During the regular season I usually don’t post game recaps. However, given the interest in Development Camp this summer, I’ll have a full game report from today’s scrimmage posted later tonight (link).
First though, here are some comments from Kings goaltending prospect Martin Jones.
Coming off an impressive first year in Manchester – where he went 23-12-1 in 39 games, with a 2.25 goals-against-average and .924 save percentage – he looked strong again in net today. He played the first half of the scrimmage (20 minutes of running time), gave up zero goals and stopped a flurry of activity in front of his net during the final two minutes of the half.
Afterwards, he answered some questions…
What do you see for yourself going into this fall’s camp?
MJ: I’m going to work hard throughout the summer and I’m going to try and make the team. Obviously, with the numbers that they have, with (Jonathan) Bernier and (Jonathan) Quick coming back, it will be a tough task. But, my mindset is just going to be ‘make the team.’ From there, wherever I play it’s just going to be a great experience and I need to make the most of it…This upcoming year I’ll probably be back in Manchester, but it’s not going to change my mindset.
What are the benefits of this camp for you personally?
MJ: Just being around the culture here. They’ve built a pretty good culture with the way they treat players. It’s a good week of work, just to work with all of the coaching staff. Ee have a lot of eyes on us telling us what we can work on here and there. So, it’s definitely a good week for your game.
You’ve talked before about your healthy rivalry with Jeff Zatkoff in Manchester. How would you say that’s allowed you guys to help each other?
MJ: We have a very good relationship, so we learned a lot from each other. Coming in as the younger guy, he showed me the ropes a little bit and showed me what it takes to be a pro. He’s an extremely hard working guy. It’s been easy to learn a lot from him, for sure.
Brandon Kozun is somebody you knew from your days in Calgary too. He’s a bit of a jokester. Did he pull any good pranks on you this year in Manchester?
MJ: He tries, but I’m a little but wittier than him. So, it doesn’t work out too well.
Would he agree with that?
MJ: Probably not.
[note: I’ll post Kozun’s comeback later tonight]
Were you surprised by how well you played as a first year pro?
A little bit. I think I handled it well, I guess. But, obviously, I didn’t expect to maybe play as much or have as much success as I did. It was an easier transition for me because of the team that we did have, it was a young group. We had a lot of guys that made me feel right at home. So, it was easier in that regard.
What’s different about you today vs. the player who was here last summer?
I hope not too much. Obviously my game has evolved a bit. But, I still think I have the same foundation – my technique that I’ve worked on a lot of years ago. I keep tweaking things here and there, but I’m generally the same kind of guy.
Jones was also a guest on MayorsManor right before the AHL playoffs began in April. If you missed it, here’s a link – he talks about goalie mask designs, junior hockey, Kozun, Tyler Toffoli and more.
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