Productive summer for Hobson

Adam Hobson’s summer could be summed up like one of those novelty T-shirts you buy on vacation.

In his case, the slogan on front might read: “I went to Europe and won a world hockey championship, but all I got was this crummy jersey.”

Not that he feels that way, personally. But that literally is all Hobson has to show for a very successful summer of hockey.

Hobson, 17, is a forward with the Spokane Chiefs. He’s one of 17 returning players who are participating in three days of practices and scrimmages at the Spokane Arena this weekend which continue today and conclude with Sunday’s 1 p.m. Red-White game.

It was just two weeks ago that Hobson and his Canadian under-18 (U-18) teammates won the world championship in the tournament at the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

As his team went 5-0 en route to the title, Hobson scored a goal and assist. However, the perks of a world title were limited. There were no medals awarded to the players and the plastic team trophy stayed in Europe.

So, all Hobson has to show for being a world champion is his Team Canada jersey. Not that he’s complaining. He says it was an honor to represent his country, one year after doing the same on Canada’s national U-17 team. And his game is the better for it.

“It was exciting to see all the competition,” Hobson said. “You basically just rolled the lines for the whole time. When you’re picking from that many players, it’s kind of like the skill level doesn’t drop. It never dropped down.”

Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz says opportunities like the U-18 team are irreplaceable to developing players such as Hobson.

“Those experiences are just so invaluable,” said Speltz. “You’re with the best players in your age group in the world, firstly. That’s a great opportunity, just to be at the summer camp.

“To make the team is another step. Then, to win a gold just tops it off. Those are experiences he’ll always have to draw from and aren’t going to do anything but make him better and make the players around him better. “

The making of the team was quite a whirlwind. After a two-day camp in Alberta, players were notified at 6 a.m. the following morning whether they made the team. Those who did make the team had practice that day and took off for Europe via Montreal the following day, then started immediately into the tournament.

Hobson said in part due to the busy schedule and some trip-related illnesses, he dropped 10 pounds over 10 days, but he gained them back this summer.

Chiefs open camp

The Chiefs hit the ice Friday with three teams of 20 players each going through three practices and three scrimmages.

The three-day camp will continue today with three more practices and games, after which the Chiefs’ coaching and scouting staff will make some cuts and roster decisions for Sunday.

Chiefs coach Al Conroy said the first day was what was expected by him and his staff: no surprises. Yet.

“It was a real tough day for the kids,” Conroy said. “They were on the ice for four, four and a half hours. That’s a tough first day. It was a great chance for us to evaluate, but we definitely understand it was a long day and some guys are tired. At the same time, I thought the effort was good.”

Conroy stressed that no one either made the team or took themselves out of contention for one of the limited roster spots. The Chiefs return 17 players and will carry 25 or so into the exhibition season.

The first day included the Chiefs’ debut of Michael Grabner, the team’s only pick in this year’s European Import draft. Grabner, 16, impressed.

“I thought Michael had a real good day,” said Conroy. “It was only his fourth time on the ice all summer. So, for him to come in and play with that kind of speed and poise, that was excellent.”

Notes

Local products had a good day, led by forward Derek Ryan, a returning player. Also making an impression were former and current Braves Sean Zimmerman, Jason Greenwell, and Ryan Pajimola, among others. … There were three fights on the day, most involving newer players trying to get the attention of coaches. … The line of Jeff Lynch, Chad Klassen, and Chris Bruton, a 17-year-old rookie, caused a lot of trouble for opposing defensemen. … The day’s biggest surprise was likely 19-year-old rookie forward Peter Fylling, a North Dakota prep product. … All of today’s events are free to the public.