Filip Chytil was a no show on Monday morning as the North Bay Battalion get prepared to start their fifth season in North Bay.
The Battalion 7th overall CHL import and New York Rangers first round draft pick this summer has been a big part of the off season conversation between Battalion fans. Chytil will be coming to North America to play in an NHL Prospects Tournament with Rangers prospects for the event which begins next week in Traverse City, Michigan.
“After that, he will be going to New York City and play some exhibition games with the Rangers, said Stan Butler, Battalion head coach and director of hockey operations.
“I think we will have a better indication on him by October 1st once he has played some games with the Rangers. I think you have to realize it is a little different situation when you are a first round NHL pick, those kids, their focus right now is to try to make the NHL at 18, it’s not their junior team or wherever else they want to play. I feel pretty good if it does not work out in New York that we will be a very viable option.”
Aside from making the big club, his options are to play in the AHL, go back to play professionally in the Czech Republic, of the most popular choice for Battalion fans, to have him play Major Junior hockey in North Bay this fall.
See this related story: Battalion fans rallying for import pick
Injuries continue
It may be hard to fathom but the injury bug continues to linger from last year’s disastrous injury plagued season.
Butler says both Jacob Ball and Riley Bruce continue to recover from surgeries they had to repair their respective shoulder injuries. Butler believes Bruce is the closest one to return as he should be back on the ice by mid-September.
All about fitness
Monday camp was all about fitness as the players went through fitness testing as there were no ice sessions on the first day of camp.
Butler says its still an important day because he considers poor fitness results are a major red flag at the start of camp.
“I think today it is about seeing where they are fitness wise, like let’s get going on their scores and see where they are and see what guys have done and Tuesday we get on the ice, we get a practice in the morning because we don’t know how much guys have been on the ice - some a lot and others maybe not a lot - then we will go from there,” he said.
Regardless of the fitness scores, Butler made it clear that a non-playoff season will not be acceptable in 2017-18.
“I did not like the way things went last year and I told the kids in the meeting Monday that it can never happen again, never again,” he said bluntly.
“So we are looking for guys to come in, some of the young guys to beat out the older guys and we want an extremely competitive camp, hopefully we will put a good team on the ice.”
The teams will practice Tuesday morning before hitting the ice for an intrasquad game at 4 p.m.
