BY SCOTT
HADDOW
The Wolves prospects from the 2006 draft, as well as prospects
from the 2005 draft will be competing at the Wolves rookie camp
this weekend at the Tom Davies Memorial Arena in Lively.
Fans are encouraged to go to Lively and see the latest crop
of rookies hoping to make it into the OHL.
Top 2006 picks such as Jared Staal (11th overall), Justin Larson, and J.K. Gill will be strutting their stuff on Saturday and Sunday. They will be joined by top local picks such as Kyle Tarini and Al Valiquette.
Players hit the ice at 2 pm on Saturday and 11 am Sunday. There
will also be a barbecue from noon to 2 pm.
No one knows better about big expectations than Sudbury's
first-round pick, Staal.
At 15, Jared is the youngest of four brothers and comes in
with a great deal of fanfare.
The oldest Staal, Eric, stars for Carolina. Next, is Marc,
who has patrolled the Wolves blueline for the last three
seasons and then Jordan, who is a Top 4-rated NHL draft pick
who played for Peterborough this year.
At six-foot-two, and still growing, Jared already had the
inside track on the Wolves franchise thanks to his brother's
experience.
"It was great to be drafted by Sudbury," said Staal. "Marc
has told me how great the organization is, especially how good
the fans are to the players."
Jared has learned plenty from his older brothers.
"They've all been through this and give me advice so I know
what to expect," said Jared. "They all said it takes hard work
all the time. If I work hard I will do fine."
Jared is already used to having unrealistic expectations
lumped on him whether he likes it or not.
There have been some stories over the years indicating Jared
might be the best Staal yet. It's a tall order to fill,
especially since Eric recorded 100 points in the NHL, Marc was
the World Junior Championships Best Defenceman and Jordan could
go first overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. "People are going
to expect me to do really well because of what my brothers
did," said Jared.
"I can't put all that pressure on myself because I will not
be able to play my game. I know what I can do and I can help
this team."
Jared plans to bring a little bit of everything to the
table. "I bring a lot of play-making abilities," said Jared. "I
like to pass and one of my best strengths is being able to find
my linemates on the ice with the puck. I am a big kid and I
play physical as well. I want to earn a regular shift and play
well."
Wolves head coach and GM Mike Foligno sees a real gem in the
youngest Staal.
"He's a big strong player and has great puck control and balance," said Foligno in an earlier interview.
