Camp makes an impression on Ducks' rookies
DUCKS
Everything seems bigger to young players, including the length of practice.
They spent Friday morning sweating through fitness and agility tests, practiced for an hour Friday afternoon, took a short break and then skated for an hour more.
By the end of the day, many of the young hockey players attending the first day of Ducks rookie camp at the Honda Center were bent at the waist, sticks pressed against their thighs and mouths agape.
"We've had a long day," said Gord Dineen, who last month became head coach of the Ducks' new minor league affiliate, the Iowa Chops. "It got ragged at the end."
For several players, including Eric O'Dell, being in Honda Center was a first. Then again, it all seemed so new.
Not only was the practice longer than usual, but everything seemed bigger to the 18-year-old from Ottawa, who was a second-round pick in the entry draft last June and is the youngest of the 23 players on the rookie camp roster.
"The surface was pretty big and there was a lot of room out there," O'Dell said, his cheeks flush and his wet hair still stuck to his forehead.
Logan MacMillan, last season's first-round pick and one of two players Dineen singled out for a strong performance, was making his second rookie camp appearance, although the left wing from Prince Edward Island missed parts of last year's with a concussion.
MacMillan -- the son of another first-round pick, right winger Bob MacMillan -- has learned the importance of arriving in top condition, though it's one tip he didn't get from his father, who played 11 seasons in the NHL, from 1974-85.
"He laughs at me every time I come home from the gym," Logan MacMillan said. "He used to go to training camp to get in shape, now it's a must you show up in shape."
Another player who's hoping to benefit from previous rookie camp experience is center Maxime Macenauer, a third-round pick from a year ago. Macenauer, a native of Quebec, was recovering from shoulder surgery during last season's camp, but played well enough to stick around and play in the Ducks' first exhibition against the Kings.
"I think I made a good first impression," he said. "It helped me a lot for this one."
The players will be back at Honda Center on Saturday morning at 9, and then will head to Las Vegas for an exhibition Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks.
For some rookies, visiting Las Vegas will be another first.
"Heard it's nice there," O'Dell. "Nice and big."
dan.arritt@latimes.com
