Local duo experiences US Evaluation Camp

A pair of Maine natives are on the radar of USA Hockey as they recently took part in the organizations World Junior Evaluation camp in Lake Placid, New York.

Jon Gilles and Brian Hart, who will attend Providence College and Harvard University, respectively attended the evaluation camp, which is which is the first step in USA Hockey’s preparations for the IIHF World Junior Championships.

The World Junior Championship, which is being held this year in Ufa, Russia beginning Dec. 26, is for players who were born in 1993 or later.

“It was good to see all the guys especially the (National Team Development Program) kids who I grew up with and played against,” said Gillies, the South Portland native who was drafted in the third round by the Calgary Flames this past June.

For Hart, becoming accustomed to the speed the game was an extra challenge for him as he was the only player of the 46 invited to play high school hockey last year.

“Being the only high school player at the camp,” said Hart, who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. “I spent the whole time adjusting to less time and space.”

Gillies was one of four goaltenders invited to the camp. In his three games in net, he posted a 5.39GAA and a .814 save percentage, but Gillies was quick to point out that those stats didn’t paint the entire picture of the eight day camp.

“This is one time stats are deceiving because it’s very where I look at a goal and say ‘I would like to have that back’ but I would like to add it was a great play,” Gillies added.

The first half the week Team USA was split into two teams, playing against Sweden and Finland. Gillies played alongside John Gibson, who was on last year’s World Junior team and is projected to be the number one goaltender come December for the US.

“I have known John (Gibson) for a little bit now through the Warren Strelow’s goaltender camp,” Gillies said of the 2011 second round draft pick of Anaheim. “It was just learning from him and how he carries himself. He’s a world class goaltender. You can see how easy he makes it.”

Hart’s run at the evaluation camp came to early end, but admittedly he acknowledged that he expected that outcome.

“I expected to be cut early because I didn’t do anything to deserve to stay there,” said Hart. “I hadn’t been skating that much before the camp and I didn’t show what I’m capable of.”

“Nobody likes to get cut from a team, but I now know where I match up and where I need to be down the road.”

Hart played in three games recording no points.

Gillies had no idea if any goalies would be let go early.

“I had no idea if (USA Hockey) intended to keep all four goalies all along,” Gillies stated. “The only thing I knew coach (Joe) Exeter (Ohio State and World Junior goaltender coach) had told me I had video with him one-on-one after practice on the day of the cuts. The cuts were in the morning so I figured I was staying.”

Both say after a long and an exciting summer, they are ready to focus on the college hockey season.

“As exciting as this summer was,” said Hart. “I have a lot to improve on and that’s what I look forward to doing this year. First thing I’m going to attack is my skating stride and getting lower to the ice.”

“I am really excited to go down (to Providence) and it’s not weird for me because I didn’t have a gap in school or anything, so it was like any other summer,” Gillies said. “I didn’t get to meet too many of (my teammates) because I didn’t go to summer school. So I am excited to get down there and get started.”

USA Hockey will continue to keep tabs on all the players who were at camp before they invite 28-30 players in December for the final camp where the team will be announced.

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