Red Wings assistant director of player development Dan Cleary spoke with the media regarding the purpose of the Wings’ first summer development camp in three years on Sunday.
While the Red Wings did test the players’ skating on Sunday, and they will work on educating players regarding on-ice skill development, working out properly, learning how to rest and recuperate, engaging in best nutritional practices and learning to deal with the media, both social and otherwise…
Cleary made sure to point out that the Red Wings’ brass is in attendance to help educate their prospects, and not overly focus on evaluating them–which is what the fall prospect tournament is for–as he told the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan:
“This is not an evaluation one bit,” Cleary said Sunday, after Day 1 of the camp. “This is an education and enjoy it, get to meet all these guys you haven’t seen. Take whatever information we’re giving you and ask questions. That’s strictly it.”
There was various on-ice testing done Sunday, but it was done mostly to have baseline numbers to compare with the past, and in the future. The testing isn’t done to compare against other players.
“We tested them today, but this is strictly testing to let them know ‘Hey, this is where the pro level is at and this is where you’re at’,” Cleary said. “You’re 18, 19 years old, but there’s not evaluation at all. We’re doing skills, skating, we have vision training, some fun things to do and then, on Thursday, we’ll do a small three-on-three tournament. That’s really it.”
Instilling what the culture of the Wings’ organization, said Cleary, along with the work ethic and character are also key aspects of the week. As in previous camps, and while working with young players in the Wings organization, Cleary has found today’s young athletes receptive to coaching.
“It’s a different athlete,” Cleary said. “Today’s young person, you really have to adapt to them, they have a different mindset, I feel, but a good mindset. We’ve had great kids to work with and some kids who are way more mature at 18 or 19 year old, and we’ve had some, maybe, who weren’t as mature as others. But I’ve never had a kid who has been hard to deal with. They’ve all been terrific.”
Kulfan continues, discussing several topics, and if you missed Cleary’s presser, here it is: