Young and Perkovich show their toughness, other skills at rookie camp

Defenseman Harry Young is determined to demonstrate all facets of his game during the Devils' rookie camp this week at Prudential Center.

And one of those facets is fighting.

So, when the opportunity to drop the gloves with right wing Nathan Perkovich presented itself in the first period of this morning's scrimmage, Young did not hesitate.

"It was just a hard-working shift, two guys battling," Young said. "It's just part of the game, especially part of my game. Tempers will rise out there and it was just two guys battling, nothing beyond that."

Young, 19, also had a fight in a scrimmage with Matt Corrente during last year's rookie camp.

"I got in quite a few fights the last few years," said Young, who had 138 penalty minutes in 46 regular season games with Windsor this past season. "I guess part of what I want to showcase too, but that's not what it was about. It's just really intense out there. It's great for the camp because everybody is working hard and everybody is battling out there and that just shows it."

Perkovich, a Devils' eighth-round pick in 2004, was a willing participant.

"I was just battling hard and Harry asked me to go and I said, 'All right, let's go,' Perkovich said.

Perkovich said there have been no restrictions from the coaching staff about fighting in the camp.

"It was a good bout," he said.

Young got the better of Perkovich in the fight, but Perkovich later scored the final goal for the White Team in its 5-3 victory in the scrimmage.

"I guess (the fight) is why I got my feet moving," he said. "It's always good to get one like that."

***

There is more to Young's game to fighting and he's determined to show how much he's progressed as a player in the last year.

"It's going pretty well for me so far." Young said. "It's going a lot better than last year. I knew what to expect. I wasn't as nervous and I came in in the best shape possible. I feel like I improved a lot this season, so I'm just trying to show that right now."

Young, who was a seventh-round draft choice in 2008, has size (6-5, 200), strength and toughess, but knew he had to work on his skating to make the jump to the next level. That isn't the only area where he believes he's improved, though.

"I definitely worked on my skating back home, a lot of power skating," he said. "But, just my confidence overall. We had a great year in Windsor. We went to the Memorial Cup and just that whole experience has been great for everybody on the team, really. I feel like I learned a lot through the playoffs and that experience."

Young was the captain of the Windsor Spitfires team that won the Memorial Cup for the first time. He was a member of the team when Spitfires captain Mickey Renaud died suddenly in 2007-08 because of a rare heart condition.

"It's pretty much been a three-year turnaround," he said. "The management took over and brought in all of the players they wanted. We had a lot to overcome on that team. We went from being one of the worst teams in Canada to the best. We learned a lot. There were a lot of leaders on that team. It's been a great experience."

Young hopes that being a captain of a winning team like that will pay off for him down the road in his professional career.

"I think so," he said. "Every kind of team loves those kind of qualities. Being captain, especially of my hometown team, you couldn't ask for more of a dream come true, especially winning that championships.,"

Young hopes to take the next step by signing a professional contract with the Devils and playing in the minor leagues in 2009-10. If that doesn't happen, he can go back to Windsor as an overage junior.

"I'm eligible to play an overage season of junior or I can play in the American Hockey League, ECHL," he said. "Right now, it's up in the air."

Young said he would "love to" sign with the Devils.

"Right now, I guess they are going to see where I'm going to develop best and they'll make that decision," he said. "But, of course, I want to be successful. I want to move on and I want to make the most out of this."

***

Perkovich also is feeling more comfortable at camp this year. He was able to get his feet wet as a professional by signing a two-year pro contract with the Devils after finishing up his season at Lake Superior State in March. He played in six ECHL playoff games for Trenton and ha d agoal and three assists.

"I got a taste of the pro game and it was a great experience for me," he said. "It was a step forward in my progression to hopefully becoming an NHL hockey player."

The 6-foot-5, 195-pound Perkovich had 12 goals and 12 assists in 35 games as a junior with Lake Superior State last season.

"I learned a lot from last year's camp," he said. "The coaches here really helped me out with my defensive play and my position, so I took that back to college with me last year and that helped me out a lot, defensively and overall as a player."

Comments

[Classic Devil]

TG - has Patrice Cormier also signed an ELC? Capgeek.com has him signed and I trust their sources, but I'd like some real confirmation.

[Zorin]

T-Gizzle. Next story must be schedule release. Get on it, bro. /fist pound.

[Burger Time]

do other teams have restrictions on fighting in these camps?

[Zorin]

I heard that other teams, when it gets physical...they pull out Mike Tyson Punch out for Wii and let the guys go at it, LOL.

[Neil S]

Burger Time it depends on the team, some do and some don't. Some have sort of unwritten/unspoken rules that you don't go after established guys and leave it to the unprovens to go at it.

[frankied]

@Classic Devil:

http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/est-quebec/2009/06/30/006-patrice-cormier-oceanic-devils.shtml

http://www.sportsjuniors.com/?p=7906

[HF]

i guess we find out our Devs news from the candian and swedish press?

[TG]

We're about 5 mins away from the schedule release.

[pando20rules]

HF,

I think you disrespected TG there, we learn the most from TG!!!!

[Classic Devil]

Great, thanks Frank.

[Burger Time]

HA! I wanna try that new Punchout game. I loved the original.

[frankied]

Yeah HF, that one was pretty under the radar, huh. I wonder why the secrecy. I'm excited though... Lou must think pretty highly of him to sign him at 19 years old. Hopefully he impresses and gets a mid-season call up.

[Neil S]

frankied, since he's only 19 and his birthday is after December 31st, Cormier's only options are to play in the NHL or play junior. He's likely headed to one more year of junior and won't see any NHL time this year.

[HF]

no disrespect to TG who is awesome to us devs fans and is much appreciated. Just saying its weird that the Oduya signing, lemaire signing, and now cormier have all been first mentioned via the foreign press.

[Zorin]

pando20rules...

Change ur name to TG1rules. Lord knows he does more on and of the ice than Pando does. haha.

I've seen TG skate..

[HF]

with regards to cormier, im extremely excited to have him signed and will play in lowell this year i assume. He's going to be an NHL player and be an effective 2-way center for the devs, good drafting! With Zajac-Cormier-Josefson-Henrique, the future of the devs down the middle at center is really bright!!

[pando20rules]

Zorin,

I will have to consider that

[Neil S]

HF, Patrice Cormier is not eligible to play in Lowell this season. He just turned 19 and will not turn 20 until after next season is over. He'll be back in the Q this year.

[frankied]

@Neil S

Why sign him already? Doesn't that just make him become an RFA faster?

[Neil S]

@frankied,You don't hold onto a draftees rights forever. You have 2 years to sign a drafted player or you lose their rights and they can reenter the draft or sign as a free agent. Signing him now basically shows a sign of good faith between him and the team, and they had to sign him this year or next year they'd lose his rights.

[frankied]

Thanks Neil, but what's stopping a player, who doesn't like the team that drafted him or wants to make more money, from just refusing to sign so that he can re-enter the draft or become a UFA?

[Neil S]

Nothing. Lots of guys refuse to play for the team that drafted them. Most recently Blake Wheeler of the Bruins did it, refused to sign with Phoenix and signed an ELC with the Bruins.

[Neil S]

I take that back, "lots" of guys haven't pulled the "I'm not playing there" move but many times guys aren't signed and return to the draft or become undrafted free agents. Wheeler was the most recent one I can think of to refuse to sign with the team that drafted him and signed a free agent entry level contract.

[frankied]

I wonder why more players don't do it.

[Jason]

Isn't the other Cormier a goon? How about him and PL3 drop em.