Sharks Development Camp Notebook: Day 1

Development Camp is often the first event of the next season, and the San Jose Sharks just finished the first day.

With top prospects like Ivar Stenberg, Keaton Verhoeff, and Ryan Lin taking the ice for the first time, there was a lot to take in. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky isn’t running the camp, which is customary. San Jose Barracuda head coach John McCarthy handles the lead role for the camp.

“It’s an exciting time to be a part of the organization in general,” McCarthy said. “I thought the Sharks took a step last year, and you can see that the future is bright.”The The

San Jose Sharks development camp isn’t about the on-ice activities as much as it is learning who each prospect is. Defenseman and 2025 NHL Draft 2nd round pick Haoxi (Simon) Wang understands that the second time around.

“Definitely going to my second year, talking to new guys. Let them know what’s going on. [Tell them] how the camp is like,” Wang said. “Tell them not to get too stressed out on things, because developing it’s not really evaluations. [It’s] more of a learning experience for us, just to see how this organization operates.”

Stenberg was the star of the show, as expected. With kids chanting his name every time he touched the puck, the 2nd overall pick enjoyed his first day in teal.

“Super fun to see yourself in the new colors,” Stenberg said. “It’s been super cool, super fun for sure. [I’ve been] dreaming of this moment my whole life, and I’m here.”

Stenberg is rooming with Verhoeff and told reporters that anytime you’re around someone like that, it makes you happier.

“Super fun, super good guy. We have fun together, so that’s awesome,” Stenberg said of Verhoeff. “You get happy when you’re with him. Rooming with a guy like that, it’s perfect.”

Verhoeff opened the eyes of McCarthy, specifically the smoothness in which he skated.

“Verhoeff skated well. I thought he was pretty smooth in the skating work,” McCarthy said. “I was working with the forward group, so he was down the other end. But in the small game he made some nice plays with the puck.”

Like Stenberg, Verhoeff is trying to soak up as much information he can from the coaches on and off the ice.

“Getting on the ice today and feeling it out a bit. Talking with some of those guys out in the ice [and] taking in whatever they can say,” Verhoeff explained. “I think just the way carry yourself, that’s a big thing. The culture they have around in San Jose, and to be a Shark, what it takes, things like that.”

The other thing Verhoeff got to experience was skating with the Sharks 7th-round pick Alexander Karmanov. The 7-foot-1 d-man was easily visible and although his skating clearly needs work, Verhoeff had high praise.

“It’s nuts. Like, I mean, standing by him, even like just off the ice, and you see him, and he’s not tall and skinny either. He’s tall, big, like strong,” Verhoeff said. “It was cool on the ice, to see him skate and see him out there.”

The San Jose Sharks culture is changing, and getting to the Stanley Cup Playoffs is becoming a non-negotiable within the organization. They mentality is already beginning to resonate with the prospects at development camp.

Plenty more to come from development camp as the media was given many players after day one!