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“Some of these guys are going to play together for a long time. We need to get them to understand each other, to know each other. They’ve got different personalities. So let’s get them together and force them to get outside their comfort zones.”

The camp opened on Monday with an ‘Amazing Race,’ a mentally challenging team-building session that required communication and, of course, lots of teamwork.

The performance night on Thursday following the prospects’ group dinner is another element of that. Edwards explained that the players would be split up into groups and forced to figure out a plan.

“They’ve gotta figure it out,” Edwards said with a chuckle. “It forces them to introduce themselves . . . we give them an outline, and they have to get in front of us and do it.

“It could be a fun night.”

And as horrible as the acting/singing/lip-syncing might be, the upcoming ‘Flames Have Talent’ show will provide more than just comedic relief.

“As you do that stuff, you feel closer, and then, hopefully, as they go play in (AHL) Stockton or play here, they’ll be a lot more comfortable with each other,” Edwards said. “We’re thinking beyond September.”

This week, the Flames are putting together individual goal-setting plans for each player to work when they leave Calgary. For some, it’s leg power or skating. For others, it’s nutrition.

Then, the camp will wrap up in its usual way — with a scrimmage Friday.

“It’s not a ton less skating, but we’ve changed the format of it,” Edwards said. “There’s not as much competitiveness — it’s more focused on skill development . . . versus scrimmaging, competing, and battling. This just isn’t the time to do it. We want to create that camaraderie . . . our whole philosophy here is you have to be a family if you want to win. You have to want to go through the wall for one another.

“If you don’t know each other, you’re not going to play for each other.”

kodland@postmedia.com

Twitter/Kristen_Odland