Former Bonnyville Pontiacs forward Spencer Foo got a little taste of the pro's last week suiting up at San Jose Sharks development camp.
Foo, a 6-foot, 180-pound forward, joined 39 other prospects in San Jose for the weeklong development camp.
“I definitely enjoyed it a lot. It was awesome,” said Foo on Sunday after returning to Edmonton.
The camp was a fast-paced atmosphere, which kept the prospects busy the entire time there were down in California.
Players would arrive at the rink at 6:45 a.m. to eat breakfast and meet with the coaching staff before heading onto the ice for practice. Once that was over they would go into the gym for a workout and fitness testing before breaking for lunch. After the meal they would head back out onto the ice for another practice, which was capped off by a small scrimmage.
“There were a lot of skilled guys there. A lot of European players that definitely have some special skills,” said Foo. “It was a different style. It wasn't college hockey.”
A stellar first season at Union College was what put Foo onto the Sharks radar. The Edmonton, Alta. native notched 11 goals and 25 points in 39 games during his first NCAA season and was named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) All-Rookie Team.
Once the season ended NHL teams started handing out invites to their development camps, it was at this time that San Jose contacted Union and inquired about Foo.
“Obviously with it being my first camp I didn't really know what to expect,” said Foo. “I didn't really have any expectations heading into it.”
The highlight of the camp came on July 9 when the Sharks hosted an official scrimmage and opened the doors to the public. The prospects were split into to squads – Team Ricci and Team Marchment – and played two 25-minute halves at the SAP Center.
“It was cool to have that many fans out there. It was a lot of fun,” said Foo. “It was high paced with a lot of fast and skilled players.”
Foo found himself on Team Ricci, skating with players such as Sharks 2013 first round pick Miro Mueller and 2014 first round pick Nikolay Goldobin.
“There were some really good players there who seem to be pretty close (to the NHL). Guys who are looking to step into an actual role with the organization,” said Foo. “It was definitely a little taste of what I am going to see.”
While the camp was an unforgettable experience for Foo, he still kept everything in perspective.
“Development camp is good to go get experience but my sights are really on next year and having the best year I can at Union,” said Foo.
“My first year was good. It was a little different than junior. I got to fit into a role right away and really just tried to make the best of my opportunity there.”
