College Sports
Major junior hockey development league makes a stop in Park City
Right as the Stanley Cup Finals are getting underway, some of the NHL’s potential next prospects are getting ready to take the ice in Park City.
From Friday through Sunday, the North American Hockey League’s Oklahoma Warriors will be making the Park City Ice Arena their home for one of their two pre-draft camps. The other camp was held last weekend in Hudson, Wisconsin.
The NAHL is more or less the hockey equivalent of baseball’s single A. Most players make it to the Division 1 level, and some, the NHL. The UHSL is right above it in level but below Division 1 college hockey.
Friday, prospects will check in and have general practices at the arena. Saturday, there will be specific skills exercises and scrimmages. Sunday, there will be further scrimmages and an all-star game to cap off the action.
Warriors President and Director of Hockey Operations George Chalos, a Parkite, believes the players would love some fans in attendance. He also said he thinks the aspiring hockey players could greatly benefit from seeing this level up close, given it’s several notches above the high school level. Chalos used to help coach the Miners Red and also serves as an assistant for the University of Utah’s team.
“This is a very, very high level,” Chalos said. “I brought this camp here to Park City because I’d like to give opportunities to the Utah kids.”
While hockey is growing in Utah, Chelos said kids at higher levels often have to leave the state to compete.
Fellow Parkite Paul Wiczek took the ice for Oklahoma last season, and there will be several other Parkites and Utah-natives competing this weekend for potential draft spots.
“We have a bunch of Park City kids,” Chalos added. “Eric Jacques. … Justin Bayers. … Fisher Hellman.”
There will be around 60 players coming from all across the country. The NAHL has 35 teams from all over the country. The legendary Patrick Kane sharpened his skills for two years in the league.
Chalos encouraged fans to come out all three days. He did say however that the scrimmages and all-star game were likely to be fan favorites.
The Warriors will complete their evaluations Sunday and are set to draft players Tuesday and Wednesday.
“I don’t know if we’ll take them, but on our draft board are two Utah kids — Beau Blakely and Jack Bishop,” Chalos said. “My excitement levels are off the charts. … For any player or family that likes hockey, they should come this week.”
The camp is part of a trend of major hockey teams popping by Park City. The Utah Mammoth, then the Utah Hockey Club, stopped by the arena twice last summer and fall for prospect development and team practice camps.
Chalos believes hockey is just starting to take off in Park City and across Utah.
“I know the City Council has a big ambition about building possibly a two-sheet facility down the road,” said Chalos. “It’s my mission to help grow hockey in the state of Utah.”