CAMP NOTEBOOK - September 24

WILKES-BARRE, PA –   A lot can happen for a hockey player in the span of two weeks.  Just ask Joey Haddad.

It was just 15 days ago that Haddad was among a group of free agent invitees who suited up for the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Kitchener Rookie Tournament.  Nothing jumped our about the native of Sydney, Nova Scotia – until he took to the ice with his new teammates.

Haddad notched a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening game, and performed well enough to stand out from the crowd as the three-day exhibition schedule came to an end.

The majority of the unsigned players and Pens draftees were sent packing at the conclusion of the tournament, and Haddad figured he faced the same fate as he awaited his turn to sit down with the Dan Bylsma after a win against the Ottawa Senators.

Joey Haddad Audio | Dan Bylsma Audio

“After the last game in Kitchener, they put up a sheet of people who had meetings with the coaches and scouts.  I was actually the last guy to go in, and everybody else who came out was like, ‘yeah I’m going back to junior, I’m going here.’  So I kind of knew what to expect,” he said.  “[But] I went in and they invited me [to training camp in Pittsburgh], and I was pretty shocked.  But at the same time really happy and looking forward to the opportunity.”

“Joey Haddad was an ATO tryout guy at the camp and got invited to main camp because he made some impressions,” said Bylsma.  “If you were there for game one [of the Kitchener tournament], he was a difference maker, showed his shot, his size, skated pretty well for a big guy…He did some good things in game two, did some good things in game three, and we said hey, we need to look at this guy further.”

Haddad skated with the big club for a few days, and didn’t look out of place before being assigned to camp in Wilkes-Barre.  So far the 19-year old has continued to show the skill that made him a 31 goal scorer with Cape Breton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season.

“He ripped a couple shots, he won battles in the corner, got in on the forecheck, his skating was good,” Bylsma said of the youngsters performance in Wednesday morning’s intra-squad scrimmage.  “And he continued to show that he deserves a look at this level.

“Every test so far, he continues to pass in terms of showing he has some pro potential.”

Haddad is hoping to showcase that potential even more this weekend, when the Penguins take on the Binghamton Senators.  A good showing there could land him his first pro deal.

“All I’m doing right now is trying to earn a contract.  That’s the main thing, that’s number one on my list,” he said.

NOTES: Nine of the 13 players assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Tuesday must clear waivers before officially joining the team (Ryan Stone, Jonathan Filewich, Deryk Engelland, T.J. Kemp, Adam Henrich, David Gove, Kris Beech, Chris Minard, Joey Mormina). The waiver period for the preseason assignements is expected to end on Monday, at which time all of those players will be permitted to particpate in game action.