The newest additions to the organization will make their mark this week at Centene.
The summer doldrums never seem to start until August. Thursday and Friday’s NHL Draft saw the Blues select six new prospects (you can read Gabe’s breakdown of the picks here) as well as the trade of Ville Husso to the Detroit Red Wings. Wednesday, of course, is the beginning of the NHL’s free agency period.
In between the two important dates are the beginnings of many NHL teams’ prospect camps – including the Blues’. This year’s prospect camp begins today and will be hosted at the Centene Community Ice Center and runs through the 14th. All on-ice sessions are open to the public and begin at 10:15. Fans will have an opportunity to see the Blues’ 2020 first round pick and WHL playoff champion Jake Neighbours, their 2021 first round selection and former QMJHL rookie of the year Zach Bolduc, and this year’s first round selection and IIHF U-18 silver medalist Jimmy Snuggerud. For Neighbours especially, but also for Bolduc, this will be a prelude to the team’s training camp in September. Bolduc got an extended look last year during camp, while Neighbours is looking to stick for longer than the 9 game cup of coffee that he got in 2021.
A full roster of Team MacInnis and Team Tkachuk has been provided by the Blues as a helpful .pdf perfect for printing and bringing along if you’re planning on attending. If you’re not, ESPN 101 FM will be broadcasting from the camp each day from 11-2. It’s not the same as being there, but it’s still an opportunity to hear some analysis of how the Blues’ newest members are performing.