PJ Fletcher learned to skate in Frisco, Texas as a five-year-old.
 
Last month, Fletcher's hockey career came full circle when he participated in the Dallas Stars' development camp, which just happened to be held in the very same building on the very same sheet of ice where Fletcher got his start all those years ago.
 
The Miami junior forward was one of four current RedHawks to earn invitations to NHL teams' development camps this summer. Matthew Barbolini camped with the Nashville Predators, Ludvig Persson attended the Chicago Blackhawks' camp, and Red Savage (a 2021 Red Wings draft pick) was in Detroit.
 

For Fletcher, getting the opportunity with Dallas after attending so many Stars games as a child felt like a dream come true.
 
"Just growing up in that area, that was pretty exciting," Fletcher said. "I lived there for 12 years, and we had season tickets for a long time...
 
"It was a pretty cool experience to be back and put on a jersey and a helmet with their logo on it."
 
Similarly, Persson said he enjoyed every second of his time with Chicago. "It's just a world-class organization," he said. "We dressed in their main locker room, and they really gave us the full experience, which I appreciated.
 
"We used their gym, their facilities, and their recovery area. We had all the help we could ask for...they were very nice and just wanted to give us a good experience.
 
"It was awesome."
 

Each team's camp included a mix of that franchise's draft picks from the past few years as well as other prospects the organization might want to get a closer look at. A typical day would include both on-ice and off-ice workouts, with the players divided into several teams or even smaller groups depending on the club.
 
Fletcher said he appreciated the hands-on attention and instruction he received during his week in Texas. "The coaches there took the time to talk to everyone individually," he said. "If they saw something specific –make a tighter turn, or have your head up—they would come up and tell you, but then watch you do it and make the changes. I really enjoyed that."
 
Barbolini was grateful to receive specific feedback on areas of his game that he's tried to improve during the offseason. "One of the things that they complimented me is my shot and being able to get shots off to score," he said. "That's something that I've been working on over the summer and I think it translated well into the camp."
 
The Predators also focused on providing off-ice education for the players, including sessions on nutrition, sleep, and mental training. "They taught us the other little details that you have to implement to get to the next level, and it's something that I will take forward for sure," said Barbolini.
 
Persson's Blackhawks camp was split up into four teams that stayed the same all week. "The main structure of the camp was to compete all the time, and always want to win," Persson explained.

The junior goalie said his focus while in Chicago was on trying to soak up every bit of instruction that he could. "You have top-level expertise around you all the time," Persson said. "Ask as many questions as you can. That can really help you in the future; it gives an impression of you that you want to develop as a player."
 
Savage went through his first prospect camp with the Red Wings after the team took him 114th overall in the 2021 draft. The week concluded with a 3-on-3 tournament, and the Miami sophomore scored his share of goals in the showcase.
 
"It was a great experience for him," said Red's father Brian Savage, a former Montreal draft pick who attended a similar camp with the Canadiens three decades ago and then went on to a 12-year NHL career. "Red got to know some of the other draftees and prospects and sort of see where he fits in. He ended up having a real good camp."
 
Miami coach Chris Bergeron is looking forward to seeing the growth in his players' games as they come back to Oxford this month and begin preparing for the 2022-23 season.
 

"All of our players want to play hockey beyond college, and I hope they all have an opportunity to do that," said Bergeron. "These types of camps show that our players are being exposed to the next level.
 
"I'm hoping they take that and it helps them come into training camp here with a bunch of confidence. As they share that experience, that hopefully benefits everybody in our program."
 
The returning RedHawks are confident that will be the case. "Getting this chance means that you did something good, and I can bring that with me to this season," said Persson. "I'm very excited about next year…we can absolutely do some damage as a team."
 
"I think we're going to surprise a lot of people," Fletcher said. "I'm just really excited to get back; I'm looking forward to the success we're going to have.
 
"I'm extremely proud to represent Miami wherever I go. It's cool being able to tell people I play college hockey at Miami University, and we're going to put them on the map again this year."

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