Sam Carrick knows this training camp is different.
The San Diego Gulls captain is participating in the Anaheim Ducks training camp at Great Park Ice and FivePoint Arena in Irvine, California. He’s one of 41 players – and 18 Gulls – looking to make an impression and start the season with the National Hockey League club.
This year’s camp is different than others. The NHL will not hold any exhibition games, putting extra emphasis on team practices and scrimmages. It’s a unique challenge – in a different season – that puts a daily spotlight on the players.
“Without having those exhibition games, it’s going to come down to proving yourself in practice and in these scrimmages – just doing whatever it takes to get noticed,” Carrick explained following the first of those team scrimmages. “Working hard out there and even finishing checks and creating a game-like situation. There’s really not much we can do going into the regular season. We’re going to have to