The state of Arizona will be well represented at the Kelowna Rockets training camp later this month.The Rockets number one bantam pick from this summers draft, Luke Moffatt, and former teammate and Phoenix resident Kyle Verdino will be heading up to Kelowna on August 26th.
It was confirmed this morning in a conversation I had with Ralph Verdino, the father of Kyle. Oddly enough Ralph had just spoke with Luke Moffatt's father Kenny earlier in the morning about the two families arriving for training camp at the same time. It's a done deal, both players will be at camp!
The late arrival tells me the two 15 year-old's will be attending main camp, not rookie camp, which starts on the 23rd of this month.
Verdino, who turns 16 in late October, attended rookie camp last season and is good friends with Moffatt, and played under Luke's dad for four seasons. Verdino was the Rockets 6th round pick in last years bantam draft. If Verdino can make the Rockets as a rookie this season, it may just be enough to persuade Moffatt to join the team next season as a wide eyed rookie.
In speaking to Ralph Verdino , he told me his son will likely play as a forward, after spending the majority of his hockey career as a d-man. The Rockets envision Verdino - who is 6'1 225 pound - as a power forward. Remember the kid is still just 15!
Many hockey fans across Western Canada have been putting the fear of God into the Rockets faithful by suggesting that Luke Moffatt won't attend the Rockets training camp. That simply isn't true!
I've also been told that while Moffatt has been offered a chance to play for the Under 16 U.S Development Program, the Moffatt's have not agreed to the offer. To say that Luke Moffatt's experience at the Rockets main camp later this month will go a long way in persuading him to join the team next season, is an understatement. From all accounts this kid is a game breaker, and could frankly play at this level even as an underage player. It makes you wonder if the WHL could take a page out of what happened to Oshawa Generals forward John Tavares? Tavares played in the O-H-L as a 14/15 year old and scored 45 goals in 2005-2006. This past season, at 16, Tavarse scored 72 goals. Would the WHL allow an "exceptional" designation for Moffatt, much like Tavares received in the 'O'? Or does it cause problems for the league down the road, when teams lineup at the front door of the league office in Calgary claiming they too have an exceptional player, and want to fast-track the underage phenom into their lineup? Is Moffatt really that good to play against competition 5 year's older than him? Maybe the entire issue is mute, considering Tavares is Canadian and Moffatt is American? Not to put additional pressure on Moffatt, but the Tavares/Moffatt comparisons are intriguing to say the least.
Enough blogging for now...It's week two of my vacation. I'm off to the beach!!!!
4 comments:
Not to dampen your spirits, Regan...but...the three guys currently on the "college" list for the Winter Hawks - Eric Gryba, Rhett Rakhshani and Dion Knelson - all attended a Hawks Main Camp. All are in the NCAA...
When I see Moffatt in the Rockets uniform in a game, I'll believe he'll be a Rocket.
Are you trying to burst my bubble Andy? Can't I be happy during my vacation? LOL. I hear ya though. Like I said in the blog, the Rockets will be on their best behavior in luring Moffatt into joining the team next year. I just hope that Moffatt looks at Peter Mueller or even Patrick Kane as Americans that have benefited from playing in the CHL.
Not trying to busrt your bubble either but... Luke Moffatt comparisions to John Tavares??
Tavares has been on the scene for years and was drafted a year before elgibility and played in the league as a 15 year-old. He was a clear-cut consensus future star. He's put up huge numbers in the OHL and has more than lived up to expectations.
Moffatt wasn't even a consensus pick amongst WHL teams at the top of the drafting order.
That's a pretty big comparison Regan, and maybe a bit unfair.
Compar Tavares to Crosby but don't include Moffatt in the mix.
Keener are you trying to wreck my vacation too??
Agreed, the comparison may be a stretch - a huge one - mainly because Moffatt didn't play in Canada. Had he put up HUGE numbers at lets say the midget level as a bantam age player, than the comparisons may be valid. It brings with it an interesting question though. Would the WHL ever use exception status for a under age player?
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