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Minnesotans Experience Wild Development Camp

By Minnesota Hockey, 07/15/14, 4:00PM CDT

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The Minnesota Wild’s 2014 Development Camp concluded last night with a scrimmage at the Xcel Energy Center in front of a crowd of over 4,000 fans.  For many of those fans, it was an opportunity to watch local stars continue their journey towards the NHL as nine of the 42 participants were Minnesotans.

The crop of Minnesotans included Wild draft picks Mario Lucia (2011) and Avery Peterson (2013) as well seven invitees hoping to make a lasting impression on the club’s management.  While each of them entered camp focused on performing at a high level and improving, the chance to put on the Wild’s colors was a special moment in itself. 

“It was my first camp,” said former Blaine High School star, Eric Scheid. “Obviously, I grew up loving the Wild, so being able to come to Minnesota's camp has been fun.”

Gopher forward and Excelsior native Vinni Lettieri took it another step saying, “It’s a dream come true.  You dream of going to the NHL, and this is just a stepping stone to it.”

The six day camp provided the players with an inside look at what it really takes to play in the NHL and what they need to work on to get there.  The players were exposed to a several on-ice and off-ice sessions covering a variety of topics from skating and stick handling to social media, mental performance training and much more.

“I’ve learned a lot of things from these guys,” said Minnesota State defenseman and South St. Paul graduate Zach Palmquist. “They have a great organization here so I’ve taken a lot away from all of the guys here at camp.”

Now, the challenge for each of these players is to take what they have learned and implement it consistently throughout the coming year to bolster their development and bring that NHL dream a little closer.

“There are a lot of things that you can do on your own,” said Scheid. “What we’ve been learning a lot here is just things you can work on at home or when you have extra time on the ice. It’s little things you can do to make yourself better by yourself.”

Congratulations and good luck to each of these players and the rest of the Minnesotans that participated in NHL development camps around the country!

Minnesotans at the 2014 Wild Development Camp

Name Position 2013-14 Team High School
Vinni Lettieri F Minnesota Minnetonka
Mario Lucia F Notre Dame Wayzata
Grant Opperman F Dartmouth Breck
Zach Palmquist D Minnesota State South St. Paul
Avery Peterson F Grand Rapids Grand Rapids
Eric Scheid F Penn State Blaine
Tyler Sheehy F Waterloo Burnsville
Michael Shibrowski G Minnesota Benilde-St. Margaret's
Hunter Warner D Waterloo/Fargo Eden Prairie

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