Former Pistons making impressions at NHL camps

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This article was published 18/07/2023 (1214 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While scorching temperatures have sports fans looking to the soccer, football, baseball or softball fields, for six former Steinbach Pistons, the summer is about chasing their NHL dreams.

A half-dozen players who have suited up for the Steinbach Pistons were invited to NHL development camps. Head coach and general manager for the club, Paul Dyck, was also busy this week, serving as a guest coach for the Winnipeg Jets’ development camp alongside fellow Manitoba Junior Hockey League coach Justin Falk.

Dyck told the league’s website the strong MJHL contingent at NHL camps shows players are able to find success at the highest level after developing in the league.

“You might not be at an NHL Development Camp as an 18-year-old but 19, 20, 21, 22, the possibilities are there,” he said.

“I think the template is right here in front of us in our league. You’ve seen it with Zach Whitecloud and Cole Smith playing in the NHL, it seems we’re creating more and more opportunities but every player is looking for development and for opportunities at the next level and they’re taking place here so it’s encouraging.”

Dominion City’s Denton Mateychuk, who was selected in the first round of the 2022 NHL draft and spent games with the Pistons during the pandemic-affected 2020/2021 season, returned to Columbus for Blue Jackets camp. Mateychuk was the captain of the Moose Jaw Warriors last season.

Fellow Eastman first round pick, and fellow Western Hockey League captain Owen Pickering, also returned to Pittsburgh for the Penguins’ camp.

Jack Rogers, who spent the entire 2020/2021 season with the Pistons, notching 67 points in 54 games before heading to St Cloud State, was named to the Washington Capitals development camp roster.

Fellow St Cloud State commit Warren Clark, selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning this year in the NHL draft after helping Steinbach to their third Turnbull Cup, was in Florida for his development camp.

He’s not the only former Piston in Florida. Riese Gaber, who played a combined 101 games in the MJHL, including on Steinbach’s 2017/2018 championship team, was named to the Panthers’ development camp roster. Gaber currently plays for the University of North Dakota.

Goaltender Matt Radomsky, who recently signed a professional contract with the American Hockey League’s Calgary Wranglers, attended the Flames’ development camp. Radomsky, also a part of the 2018 championship team, played 82 games across three seasons with Steinbach.

Kyle Bettens, who appeared in the Avavet Cup during that 2018 season as a young player, before racking up 90 games for the Pistons also made a development roster, in the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights. Bettens made the jump to the United States Hockey League before joining the University of Minnesota-Duluth this year.