Smith, Lindstrom Highlight Day One of Blue Jackets’ Prospects Development Camp
COLUMBUS, OH
We have hockey in the “Haus”! No, quite literally!
The OhioHealth IceHaus in downtown Columbus is once again home to the annual prospects development camp for the Blue Jackets. There is just as much excitement as ever with both new faces and old taking the ice for a little summer fun to start a week of camp.
31 athletes in total took the ice with plenty of familiar names to the “5th Line”, including the five Jackets’ picks from this year’s draft, led by one young defenseman who is more than excited at the prospect of playing in Columbus.
“I had a couple of days to kind of try to take it all in, and it’s still pretty crazy to me that this is, that this is real” said 2025 first round pick Jackson Smith.
Oh, it’s real, alright. When the Blue Jackets selected Smith fourteenth overall in the first round, they knew they had something special, as his skating was on full display to open up camp.
Smith added, “I think just getting on the ice for these guys and learning from the coaches here. I know there is a great skills development here, so I’m super excited to learn from them.”
There are a lot of expectations for the future Penn State star, but the same can be said for all prospects in attendance, whether this is their first, or even second time at development camp.
“You know, I’ve only been here for a year, for doing these camps, right?” said 2024 second round pick Evan Gardner. “So it is a little different.”
As exciting as it was for all these prospects to show their skills on day one, 2024 first round selection Cayden Lindstrom had a point to prove more than the rest, as he returns from a season’s worth of injury.
“Just coming in the summer to see what I need to work on, and there’s a lot I need to work on after missing a whole year” said Lindstrom.
“So yeah, it was just good to see so I could put a plan together for the summer, and work on the things I need to work on.”
It is going to be quite the busy week at the IceHaus, and we have a ways to go until the season starts. For these young prospects, it all starts here with summer camp on the ice.
Camp continues through Saturday, when the players participate in the prospects game, with puck drop at 9:30 am.
