Kent-based Seattle Thunderbirds defensemen Shea Theodore and Jared Hauf, center Alexander Delnov and left wing Mitch Elliot are off this week to participate in NHL training camps.
“The opportunity to attend a professional camp is a great experience for these players as they work to move forward with their careers,” said T-Birds general manager Russ Farwell in a media release. “To see the intensity and attention to detail needed to play at the next level will help them and us as we head into the coming season.”
Theodore will attend the Anaheim Ducks camp. He was their first-round selection, 26th overall, in the 2013 NHL Draft. Last season Theodore was third on the T-Birds in scoring with 19 goals and 31 assists for 50 points with 32 penalty minutes.
Delnov will join the camp of the Florida Panthers. He was their fourth-round selection, 114th overall, in the 2012 NHL Draft. Delnov had 20 goals and 29 assists for 49 points last season with the T-Birds. The T-Birds acquired Delnov in the 2012 CHL Import draft with their first round selection.
Elliot will attend the Vancouver Canucks camp as a free agent invite. Last season he played 63 games and had two goals and three assists with 147 penalty minutes.
Hauf will attend the Philadelphia Flyers camp as a free agent invite. He had 11 assists in 72 games with 80 penalty minutes last season. Hauf was ranked 103rd in the NHL Central Scouting Rankings for draft eligible players in 2013.
Seattle right wing Branden Troock, selected by the Dallas Stars in the fifth round, 134th overall, in the 2012 NHL Draft, is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery and will not be attending the Stars camp.
The T-Birds travel to Kennewick for two games at the Red Lion Hotels’ Preseason Tournament at the Toyota Center. On Friday, they will face the Tri-City Americans at 7:05 p.m., and on Saturday, the T-Birds will play the Portland Winterhawks at 3 p.m.
Seattle closes out the preseason schedule with a home-and-home series against the Everett Silvertips. The T-Birds visit Everett on Friday, Sept. 13, for a 7:35 p.m. game. The T-Birds then make their only pre-season appearance at ShoWare Center on Saturday, Sept. 14 for a 7:05 p.m. contest against the Silvertips.
The T-Birds open the 2013-14 regular season against the Portland Winterhawks at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the ShoWare Center.
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