Nine Thunderbirds get a taste of life in the NHL

The Seattle Thunderbirds saw nine players get invites to NHL rookie tournaments during this year's training camp. For the players involved, they got a taste of pro hockey and hope to use that experience to jump start a good year back in the WHL.

BY ANDY EIDE

Sep 21, 2015, 7:08 AM Updated: 10:29 am

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Seattle's Scott Eansor is one of nine Thunderbirds to play in an NHL camp this fall. (T-Birds Photo)

(T-Birds Photo)

The Seattle Thunderbirds saw nine players get invites to NHL rookie tournaments during this year’s training camp. For the players involved, they got a taste of pro hockey and hope to use that experience to jump start a good year back in the WHL.

The WHL, at its core, is a developmental league for the NHL, and those nine Seattle players got a look – albeit brief – at life in the big leagues. For the five players who were drafted it’s an early audition, but for the undrafted guys it’s a chance to get on the radar.

Several of the players involved have been returned to the T-Birds over the past week and are getting ready for Friday’s season opener in Vancouver. Scott Eansor, Turner Ottenbreit and Jerret Smith were the first players to come back to Seattle after playing in NHL rookie tournaments and all three are motivated for the season to begin.

“It should build confidence,” head coach Steve Konowalchuk says of the experience. “It should keep them inspired to know that they’re not too far away and if they keep digging in they have a chance to go pro.”

Eansor was in camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs, played in a couple of games and managed to pick up some points. It’s been a busy and exciting summer for the Colorado native as he also played at the U.S. World Junior camp.

“It was really fun, really cool,” Eansor said. “Wearing an NHL jersey for the first time, I grew up around there so I had family and friends who got to come out so it was rewarding.”

These rookie tournaments are made up of a mixture of players. The rosters can include drafted prospects, undrafted players like Eansor and even some guys who played in the NHL last season.

That means the quality of play was elevated from what guys are used to night in and night out in the WHL.

“It was a lot different,” Eansor said of the play. “Not a lot of space, it’s a different level obviously, players who’d played in the NHL, but it was a learning experience and I’m just trying to get better from it. I feel like I did well with my opportunities.”

Defensemen Turner Ottenbreit and Jerret Smith were both in camp with the New York Rangers, along with Ryan Gropp, who was New York’s second round draft pick this past June. Like with Eansor, it was a learning experience for sure.

“It was a great experience,” Ottenbreit said. “Another stepping stone you could say and I just kind of soaked it all in and enjoyed myself.”

The Rangers were part of the Traverse City tournament, which is one of the biggest rookie tournaments each year. That meant the Thunderbirds collective got to play against one of their current teammates as Keegan Kolesar and the Columbus Blue Jackets were also there.

Both Ottenbreit and Smith were quick to point out that their Rangers picked up a 4-0 win over Kolesar and the Blue Jackets.

“It was good to see him out there, he played well,” Smith said of his teammate. “He tried to throw me around but it was a big win for us.”

These tournaments give undrafted players a chance to show what they can do in front of an NHL team. There is not a lot of preparation and ice time is always at a premium.

Ottenbreit and Smith had an advantage as they were paired together on the Rangers’ blue line, allowing them to play with a guy they had some familiarity with. For Eansor, he had to learn his linemates tendencies on the fly.

“They just throw you in there and see who makes a difference,” Eansor said. “It was tough playing with different guys, new systems. It was a challenge but it’s an opportunity.”

Opportunity is the key word. Before heading home, each player sat with team representatives to get an exit assessment on how they played and some things to work on. While the three didn’t leave with pro contracts, as undrafted players, appearing in these tournaments is the first step towards getting signed.

For the younger players on the T-Birds, its exciting to have some teammates go through the experience of playing in these rookie camps. Smith says that he’s fielded a lot of questions from his young teammates about what its like and he hopes they all will get chances of their own down the road.

Every player on the T-Birds roster has dreams of suiting up for an NHL team. For Eansor, Ottenbreit and Smith, getting just a glimpse of what that looks like can be a huge motivation moving forward.

“You know what you need to do to get to the next level,” Ottenbreit said. “Once you’re there once or twice, it drives you that much more, knowing you’re that close.”

As NHL camps have opened there are still some T-Birds players away from the team. Mathew Barzal is with the Islanders, Gropp still with the Rangers, Kolesar with Columbus, Gustav Olhaver is with the Coloroado Avalanche and undrafted Jamal Watson is with the Montreal Canadiens.

Ethan Bear was returned Sunday from the Edmonton Oilers so he will be in the lineup on Friday against Vancouver. It remains to be seen how many of the other players get returned in time for opening night but they are all expected to come back at some point. While missing key players will be a challenge for Seattle to overcome at the start of the year, it’s a sign of the club’s success.

Once they return they will all have similar stories and experiences as Eansor, Ottenbreit and Smith have had. They will all be playing with that extra hint of confidence and motivation. How much that pays off for the T-Birds is yet to be determined, but for now these guys all know that they have taken one step closer to their dream coming true.

“It was a great experience,” Smith said. “It’s a big motivation, a cool experience. It’s cool to see the NHL”

Follow Andy Eide on Twitter @andyeide.