Now that the Vancouver Canucks' Penticton Young Stars "Tournament" is over (I don't know, to this day, why it's called a tournament, but whatever) a lot will be made about who looked good, who didn't, and what it all means.
What it all means, really, is virtually nothing. Players have come away from this tournament with great performances--think Carter Bancks, Patrick Holland, and Vancouver's Kellan Tochkin--in spite of not amounting to much (or, more accurately, not likely amounting to much). Conversely, players such as T.J. Brodie (and, this year, Sven Baertschi) have disappointed, only to prove it means less than nothing. Nevertheless, it's fun to speculate, and this "tourney" does provide us with a window to see our future heroes in real game situations. The level of play has improved with each successive year (except last year, where the tournament was cancelled for greed-related reasons), and the entertainment value is fantastic.
So, without further wasting of time, here are my thoughts on what I saw from the Flames' youngsters in Penticton (and, to a lesser extent, in Development Camp, since it occurs to me that I didn't post about that).
Oh, and a happy retirement to Miikka Kiprusoff. It's been a wild ride, Kipper!
