I just got home from Thrashers Training Camp in Duluth, GA. I was hoping to see both Steve Baby and Sam Paolini, but only Steve was there. Sam was not in practice yesterday either and is no longer on the training camp roster.
Steve looked pretty good. He's still one of the biggest guys on the ice; the only guy bigger than him is a 6'8" defenseman. He didn't look fast or slow, just merely average. He made a couple of good "hands" plays in front of the net. The line he was playing with was centered by Derek Mackenzie (of the Chicago Wolves last year) and had Eric Healey (of Manchester in the AHL last year). He was wearing #44, which was hard for me to get used to. A guy who I was talking to who was there yesterday said that they did suicides and that Baby was in the middle of the pack speedwise. Sadly, the one time that Steve stood out during the practice was when Coach Hartley gave him a ribbing for trying to stop a puck along the boards by turning over his stick.
The Thrashers this year have a bunch of high-end returning forwards, but there are definitely at least two spots open. I doubt that he'll get one of the spots, but judging from what I saw today -- although likely through carnellian glasses -- he'll be in the AHL with Chicago with a chance for a call-up.
good to hear Brian. Keep giving updates. Where's Sam, though?
QuoteBrian '02 wrote:
The line he was playing with was centered by Derek Mackenzie (of the Chicago Wolves last year) and had Eric Healey (of Manchester in the AHL last year).
Is that also Eric Healey formely of RPI?
Sorry to steal some of Brian's thunder but there have been daily updates on hockeysfuture.com from the Thrashers training camp.
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/team.php?team=25
QuoteJosh Herman '99 wrote:
Is that also Eric Healey formely of RPI?
Yes, it is. He actually grew up across the street from me and played on my Babe Ruth baseball team for a year. I saw him a few weeks ago before he moved down to Atlanta and he sounds pretty excited about his chances. I think he'll probably be in the same boat as Baby - start the season in the minors but be one of the first options for a call-up.
Healey actually could have had a pretty nice career, but he suffered a pretty qrotesque injury in the minors - someone skated over his arm - that kept him out at least a year and set him back who-knows-how-far. It'd be fun if he and Baby got a chance to play together for Atlanta this year, though.
EDIT:
I just noticed that whenever you type Baby, it automatically inserts the accented a, so I don't have to keep copying and pasting it. Nice touch, Age.
Post Edited (09-15-03 09:22)
A positive comment about Baby and his line during Day 5 of the Thrashers Training Camp:
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/article.php?sid=6266&mode=threaded&order=0