Undrafted defenseman Oleg Yevenko wanted to make an impression before he left Devils' prospects camp, so the 6-7, 250-pound native of Minsk in Belarus challenged teammate Seth Helgesen to a fight.



The fact that Helgeson is 6-5, 215 pounds made everyone stop and watch at the end of today's scrimmage in the AmeriHealth Pavilion.

“At the end of the game he just asked me if I wanted to go,” Helgeson said with a smile. “So I said yes and that was that. I was trying to make an impression.”

Helgeson, the Devils’ fourth selection (114th overall) in the 2009 NHL entry draft, was unable to land several early punches, although he was the only one of the two defensemen who remained on his feet when the bout had ended.

“At the beginning I thought I was in big trouble because everything I threw wasn’t even touching his face. It was such a long reach,” Helgeson noted. “He’s a tough kid. It was a tough battle. He definitely has the height advantage. I haven’t gone against a guy who was taller than me. That was a first.”

This is Yevenko’s second NHL camp. He attended the Islanders’ development camp last year. A member of Hockey East’s All-Academic team in 2012 and 2013, he is studying business at UMass-Amherst.

"For me the best would be to give myself a better chance to get a degree and then think about signing a professional if I'm good enough. That would be the optimum way of doing things.



"It's a great experience coming here to see what you have to work towards and what professional organizations have to offer."



In two Hockey East seasons, Yevenko played 64 games and had four points (one goal, three assists) with 93 penalty minutes.

“I haven’t fought in a while, actually, since juniors. But I always thought it was part of my game,” Yevenko said. “I’m not saying I want to be just a fighter. I want to be a shutdown defenseman, but that comes with the package.

“I didn’t want to fight when we were down, 1-0. Then when it became 2-1 I was trying to get something going. Maybe change some momentum, too.”

There were only 7.7 seconds remaining in the scrimmage and Yevenko's squad lost, 3-1.

Because of his size and position, there are some natural comparisons to 6-9 Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara.

“He’s not a role model but he has a lot of strong sides to him,” Yevenko said of Chara. “Given his size, I’d say I try to build my game somewhat after his because he’s probably one of the best defensemen in the NHL right now. I have a lot to learn from him when I see him play.”

Helgeson played four seasons at the University of Minnesota before appearing in four games at Albany (AHL) last season.

Both defenseman have high hopes.

"I want to play in the National Hockey League some day. Hopefully," Yevenko said.

"(Prospects camp) helps by showing what I have to work towards and what my weak sides are. There is a lot of good feedback after a camp like this. I think it's great experience. It's a great opportunity to show what you are capable of."

* * *

Jon Merrill, Ryan Misiak and Ben Johnson (empty net) scored the goals for the white team in a 3-1 victory over the red squad. Reid Boucher scored the lone red goal.



Prospects camp will conclude tomorrow with a session that begins at 10 a.m.