Hollett looks to lead with Tigers team

By Sean Rooney on August 21, 2018.

srooney@medicinehatnews.com @MHNRooney

Training camp doesn’t start for another three days and the ice isn’t even in at Canalta Centre, but that’s not stopping the Medicine Hat Tigers’ returnees.

“I think we’ve got 35 (players on the ice),” said 19-year-old goaltender Jordan Hollett during a break at Hockey Hounds Arena Monday evening. “The coaches book the ice time, we come in. The leadership group makes the drills, runs the practice then obviously we do three or four drills, a 4-on-4 scrimmage for a while.”

There’s been precious little time wasted since the veterans arrived in town, everyone excited for another season to begin. Hollett, Ryan Jevne, James Hamblin, Josh Williams, Dylan MacPherson and Bryan Lockner were part of a team leadership getaway in the Cypress Hills this past weekend, and now they’re taking the initiative to get everyone working together before camp officially begins.

“It was really productive,” said Hollett. “We had some talks, got to get more comfortable with the group because obviously it’s important for us to be on the same page.”

For the Langley, B.C. native, most of the summer has been busy too, including a development camp with the Ottawa Senators and working hard knowing there’s a professional contract out there in the next couple years with his name on it. He’ll leave the Tigers Sept. 4 to go back to Ottawa for their main camp.

“I had an unbelievable camp there, the hard work showed off,” he said. “It was motivation coming back for the second half, keep doing what I’m doing and focus on some areas.”

A motivated Hollett will be one of the first ones on the ice Friday morning, an 8 a.m. goalie session kicking off Tigers camp with practices and scrimmages filling in a long day which ends around 9:15 p.m.

Camp continues through until Sunday’s intrasquad game, which begins at 10 a.m.

As a part of the leadership group, Hollett knows he’s got to focus on more than himself, too. He just met import goalie Mads S¿gaard Sunday and will try to help the other five netminders slated to play at camp not feel overwhelmed, like he remembers being as a rookie with the Regina Pats a few years ago.

“Only a goalie knows what a goalie goes through,” said Hollett. “You can always look back to when you were 15, 16, 17 and a little bit nerve-racking coming in to camp. Having a person to talk to, knowing they can be a little relaxed is the most important.”

He felt that way at Senators camp the first time too. After missing his first main NHL camp after being drafted due to a bout of mononucleosis, he’s excited to show what he can do this time around.

“I’m just trying to do the same thing I did at development camp. I’ve been learning a lot… main camp is a bit different, there’s some better-calibre players, the big boys come in so I’m taking in everything I can.”

He’s aware that his season will likely be spent in the Gas City, however. And that’s just fine with him.

“My main focus really is to come back and be a Tiger, just really have a lock-down year this year,” said Hollett. “It’s important for me to be in the leadership group, be a leader for this year as well.”

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