmonton) and Henry Mews (Calgary), plus forwards Cooper Foster (Pittsburgh), Charles Hinton (Boston) and captain Luca Pinelli (Columbus) — are expected to be back and assume leadership roles with the 67’s.

Article content

Article content

Brady Stonehouse went to the Oilers camp, but didn’t participate as he is recovering from shoulder surgery.

“I’d be surprised if I didn’t (get them all back) but that would be a happy surprise,” said Cameron, who has presided over what he calls a “typical” camp to this point. “The older guys are setting the pace, setting the tone, and the younger guys are finding their way.”

When asked about the early-round draft picks, a list that includes first-rounders Nathan Amidovski and Kohyn Eshkawkogan as well as Swedish centre Filip Ekberg, who the 67’s took 33rd overall in the CHL import draft, Cameron has a positive report.

“I like them all,” he said. “I think their work ethic has been impeccable. They’ve come in, they’re very, very coachable. They’re excited. Certainly no lack of effort. I’ve just got to continue to feed them finer points of the system and get them up to speed. But I’m excited about them.”

Who has stood out above others in the coach’s eyes?

“They’ve all been real good,” replied Cameron. “First two exhibition games were your typical first two exhibition games from both sides, scrambly. We had some good moments. We had some moments where it was in disarray simply because of the time of year and the guys learning the system. But I’ve really liked the young guys’ attitude and, like I said, work ethic. These next two games now, I’ll have a little better handle because we taught the system, there’s been a couple of games, and we’ve pushed the system again in terms of details. The next couple games will give me a real good read on who picked what up and who can think under game speed.”

Article content

Cameron pretty well has his team picked, but he still has “one or two more guys” to place on affiliated clubs.

“They’re going to be on our radar,” he said, “and down the road they’ll be the next guys we call up to our team.”

What those who weren’t here last year will find out about Cameron is that roles and ice time should not be taken for granted. Players who were on the third and fourth line last season shouldn’t assume they’ll be on the first or second in 2024-25.

Top-round picks shouldn’t just expect lots of ice time because of their status.

The same goes for guys who return from pro camps.

“You’ve got to earn it,” said Cameron. “The last thing I check when we pick our team, and the last thing I check when I put you on the ice in the game, is how old you are or what country you’re from. It never enters my mind. That’s a hard sell (to players) sometimes.”

The good teams have good goaltending and solid defence, which is something that could be said for the 67’s.

The good teams also have multiple players they lean on for offence. The 67’s have Pinelli and after that, “it’s by committee,” said Cameron.

Article content

“So you’re sit and you project,” he said. “This guy had 10 goals (last season), so he should get 12, he should get 15. This guy got 18, so he should get 20-25. But it’s just as projection. So you just kind of keep your fingers crossed. You look at them coming in, and the first thing you look at is their fitness, did they put the work in on their fitness, which will be a direct correlation to shooting the puck harder, to being able to get inside at the net, which, which leads to increased goals. It should also lead to more 1-on-1 battles and winning your 1-on-1 battles, which means you get the puck more, which should be more offence. So there’s all those factors you’re trying to get a handle on, and then project into how each individual guy might create his offence.

“All aspects of the game at this level I always find intriguing because we project based on what the kids did last year for us, or the the last two years, we see what they do coming into camp. But it’s just that. It’s projection. Sometimes we’re right on. Other times you just go, hmmm, we’re stalled here, something’s not up. So it’s exciting that way.

“You really get to know them when you have them every day,” he continued. “I see them every day, so that helps with the projection. You see the work ethic, you see what the preparation is.  You see what their mindset is in terms of are  they open the coaching, do they hate losing? You get to see those intangibles, which helps with your projection.”

[email protected]

Article content