Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey

NJEC: Alex DeBrincat talks about World Junior camp, first summer with Blackhawks

Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey
Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey

 

By @MichaelCaples –

PLYMOUTH – It’s been a summer of ‘firsts’ for Alex DeBrincat.

First, it was being drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks. Then, it was the first development camp with his new NHL parent club.

This week, it’s his first experience with the National Junior Evaluation Camp.

While he’s one of the team veterans – DeBrincat suited up for Team USA at the 2016 World Juniors in Finland – he didn’t take part in the national camp last summer, so this brand of summer hockey is new to the Farmington Hills native.

“It’s good,” DeBrincat said. “I’ve never been to the summer camp before, so it’s a new experience and it’s pretty fun meeting all these new guys who I’ve never met before. It’s a good group.”

His lack of NJEC experience hasn’t kept DeBrincat from trying to be a leader for the rest of the U.S. camp roster, however, considering he is one of only a handful of players who competed in Helsinki for the Red, White and Blue last winter.

“Yeah, I mean, playing one year, I don’t know how much of a leader to be, but I think it’s good for people to get some thoughts on what it’s like to play in the tournament and just stuff like that.”

He’s in familiar territory, as well – DeBrincat played in plenty of games at the host site of the NJEC, Plymouth’s USA Hockey Arena (formerly Compuware Arena) during his youth hockey days with cross-town rival Victory Honda.

“It’s different,” DeBrincat said when asked about the changes to the building. “It was always the Whalers’ rink, or Compuware…they did a great job with the place, and it’s really fun to come back here and play.”

DeBrincat set up the game-winning goal for Team USA in their come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Sweden Wednesday afternoon, which comes as no surprise to the U.S. coaching staff. The Farmington Hills native has posted 205 points in two seasons with the OHL’s Erie Otters, which led to him being selected by the Chicago Blackhawks at No. 39 overall in this summer’s NHL Draft (we talked to him about that experience in this story).

DeBrincat took part in his first Blackhawks development camp July 10-15, and he said he enjoyed getting the opportunity to skate with his new organization.

“It was good,” DeBrincat said. “Good to see what they want out of me and just that pace of game just kind of helps me out here. I think it was definitely a success.”

The 5-foot-7-inch forward expects that he will spend another season with his OHL team, however.

“I think I’ll probably go back to Erie, but, I’m hoping for the best. We’ll see what happens.”

As it stands now, if he’s still in Erie, DeBrincat will have another shot at a World Junior gold medal with Team USA – a decent consolation prize, to be sure.