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Rookie Stamkos Kept Out Of Prospects Camp

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2008

TAMPA - The top pick from the NHL Entry Draft, 18-year-old Steven Stamkos, took to the ice in his first professional training camp on Tuesday as the new-look Lightning reported to town.

But Stamkos found himself in the middle of a mini-controversy even before he took the ice.

While many of the other top picks from this year's draft are participating in a prospects camp/tournament in Traverse City, Mich., this week - including Atlanta's Zach Bogosian (No. 3 overall) and St. Louis' Alex Pietrangelo (fourth overall) - Stamkos is not part of the Lightning roster of rookies.

"There was a lot of discussion about Stamkos participating in the Traverse City tournament, but because of the short camp this year, at the end of the day, that's what really sealed the deal," Lightning vice president of hockey operations Brian Lawton said. "We sat down and asked ourselves what we wanted to accomplish and would Steven be better served being in Traverse City right now while everybody else is starting testing and everything else."

Tampa Bay does have two players - D Ty Wishart and C Chris Lawrence - playing with the prospects team who will also attend Lightning training camp, but Lawton said the earliest those two could participate in the NHL camp would be Thursday.

Stamkos said he was willing to do whatever the organization asked of him.

"If they would have asked me, I would have been there," Stamkos said. "But it was the team's decision, they are my employer and I do what they say. I know a lot of the guys who are at that camp, and it would have been a fun experience, but that was an executive decision and I have to live by it."

JUICE READY: LW Jussi Jokinen, acquired from Dallas in the Brad Richards trade, reported for his first Lightning camp and said he is ready to prove his worth with 17 forwards competing for roster spots.

"I feel good, and I feel like I'm in the best shape of my career and ready to have the best season of my career," he said. "The only thing I can do is work hard and try to make an impression."

Jokinen, who had two goals and 14 points in 20 games with the Lightning last year, has been frequently mentioned as a possible trade candidate after Tampa Bay brought in nine new forwards either via free agency, trade or the draft.

HELD OUT: Coach Barry Melrose said C Vinny Lecavalier and D Paul Ranger, who are each recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, will be held out of the two planned intrasquad scrimmages later this week. They also will not appear in any of the four preseason game in North America. Melrose said the hope is that both players will be cleared for contact before the two preseason games in Europe before the season starts on Oct. 4 in Prague, Czech Republic, against the New York Rangers.

"We are going to be very careful with both of them, they are both big parts of our team," Melrose said. "We are going to err on the side of being overcautious rather than being undercautious."

NUTS AND BOLTS: LW Nick Tarnasky took a slap shot off his hand during drills that appeared to damage his thumbnail. He required stitches to close the wound but finished the on-ice workout. ... Tonight's radio show on WDAE, 620 AM, will be broadcast live from 6 to 7 from inside the Embassy Suites next to the St. Pete Times Forum. Newly acquired D Andrej Meszaros and Melrose are scheduled to join hosts Rick Peckham and Dave Andreychuk.

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