Wild To Host Development Camp

Once again, the smacking of pucks off the glass and the rumbling of body checks will return to the Xcel Energy Center. The Minnesota Wild will host its 2010 Development Camp featuring Wild prospects, beginning on Tuesday, July 13 and concluding with scrimmages on Saturday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18. Saturday's scrimmage will be open to Season Ticket Holders only, and Sunday's matchup will be open to anybody. Gate One will open both days at 10:30 a.m.

Seven players with NHL experience - Cody Almond, Colton Gillies, Petr Kalus, Casey Wellman, Justin Falk, Maxim Noreau and Nate Prosser - will attend the camp that currently has 37 players attending. 

Five of the six members of the Wild's 2010 Draft class, with the exception of first rounder Mikael Granlund, will also be in attendance, including: Brett Bulmer, Johan Gustafsson, Johan Larsson, Dylen McKinlay and Jason Zucker.

They will be joined by other Wild prospects and several intriguing invitees. High-scoring forwards Justin Fontaine (Minnesota-Duluth), Tyler Johnson (Spokane and U.S. World Junior Team) and Matt Read (Bemidji State), and free agent defenseman Cameron Schilling (Miami University) are among 10 non-roster invites.

This past season, the Wild signed three college free agents, including Miami's Jarod Palmer, who attended the Wild's 2009 Development Camp. 

Other big names include:

• Marco Scandella, who some say is an NHL ready defenseman.
• Matthew Hackett, who may be the Wild's goaltender of the future.
• Kristopher Foucault, who had a huge playoff season and helped lead the WHL's Calgary Hitmen to a Memorial Cup appearance.
• Erik Haula, a future Gopher who turned in a spectacular season in the USHL.
• Dennis Endras, the Wild's most recent free agent signing, who was named the Best Goaltender while representing Germany at the 2010 IIHF World Championship.

Under the direction of Houston Aeros Head Coach Mike Yeo and the Wild's Director of Player Development Brad Bombardir, the group will spend three days on the ice practicing, before a pair of scrimmages on Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 a.m.