THIS week will be a busy one for some area hopefuls as they take part in a number of National Hockey League rookie camps and tournaments that will be staged at various locales.
For Thunder Bay’s Robert Bortuzzo, he will be competing in his first rookie camp as a Pittsburgh Penguins draft choice, but will do so in very familiar surroundings.
That is because the Pens are holding their camp in Kitchener, where Bortuzzo currently plays for the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League.
The camp runs Sept. 5-11 and will coincide with a four-team round robin tournament that will feature prospects from the Penguins, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.
One other local connection at that camp features Mike Busniuk who will help coach the Senators squad in the tourney. Busniuk is an assistant coach with Ottawa’s American Hockey League affiliate in Binghamton, N.Y.
Another Thunder Bay native attending a camp this week is Bobby Bolt who will travel west as he takes part in the Anaheim Ducks prospects event that will be highlighted by the Ducks rookies taking on the San =ose Sharks young players Sept. 8-9 in a pair of games in Anaheim.
Meanwhile Marc Staal and Tom Pyatt will play for the New York Rangers rookie squad that will compete in an eight-team prospects tournament in Traverse City, Mich.
Atlanta, Detroit, Minnesota, Dallas, Columbus, Tampa Bay and St. Louis will also be represented with recently signed Chris Porter of Thunder Bay suiting up for the Blues hopefuls.
Also heading to his first camp in a Philadelphia Flyers uniform will be Ryan Parent of Sioux Lookout who will battle for a spot during the Flyers camp Sept. -12. That event will conclude with the Philadelphia rookies taking on a similar squad from the Washington Capitals in a contest that will be played at the Flyers training facility in Voorhees, N.J.
BACK AT THE HELM: The Peoria Rivermen of the AHL recently announced they have re-signed team captain and Terrace Bay native Aaron MacKenzie for the 2007-08 season.
The 26-year-old defenceman begins his fifth year in the St. Louis Blues system.
In 259 games in the AHL the former Thunder Bay Flyers and University of Denver Pioneers standout has scored 10 goals and picked 45 points to go along with 295 minutes in penalties helping anchor the Peoria defensive corps.
OFF TO ITALY: After spending the past four seasons playing in Germany it’s off to Italy for Jeremy Adduono.
The Thunder Bay product has inked a deal to play for Val Pusteria Wolves in the nine-team Italian Hockey League.
In 429 career games as a pro the 29-year-old forward has scored 110 goals and chipped in with 137 assists for 247 points.
IMPRESSIVE DEBUT: Chris Bryson wasted little time in making a positive impression with his new club after being acquired by the Central Junior Hockey League-champion Pembroke Lumber Kings from the Schreiber Diesels of the SIJHL last week for financial and future considerations.
Bryson, 20, scored a natural first period hat trick in a 5-2 exhibition encounter with the North Bay Skyhawks of the NOJHL on Aug. 31.
The Schreiber product added an assist the following night in a 2-2 tie vs. Wellington of the OPJHL.
Bryson will continue his travels with his new club as Pembroke travels to Yarmouth, N.S., later in the week for a series of games on the East Coast.