DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills details the goings-on at the BELFOR Training Center under Little Caesars Arena’s west (Chevrolet) plaza, where the team is holding a youth hockey camp this week:
On Wednesday, the Detroit Red Wings concluded their annual Youth Hockey Camp at the state-of-the-art practice facility, with more than 70 energetic boys and girls, ages 6-10, receiving specialized hockey instruction from former Red Wings forward and four-time Stanley Cup champion Kirk Maltby along with current Red Wings coaches.
All participants received 75 minutes of on-ice training and 35 minutes of dryland training each day, as well as an official Youth Hockey Camp jersey, a certificate of participation and two tickets to a 2022-23 Red Wings game.
Maltby, who currently serves as a pro scout with Detroit, believes the campers experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“As a kid, if I could put myself in their shoes to have the opportunity to come to a facility like this and see the Red Wings prospects skating on the ice before them, this would be a dream come true,” Maltby said. “I don’t know if they can really grasp and understand how lucky they are.”
This year’s camp was divided into three sessions. Monday’s session focused on individual skills like power skating, edgework, agility, puck-handling and shooting. Tuesday’s session emphasized team skills in addition to one-on-one and two-on-two drills, while Wednesday’s session put campers’ skills to the test in games and scrimmages.
“We only have them for a little bit over the course of three days, so we’re a little limited on what we’re able to teach,” Maltby said. “That’s why we’re going out there, working on some stuff and having fun.”
