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Two giant fans are set to the highest setting and a door leading outside is propped open, but the room, which is about the size of a master bedroom, is hot and sticky. With a mix of hip-hop and dance music echoing off the walls, it sounds like a nightclub. Players are even sipping on pink cocktails — full of protein and vitamins, of course.

“Character is what you do when you think nobody is watching,” is written in big, block letters on one of the walls. It is a slogan the players are putting into practice.

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The 2005-06 rookie class, which also included Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Zach Parise, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Thomas Vanek and many other star players, was as impressive as it was deep. The lockout that scuttled the 2004-05 season combined two rookie years into one. The resolution of that lockout also introduced a slew of rule changes aimed at increasing the offence.

It might have been the best rookie class that the NHL has ever seen — until this year perhaps. Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel enter the league this fall, and it is an exciting time for the NHL.

They are the new Crosby and Ovechkin. The expectation is that they will compete for the Calder Trophy and the rookie scoring title. Soon enough they might compete for the Art Ross Trophy.

For now, however, they are both playing it cool and keep expectations to a realistic level.

Ask McDavid about his goals for the season and he answers as though cracking the Edmonton Oilers roster is the best he can hope for. “My main focus is getting ready for training camp … make an impression on the coaching staff and future teammates,” he said at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase at Toronto’s Mattamy Athletic Centre, where the top prospects were photographed for their first Upper Deck trading card.