By Jack Woods

The 16th annual Elite Edge Hockey Showcase opened Saturday in Nashville, giving players from throughout the country a chance to showcase themselves in front of a wide array of scouts and coaches. Players from 28 different states, some as far as Washington State and California, and Canada will gather at Ford Ice Bellevue for a long weekend of hockey. Beginning July 10th and lasting through July 13th, these players will experience over 28 total hours of intensified training, which include on-ice instruction, nutrition and leadership seminars, and fitness sessions.

Steve Jennings, current director of operations at Total Package Hockey and head coach of the Nashville Jr Predators 18U AAA team, recognizes how important the showcase will be for the players. “One of the challenges of this generation is they need to learn how important the mental side of the game is. I think [the players] truly won’t understand how much they need this until they’re in the middle of their development and things get tough.”

Joe Cardarelli, head coach of the Cortland Red Dragons, believes the educational aspects of this showcase are enriched in development. “There aren’t many summer Showcases offering an educational component for these aged players and Elite does a great job offering instruction as well as evaluation,” said Cardarelli. “There is off-ice testing for players to set benchmarks, a number of speakers providing insight on how to advance hockey sense, nutrition, and the mental side of the game.”

Chris Brooks, UPHL veteran and current assistant at Michigan Tech, understands the value of the education these players are receiving. “The showcase offers a great balance of resources for the kids. They bring in a lot of extremely passionate people to help expose the kids to a variety of different facets to on and off ice hockey development. The kids get out whatever they put into this showcase,” said Brooks.

Last year, the pandemic prevented many players and coaches from attending the showcase. 220 players will be attending this year’s camp, adding 70 from last year’s total. The coaches expect an elevated intensity and heightened level of competition.

Cardarelli believes the players will especially maximize their experience at the showcase. “With the additional players this year, and many who didn’t have a “regular” winter season, I expect the level of play to be at its highest level,” said Cardarelli. “After last year, I believe most players will understand how great a chance this week will be for their immediate development and also look to impress the college and Junior coaches for future opportunities.”

Brooks notes how these players control their own destiny at this event. “This showcase is always competitive. Many of the kids attending the camp are not only here for development, but also here for exposure. I’ve been coming here for 11 years and have seen many kids open doors and opportunities for themselves at this camp. I expect this year to be no different.”

Jennings echoed what Cardarelli said, as he said, “Last year was a good event, but COVID affected everything, as some of the kids from Canada and even some other states couldn’t make it in. I think we’ll get back to what the showcase typically has been, and I’m really excited for it.”

As the showcase begins the task of managing 220 total players the coaching staff will consist of six different Division I level coaches and nine Division III coaches, as well as some coaches from the USHL, NAHL, and Tier III junior coaches. This experience gives players and coaches alike the opportunity to network and establish connections.

Brooks values how much knowledge is spread amongst coaches and players. “I continue to come each year to associate, learn and mentor the coaches and players that attend this showcase. We have coaches from such diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are here to network, assess talent and help each other and the players we coach.”

Cardarelli appreciates how the coaches are equally involved in the off-ice instruction. “For me, it’s both a chance to get first-looks at younger players for recruiting purposes (two Elite Edge alumni went on the play at Cortland) as well as continue professional development by attending the same meetings as the players and sharing ideas with other coaches,” said Cardarelli.

Jennings understands the importance of the relationship between coaches and its benefits for the players later. “The relationships that formed here between the coaches actually benefit the players more than they know. I coach the Jr Preds, and every year, I get a phone call taking one of the players they saw at Elite Edge. The shared learning between us coaches and colleagues is great, and the networking is fantastic.”

A padded roster, a collection of excellent hockey minds and an abundance of information, the Elite Edge Showcase provides future professional and collegiate hockey players in many ways. Given the level of attention and instruction these players are receiving, this showcase exemplifies that Nashville is a garden for budding hockey stars.