CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – Corpus Christi IceRays alumni defenseman Grant Hutton has been invited to participate in the Toronto Maple Leafs Development Camp beginning on Thursday, July 6 in Toronto, becoming the first player in junior franchise history to earn multiple NHL development camp invites.
NHL development camps are a week-long event with players selected by the respective hosting team at the 2017 NHL Draft, top rookies, future prospects, and free agents the team may have an interest in signing. The camp is a chance for prospective players to impress NHL scouts and coaches while also gaining the chance to improve their skills prior to the 2017-18 season.
Hutton, 21, enters his second development camp after spending the first week of NHL camps with the Vegas Golden Knights. He became part of the franchise’s first NHL development camp and the first potential skaters to play on NHL ice in Las Vegas. Hutton completed his second season with Miami University (Ohio) in the National Collegiate Athletic Conference (NCHC) and described to Cutler Klein of VegasGoldenKnights.com the differences between NHL development camps and the NCAA level.
“I think just maturity level,” said Hutton via the Golden Knights. “The coaching staffs all over the country for the NCAA are great. But, I think just size, putting on mass, getting bigger, stronger, faster. It sounds cliché, but it’s really important when you move up to the next level, so I think it prepares you in a lot of ways. But, definitely it’s great to be bigger, stronger and faster and utilize the weight rooms and facilities that college has to offer.”
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound defenseman recording nine goals and nine assists for 18 points with 34 penalty minutes through 36 games with the RedHawks last season while earning his first collegiate goal on Oct. 7, 2016 against then-reigning NCAA Champion Providence College and recording the highest goals by a RedHawks defenseman since 2007-08. He was named to the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team and led all RedHawks defensemen in points while earning three multi-point games, including a pair of assists against the University of Minnesota Duluth on March 10 during the NCHC Playoffs.
Hutton becomes the first player in IceRays junior franchise history to earn multiple NHL camp invites, and his trip to Toronto is the fourth camp attended by an IceRays connection this off-season, joining Hutton’s trip to Vegas, forward Nico Sturm (‘13-’14) (Winnipeg), and goaltender Tomáš Vomáčka (‘16-’17) (Nashville). Forward Tanner Lomsnes (‘14-’15) was the first IceRays player to earn an invite, joining the 2015 Dallas Stars Development Camp following his lone season with the IceRays.
The Carmel, Ind. native played 85 games with the IceRays from 2012-14, recording 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points with 105 penalty minutes and a +9 rating.
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