A total of 5 former Steinbach Pistons, and counting, are taking part in various NHL Development Camps this week.
Kyle Bettens was with the Pistons from 2018-2020 before moving onto playing in the USHL where he went on to secure himself a NCAA Division 1 Commitment to the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Kyle is currently attending the 2023 Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights development camp.
Riese Gaber was a Pistons during the 2017-18 Turnbull Cup and Anavet Cup Champion Season where he put up 27 points in 24 games. Gaber then went on to the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL where he was named USHL player of the year in 2019-20. Gaber is going into his senior season with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Gaber was named the Frozen Four Tournament MVP in 2020-21. Gaber has certainly piqued the interest of many NHL teams, attending Bruins development camp last year for example, but this week he finds himself at Florida Panthers camp.
From the small town of Dominion City Manitoba, Denton Mateychuk’s stint with the Pistons was short but impactful no question. At just 16 years old, he, along with other 16-year-old defenceman Sam Court, quarterbacked both Pistons poweplay units in the 2020-21 season that was cut short due to the pandemic. Mateychuk has been with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors for the past 3 seasons where he served as captain this past season. Denton was drafted 12th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets and is of course attending their development camp this week.
The name Warren Clark has come up a lot recently as he was drafted in the 6th round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning where he is now working on his game at their development camp. Clark is only the second Pistons player to be drafted to the NHL directly from the Pistons organization. Clark was a member of the 2023 Turnbull Championship team and is now headed off to play NCAA Division 1 hockey at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.
All the way from the Big Apple, Jack Rogers was a Pistons for the 2021-22 season making it all the way to game 7 of the MJHL Finals. Jack put up 30 goals and 37 assist for a total of 67 points in 54 games that season where he was one of 6 Pistons players to secure an NCAA Division 1 scholarship. Rogers is going into his sophomore season with the St. Cloud State University Huskies. This week Rogers is attending Washington Capitals development camp.
Elsewhere in the NHL, former Piston Cole Smith just came off his first full NHL season with the Nashville Predators where he put up 17 points in 69 games playing on the Predators 3rd and 4th lines. Pistons Head Coach Paul Dyck spoke with a member of the Preds coaching staff says Cole fits in very well on their squad and they absolutely love how hard he works both on and off the ice.
Former Pistons goaltender Matt Radomsky also recently signed his first pro deal with the Calgary Flames AHL affiliate the Calgary Wranglers. We are awaiting to hear if Matt is attending Flames development camp. Radomsky just capped off a standout season with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks. Radomsky transferred there last season from Holy Cross University and the change of environment is exactly what he needed to put the spark back in his game.
These are exciting times for the Pistons organization, the players, and their families as we get to watch more and more players inch their way closer to their ultimate dream of one day playing in the NHL.
Good luck to all these players this week in their respective NHL Development Camps.