5 Things learned from U.S. junior selection camp

BUFFALO -- Recently retired U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Sean Braziel was excited to be helping the U.S. National Junior Team at selection camp this week as a performance coach.
Braziel, who has worked the past two seasons as the development coach at USA Hockey's National Team Development Program in Plymouth, Michigan, took one hour each day during camp to discuss humility, aggressiveness, and resilience.

"What got them here to development camp in August was their skills; what kept them here is their character and their ability to work hard every single day," Braziel said.
Braziel, who retired in September after 20 years of service to the United States as an active duty military officer in intelligence and reconnaissance, is grateful to be using his training on the field to help player development on the ice.
"The more you're able to shape these young athletes and identify leadership traits and qualities, you can refine those traits and qualities over time," Braziel said.
Before joining the Marines, Braziel played high school hockey in Connecticut and four years at Iona College. He led joint military teams to more than 27 countries serving in combat operations on 13 separate deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas.
Braziel commented on traits he saw in team captain Luke Kunin (Minnesota Wild) and alternates Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins) and Colin White (Ottawa Senators):
On Kunin: "Kunin has a level-headed, decisive and compassionate ethical leadership style that is unbelievable. He is one of the finest young leaders I've seen."
On White: "Colin leads in a very distinct and quiet leadership way. His leadership style is not flamboyant, not the loud guy in the room, but he speaks through actions. He's a silent warrior."
On McAvoy: "When you have to identify future leaders and develop them to become leaders, you have to put them in a leadership role and give them responsibility. Charlie's never worn a letter on his jersey, so this is a great opportunity for him and I know it's in there."
Here are four other things learned after the final day of USA Hockey select camp in Buffalo:

Final day in Buffalo

U.S. coach Bob Motzko used the last practice of selection camp at HarborCenter on Tuesday to remind his players the importance of the finer details that can ultimately determine the outcome of a game.
All 26 players invited to camp will travel to Oshawa, Ontario, for a pretournament scrimmage against Switzerland on Wednesday. Motzko and his managerial group are expected to make three cuts to at the conclusion of the game against Switzerland.

"It's miserable," Motzko said of having to make the cuts. "I remember junior hockey, how players wanted badly to be with you. But we have no choice because we had to set the team and move forward. You don't like doing it because you're letting go good hockey players. We're probably letting go guys who can help us so that's how deep this group is. That's hard to watch them walk away but we have to make our decisions."

Friar Foley

Forward Erik Foley (Winnipeg Jets) of Providence College in Hockey East has been working on a line with center Logan Brown (Ottawa Senators) of Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League and Jeremy Bracco (Toronto Maple Leafs) of Kitchener in the OHL during camp.
Foley (6-foot, 197 pounds) has rebounded nicely after missing some time as a freshman in 2015-16 because of an upper-body injury. He was leading the Friars with seven goals (three game-winners) and 15 points in 16 games at the time he left for U.S. selection camp.
"I think I'm just trying to focus on the little details of my game and that's been working for me," Foley said. "I'm just brushing some stuff up and want to have a good work ethic. Working as hard as I can every day and coming to the rink with that mentality is paying off for me."

Common phrase at camp

A common theme throughout camp has been structural freedom.
While Motzko wants his players to have a system in place without the puck in order to guarantee retrieval, he's also given them the green light to be creative and passionate with the puck.
"He wants the guys to be a family and form a brotherhood, and he wants to go-go-go and attack the net, attack the offensive zone and just play," said Boston University forward Kieffer Bellows (New York Islanders). "He wants to put the opposition on their heels, and I love that about him. It shows how aggressive he is. It's a short tournament but you need to be aggressive in these type tournaments."

Devilish prospect

University of Minnesota Duluth forward Joey Anderson (New Jersey Devils) was excited to learn his school remained No. 1 in the USA Today men's hockey poll a fifth straight week.

Anderson has worked with different linemates throughout camp, but did skate with Bellows and White in the intrasquad scrimmage on Monday.
"We're deep team [at Minnesota Duluth] and different guys are doing different things," Anderson said. "The coaching staff makes it very clear that a national ranking is very cool and it's nice to acknowledge that but at the same time use it as motivation to stay there because every team going to be giving us their best."
A third-round choice (No. 73) in the 2016 NHL Draft, Anderson has seven goals and 16 points in 18 games as a freshman.
"I've taken on more responsibility for myself in my own development in a sense because at the National Team Development Program it's very structured in what I'm doing," Anderson said. "Now I'm able to settle into my own routine and figure out what works for me, and that's one thing that's really helped."