The timing of this year's camp is also something that I think has led to that uptick in intensity. A lot of times when you got to development camp in the middle of the summer, you're usually not used to being back on the ice yet. In July, you're usually just focusing on building up strength.
For a lot of guys, going from being in the middle of your summer workouts to playing at a high pace in camp, it can be tough. But with this year's camp being held in September, I feel like all the guys - myself included - are more ready for all of the skating drills, on-ice battles and pace.
Given the timing, this year's camp is also about half the size of a usual camp. With a smaller group like this, you get to know the guys a lot quicker. As you can imagine, it can be hard to know everybody's name when you're thrown into a group of 50 guys you've never met before.
With only 24 of us in this year's camp, we've all been able to get to know each other better on a more personal level. Since there's only one group of us, it doesn't even really feel like a typical development camp. It really feels like we're a normal team having a lot of practices together.
That being said, I think we're all happy to take a break from practice and play some games.
As we prepare to leave for the Prospect Showcase Tournament in Wesley Chapel on Friday, all of us are really excited. Once we start playing games, it feels like the season is off and running. This is why we work so hard. We all just love to play the game. We love to compete. It's so fun.
For myself, I want to focus on paying attention to the details during each game and playing with good habits. If you play with good habits and do things the right way, everything else really falls into place. I feel the stronger you play defensively, the more offensive opportunities you will get.
We've all put in a lot of work these past few days.
Now it's time to have some fun and drop the puck.
Thanks for reading,
Logan
\As told to FloridaPanthers.com's Jameson Olive*
