Going to camp can mean different things for a variety of people. For Red Deer’s Tanner Fandrey it was a chance to see how he measured up against others.
Now this camp was a bit different than the ones which have bunkhouses, lakes and campfire sing-alongs.
This was the first ever Next Gen Prospects camp for sledge hockey in Toronto which had about 30 players from across the country ranging in age from early teens to those in their mid-20’s.
“It was basically an i.d. camp for all the talent Hockey Canada sees currently in sledge hockey,” said the 19 year old who plays the game in Edmonton.
The camp was a different dynamic as you had young players who didn’t reach the 100 pound level going into corner puck battles against 200 pound men, he said.
“But to see how much those young guys grew in those four days was just awesome and it really just shows the bright future of sledge hockey in Canada and our national program.”
Those selected were told they are well on their way to playing in the National Program one day and it was certainly great development for him personally.
He also used the camp to mentor some of the younger players even though he’s not really a grizzled old veteran of the sledge hockey wars at that level after six years of competition with his club team, the Edmonton Impact.
“This is only really my second year on the team but I’ve had lots of experiences with the national team in that time. In that situation I was one of the veterans.”
He has also hit the ice with the developmental team which is a step below the national team as well as heading to his first ever National camp last August.
Fandrey was diagnosed with an inflammatory disease of the spine at the age of 13 which essentially destroyed his hips so he made the transition from standup hockey to sledge and he hasn’t looked back.
This latest camp was just another step for him as he moves closer to his goal of suiting up for his country during the 2018 Olympic Games.
“I still have to make the national team in order to make that happen but I’m well on my way to doing that. Hopefully selection camp in August will go my way this year,” he said.
One thing he took away from this latest camp was how close he is to the players on the national team but he still has work to do to reach that level.
“Honestly my stick handling and puck movement skills are what I have to work on. I don’t find that’s going to be an issue. I just have to put in the time and effort to make it happen,” he said. “Between now and then I just keep shooting pucks.”
He plays defence so those skills are important in stand up hockey but maybe even more so in the sledge hockey game.
“The way the game is played we can’t skate backwards and we can’t pivot as quickly as we can in standup hockey so to miss a pass or to miss a chip off the boards can be completely game-changing,” He said. “The way you have to shift your momentum to try and run around to get a puck you missed can really slow down your game and create a bad turnover.”
Unlike our standup national teams Fandrey says the players in sledge hockey use a different set of muscle groups which can allow a player to have a much longer career on the ice.
“But that being said there are a lot of guys who are nearing the end of their careers on the national team so I think Hockey Canada is looking for those new young rising stars to come up for the 2022 and 2026 Olympics.”
He says his plan still involves the next games in 2018 but if not he has those next two dates to circle on his calendar.
“I’m just looking for that one little piece of my game that I need to be a national elite level hockey player and that’s what I’m still pushing for.”
