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Four Niagara IceDogs hoping to receive invitations to main NHL training camps

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Four Niagara IceDogs, including their top two point-getters from last season, are among 153 Ontario Hockey League players attending National Hockey League rookie camps and prospects tournaments.

In all, four members of the IceDogs are showcasing their skills hoping to earn invitations to the main training camps getting underway next week.

Danil Gushin, who is eligible to return for an over-age season in the OHL, is trying out for the San Jose Sharks, the team that drafted him in the third round of the 2020 draft with the 76th overall selection. He led the IceDogs in scoring last season with 41 goals and 30 assists for 71 points in 51 games before playing three games in the American Hockey League with the San Jose Barracuda, the top team in the Sharks farm system.

Fellow forward Pano Fimis, who was invited to try out for the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent, had 14 goals and 30 assists for 44 points in 54 games in his rookie season in Niagara.

Forward Aidan Castle received a free agent invitation from the Minnesota Wild after scoring 15 goals and collecting 28 assists for 43 points in 68 games for the IceDogs in his first season in the OHL.

Center Pasquale Zito, an off-season acquisition from the Windsor Spitfires, is trying out for the Detroit Red Wings after being selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft with the 166th pick.

All 20 OHL teams have at least three players attending a rookie camp and competing in a prospects tournament. The London Knights, Hamilton Bulldogs and Sarnia have the most, with 13, 12 and 11, respectively, while the Erie Otters have the fewest, with three.

Like Niagara, the Oshawa Generals also have four players away at NHL camps, including one-time IceDogs defenseman Lleyton Moore who was invited by the Arizona Coyotes to try out as a free agent.

Forward Jake Uberti, who played parts of three seasons in Niagara before being traded to the Mississauga Steelheads, is trying out for the Red Wings as a free agent.

‘Dog Biscuits: Nathan Ribau, formerly an alternate captain with the Sudbury Wolves and Windsor Spitfires, will also wear an A with the IceDogs joining a leadership group headed by fellow defenseman Landon Cato, the new team captain… Forward Dylan Roobroeck has been traded to the Oshawa Generals for a draft pick – 2024, eighth round – after scoring eight goals and collecting 13 assists for 21 points in 64 games as a rookie with the IceDogs.

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