By Kris Smith
The new Stars GM and Head Coach gave his thoughts after day three on the ice and was happy to see his squad looking comfortable and hungry in their new setting.
Over the first few days, Mason has been easing his players back onto the ice and getting them warmed back-up, before diving into the tactics for this season.
Sharing his thoughts after the third day, Jeff said: “Firstly, it is great to have guys on the ice and it is great to be back going again.
“It has obviously been a long offseason and the guys were excited to get back out there, myself included.
“The first few days of camp is always just guys getting used to their new surroundings and obviously we do not have the whole squad in just yet, but we are getting closer and guys are working hard.
“I feel that each day we have progressed and got a bit sharper and it has been encouraging to see how guys are progressing as each day goes by.
“So, I am excited to see this group together in full and hopefully we can continue working hard and continuing to improve every day.”
Mason continued: “We have started off by just getting the guys used to being back on the ice, getting them feeling comfortable and getting their hands and feet back under them.
“Then, today and through the rest of the week we have started to implement some of our systems and get more into the technical side of it.
“There is a lot for the guys to take in and I am aware of that, as we do not have a tonne of time, so it is trying to get the most important parts out there first, then we will slowly build off that as we progress.”
The American coach also shared his first impressions on some of the standout aspects of his new squad, such as the raw pace and agility.0
Jeff added: “We certainly have some speed and for some of the guys coming in, that was one of their bigger attributes and I was aware of that.
“So, we have some good speed and I thought there has been a good pace to practice and there is also some youth in the squad, so we have some young legs that can work hard.
“So far, I have been pleased with what I have seen and it is good to see that the guys have their hands, feet and skills going again and as we get into more of the systems and tactics, I will be able to get a better read on individuals situational awareness and other things like that.
“A lot of guys reports were showing high hockey IQs, so we should see that over the next few days, but there is a great atmosphere and the guys seem excited to be in and playing, so it is so far, so good.”
