Ducks’ development camp provides look at a promising future
Recent first-round draft picks Beckett Sennecke and Stian Solberg and Cutter Gauthier, a Flyers lottery pick in 2022, could all be key contributors for the franchise going forward
Ducks prospect Beckett Sennecke, right, pressures fellow forward Cutter Gauthier, left, during the Ducks’ 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. The Ducks hope both players prove to be key contributors for years to come. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks defenseman prospect Stian Solberg, right, pushes defenseman prospect Darels Uljanskis out of the way during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks goalie prospect Damian Clara makes a stop during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks forward prospect Beckett Sennecke, left, keeps the puck in front of forward Coulson Pitre, right, during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks forward prospects Joey Larson (87) and Jansen Wiebe (83) collide in front of the goal during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks defenseman prospect Stian Solberg reacts after a good play during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks goalie prospect Vyacheslav Buteyets blocks a shot during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks forward prospect Coulson Pitre, left, moves the puck around forward Nico Myatovi during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks forward prospect Alexandre Blais moves the puck down the ice during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks defenseman prospect Darrell Uljanshkis receives instruction from a coach during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks defenseman prospect Stien Solberg, left, tries to get in front of defenseman Darels Uljanskis during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks forward prospect Austin Burnevik makes a turn during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks defenseman prospect Tarin Smith, left, and Austin Burnevik battle for position during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks defenseman prospect Brandon Holt takes the puck up the ice during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks defenseman prospect Stian Solberg, right, receives some instruction from a coach during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks defenseman prospect Vojtech Port controls the puck during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks defenseman prospect Josh Zinger, left, and defenseman Tarin Smith battle for position near the net during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks forward prospect Beckett Sennecke, front, watches the puck after passing it off during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks defenseman prospect Stian Solberg looks to take a shot during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks prospect Beckett Sennecke, right, pressures fellow forward Cutter Gauthier, left, during the Ducks’ 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. The Ducks hope both players prove to be key contributors for years to come. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks defenseman prospect Liam Lesakowski skates with the puck during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks forward prospect Beckett Sennecke pauses after a drill during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Ducks goalie prospect Calle Clang stretches out before a practice during the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Friday at Great Park Ice in Irvine. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
IRVINE — The Ducks wrapped up their development camp on Friday with a high-scoring three-on-three scrimmage that offered perhaps the most illuminating glimpses of the franchise’s future this week.
It also had some links to the organization’s history as Scott Niedermayer’s team, led by Cutter Gauthier and Yegor Sidorov, edged Ryan Getzlaf’s squad, which featured both of the Ducks’ first-round picks in last weekend’s draft, Beckett Sennecke and Stian Solberg.
“It’s been a whirlwind, for sure, but it finally settled down here the last couple days. It was a pretty demanding trip, but it was fun,” Sennecke said.
“The expectation is the big thing. I’m a third overall pick now, so that comes with a lot of high expectations, not just from everyone else but from myself as well,” he added.
Matt McIlvane, the coach of the Ducks’ top minor-league affiliate, was on the ice with the Ducks’ prospects, as were Niedermayer and Getzlaf.
“How do you not look at Ryan and listen to what he has to say?” McIlvane asked. “He’s a legend of the game and the organization. With that experience comes great knowledge, and also instant credibility for the players.”
Sennecke joked that Getzlaf gave him “a shootout move to do, and it didn’t work out,” though he did score with a gorgeous hesitation move on a breakaway.
He said he felt the Ducks were attracted to him because of his multifaceted game, particularly on offense.
The Toronto native sprouted nearly half a foot in roughly a year, which lengthened his stride but also required some adjustment in terms of balance and coordination, among other benefits and detriments.
“I was smaller, so I had to play that small game, really shifty, quick on my feet and avoiding checks. Then, when I grew, I kept that small person’s game and had a bigger body,” Sennecke said. “My bones grew faster than my muscles could keep up with, so I’m a little leaner.”
Sennecke said he was able to connect with Gauthier, with the duo now considered the top two prospects in one of the NHL’s elite young talent pools.
“He’s a great person off the ice and a really skilled player. He’s strong and powerful. It’s good to learn from those guys who have been through it before,” Sennecke said.
“On our very first day, we had a meeting with our mental performance coach,” McIlvane said. “When she asked what were a couple of things we could focus on for the week, what Cutter said right away was, ‘I want to be a leader for the guys that are experiencing camp for the first time.’”
Another player experiencing development camp and an NHL setting for the first time was defenseman Stian Solberg, whom the Ducks traded up to select 23rd overall.
Solberg started out playing soccer but moved from the pitch to the ice. Similarly, he transformed from a skill-oriented player – he scored a goal in Friday’s scrimmage and had multiple eye-catching outlet passes – into a waking nightmare for opponents.
He showed off his ability to use his physique and formidable mean streak earlier in the week. While Sennecke was quick to offer that defense and physical strength were his main developmental emphases, Solberg displayed both in spades during a drill where players had to defend without a stick. His positioning was flawless as he won the battle sans stick then tossed his opponent to the ice.
“I just really like to play hard. I really enjoy the physical part of the game. Really, it comes naturally, I don’t see why not to play hard,” Solberg said. “One day I just started and I’ve been developing the game from that time.”
