For many of those who won a Calder Cup with the Manchester Monarchs this past spring, today’s early rookie camp session represented the first time they stepped on the ice since June 13 under the instruction of Mike Stothers. (Because of their deep postseason run, no Monarchs took part in July’s development camp.)

There wasn’t a cavalcade of ex-Monarchs on the ice; some, like Andrew Bodnarchuk, Colin Miller and Zach O’Brien are no longer with the organization, and others, such as Jordan Weal, Brian O’Neill and Vincent LoVerde, amongst many, are heading straight to main camp.

But for Adrian Kempe, Kevin Raine, Ryan Horvat, Nick Ebert, Justin Auger and Patrik Bartosak, today’s on-ice sessions were the first formal skates they took part in together, or, as was occasionally the case on Friday, were barked at by their head coach during imperfect drills.

“Oh yeah, definitely, I missed that a lot,” Bartosak said, smiling.

Bartosak’s postseason heroics ventured towards the “unsung” when he was pressed into service in Game 3 of the Final when J.F. Berube succumbed to an ankle injury and was unable to participate in the remainder of the series. After the club dropped that game, he responded with wins in his next two outings to close out the series – including a sublime 31-save performance in a clinching 2-1 victory in Game 5.

“I think it was a great season for everybody – for the organization, for the team,” he said. We had a great group of guys, and I was very fortunate to get that group of guys in my first year of playing pro, so I was really happy with the way it went.”

Goaltending Coach Bill Ranford was pleased with the way Bartosak’s season evolved.

“I think it was a great developmental season for him,” Ranford said. “We wanted him to go in there and have a good rookie season, and I thought he accomplished that with getting in 20 games, and I think the best part was getting the playoff experience at the end and being on the ice when they won the Calder Cup.”

Patrik Bartosak:



Bill Ranford, on the ratio of J.F. Berube and Patrick Bartosak starts last season:

I think we would’ve liked to see him get in more games, but J.F played so well, J.F. earned it, and that’s how it goes when you’re battling for a spot. But I think the way Barto developed throughout the year was real important. He cleaned up his game and became more consistent in his habits, and that’s what we were trying to [impart].

Ranford, on what progressed in Bartosak’s game:

Just the consistency in his game. We want him to be more consistent in his depth. We want him to be more consistent in his habits and making sure he was post-saving on every play, and just having more detail to his game, and with that consistency, the results were there.

Bartosak, on playing in the Calder Cup Final:

Yeah, I got into Game 3 like you said after J.F. went down with a lower-body injury, and the guys helped me a lot there. I got great support, and we got the wins. It was a great feeling, for sure.

Bartosak, on his thoughts entering Game 3 midway through the first period:

Nothing really, just go out there and do my best. Help the team get the championship, and that’s what we did. I tried to be as ready as I could throughout the whole playoffs, and I think the hard worked paid off, and we got the win.

Bartosak, on his short summer:

Well, you know what? I’ll take it. If the reason for the short summer is a championship, I’ll take it, for sure. But it was a hard work, for sure. A lot of work and not a lot of break [time], but like I said, I was happy with the way it went.

Bartosak, on how the short summer affected his training:

Well, I tried to work out more than I usually would during the summer, so the workouts are harder, the breaks are shorter. But other than that, I don’t think it affected me very much.

Bartosak, on entering the new season in a new city but as defending champions:

I don’t think anything’s going to change from the last season. I still think we’re going to be the same team we were at the start of last season, and we’re just going to work as hard as we did last year.

Bartosak, on what he’d like to improve this season:

At my stage where I’m at right now, I need to get better at everything, and I just came here to just to be my best and push anybody. [Reporter: Is there one thing that you said, ‘I need to work on this particular area?’] I don’t think there’s anything I specifically thought of, but like I said, it’s everything. I need to get better at everything and be the best teammate I can be.

Bartosak, on how he has matured after his first professional season:

I don’t think too many things are different. Maybe I’m a little bit more experienced now. Maybe I know what it takes to be a champion now, but I don’t think too many things changed from last season.