Cameron, Wildcats rebounding together
Published Tuesday October 7th, 2008
Detroit Red Wings draft pick looking to take flight
Moncton Wildcats centre Randy Cameron isn't sure if it was the sophomore jinx that got him.
He just hopes that whatever contributed to his downfall last season is a thing of the past as he moves forward in his Quebec Major Junior Hockey League career. This is the story of player who's looking to rebound and make a statement after failing to live up to expectations last season.
"I don't know what happened last season,'' he said. "I can't realy explain it. I think maybe I was too distracted by wondering what Detroit was thinking and wondering if they were watching me.
"This season, I'm just going into games trying to have fun because at the end of the day it's a game and it's supposed to be fun. I'm just focused on playing hockey and I'm not worried about anything else. I'm more focused and I think it's showing in my play.''
Of course, it's easier for Cameron to have fun these days. Moncton is off to a 7-0-1-0 start to the season, the best in franchise history, and the atmosphere is so much different compared to last season when the club finished second worst in the league.
"I'm definitely having more fun this season,'' he said. "Any time you're on a winning team, everyone is going to have their own individual success as well. As long as I can do my part to help the team keep winning, that's the most important thing. That's more important than any personal stats.''
The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, 8-1-0-0, sit atop the QMJHL with 16 points. Moncton is the only club that doesn't have a regulation time loss and it's tied with the Drummondville Voltigeurs for second overall in the league with 15 points.
The Wildcats, No. 2 in the Canadian Hockey League rankings, will face the Victoriaville Tigres on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Moncton Coliseum.
Cameron has been stuck on the No. 39 during his major junior career. He was selected in the third round -- 39th overall -- in the 2006 QMJHL draft and he followed up with 39 points in each of his first two seasons in the league.
The 19-year-old from Cornwall, P.E.I. missed the start of this season while attending his second training camp with the Detroit Red Wings, who claimed him in the fifth round of the 2007 National Hockey League draft. He's off to a good start with five points, including one goal, in four games.
"This year, I went to NHL camp a lot more confident and I think it showed in my play there,'' he said. "I was a lot more aggressive on the puck. I scored a couple of goals and got some points in the rookie tournament and did well in the main camp.
"I'm a year older, I'm more mature and I knew more what to expect this time. I wasn't a wide-eyed rookie going in there like my first year. I went there trying not to pay attention to whose name was on the back of the jersey. I just thought of everybody as another player.''
Moncton is counting on Cameron, 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, to develop into a productive forward on the top two lines. Does the third-year veteran have any personal goals for this season?
"I don't set personal goals for statistics,'' he said. "I just want to work as hard as I can and help out the team as much as possible. I'll be happy with whatever number of points I end up with if the team keeps winning. Team success is always the most important thing.
"Detroit told me to go back to Moncton, keep working on my two-way game and be a leader on the team. I feel a lot better on the ice and more confident this season. I feel a lot stronger and faster. I'm in the best shape of my life. I'm winning more battles now. My second and third efforts on the puck are a lot better this season.''
Moncton earned three of a possible four points in the past two games. It defeated the Shawinigan Cataractes 4-2 on Friday and then picked up a single point in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Saint John Sea Dogs on Sunday.
"We like to prove ourselves against the top teams in the league,'' said Cameron. "Everyone says that Shawinigan and Saint John are two of the top teams and we did alright against them. I don't think we played our best game against Saint John.
"I knew we were going to be a better team this season, but I wasn't expecting a start like this. That was tough to swallow (losing to Saint John in overtime the last game). After a loss like that, we're anxious for our next game on Friday.''
If Cameron doesn't sign with Detroit by June 1, he will re-enter the 2009 NHL draft.
"He had a good summer in terms of his strength and his conditioning,'' said Moncton head coach Danny Flynn. "He's been to an NHL camp twice so I think he knows from conversations with our staff and their staff in Detroit that this is a really important season for him in terms of his hockey growth.
"He seems to be a step quicker and he's stronger on the puck. He's been pretty consistent so far. There's no question that one of the keys for our team this season is how much several of the veterans have lifted their game. It's still early, but it looks like Cameron has taken his game up a notch.
"I had a good sit down with him before he went to Detroit's camp and then when he came back. He was frustrated last season. Nothing seemed to go right for him and I think his confidence wavered a little bit. He's come back really ready to go this season and he's been solid so far.''
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