By Seamus Kelley, 07/15/24, 11:45AM EDT
AMHERST, N.Y. – The Northtown Center in Amherst transforms into a gold mine of talent every summer. Some of the best players from the ages of 15-17 head to upstate New York to participate in USA Hockey’s Boys Player Development Camps.
The star-studded list of USA Hockey Player Development Camp alumni are no secret either. Posters with the names of the 205 Americans who played in the NHL last season who have participated at a previous camp line the hallways of the rink.
Several alumni who went on to have impressive careers at the college and professional ranks also returned this year as coaches for the year’s Boys National 16 Player Development Camp, which took place July 9-15.
One of those coaches is Derek Army. The North Kingstown, Rhode Island, native played at various USA Hockey Player Development camps from 2005-08. He then went on to play four seasons at Providence College, followed by a five-year career in the AHL and ECHL, primarily with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. After hanging up the skates in 2018, Army moved behind the bench and began his coaching career, and eventually wound up back in Wheeling after being hired as the Nailer’s head coach in 2021. Army currently serves as Wheeling’s head coach and director of hockey operations.
Army has been coaching at USA Hockey Player Development Camps since 2021.
“There was a lot I learned from picking the coaches brain, from my buddies, and just being able to see where I was at physically and my game itself,” Army recalled of his time as a player at camp.
Several of Army’s peers at camps went on to have successful pro careers as well.
“I remember at 14 camp I was with Cam Fowler,” Army said. “We played together. Then as I came up, I became friends with some guys at camp in the New England District. Brian Dumoulin and Noel Acciari are the two that stand out to me.
“It’s nice to see a lot of the players I played with have success and to see them around rinks and USA Hockey events.”
USA Hockey Player Development Camps allow a unique opportunity for players – both from a development and exposure standpoint.
“Interest from prep schools and junior teams and college teams ramped up for sure,” Army continued. “You start to meet people and different coaches. There’s a lot of eyes on you, and it led me to The Gunnery, the prep school I attended. Then it led me to Providence. I’m very grateful for these camps.”
While Army participated in every USA Hockey Player Development Camp that was offered while he was a youth player, everyone develops at different speeds and takes a unique path on their hockey journey.
J.J. Crew is also serving as a coach at this year’s Boys 16 National Camp. Crew played at the USA Hockey Boys National 17 Festival in 2006. He went on to play for the Lincoln Stars (USHL) and then four seasons at Western Michigan University.
Crew currently serves as an assistant coach at Western Michigan, a title he has held since 2020 after being promoted from director of player development.
“I actually didn’t make it to the 15 or the 16 camp,” Crew recalled. “Just going back now as a coach, we talk about how kids develop at different stages. It’s not going to be every kid makes it all three years. Not making it the first or second year drove me to finally get over that hump and get bigger, faster, stronger. I always had the goal of getting to the camp and it was a great experience.
“It’s something I took pride in because I wanted to represent my country at the end of the day.”
Both coaches recognize that while so many successful players have gone through player development camps, the biggest thing to learn is that the hard work isn’t finished when you are invited to a camp.
“The most important lesson is it’s wonderful that they were invited to the 16 camp, but there’s the other American kids that weren’t invited that are going to grow and mature,” Army said. “There’s Canada, there’s Europe, and all these kids are going to be funneled into smaller groups for junior and college hockey.
“It’s great that they made it here, but, at the same time, realize the work doesn’t stop. It doesn’t mean you’re committed to college. It doesn’t mean you now have your diploma; you have to now continue to work for it.”
For Crew, this notion was reflective of his own experience at camp.
“I didn’t have a good week, and it was kind of a wakeup call that I still had so much more work to do,” Crew said. “That’s what this camp does. It shows players that there’s so many players who are working just as hard and are just as good trying to get to the same place as you.”
USA Hockey’s Player Development Camps helped each of them, along with the 205 current NHL player and countless minor league, college, and junior players who have participated at camps as teenagers. Now the coaches hope that they are able to help the next generation of players reach their potential.
“The best players want to get better; they want to ask questions and they are very accepting of the coaching,” said Crew. “It’s a humbling experience as a coach, just like it was as a player for the first time.”
Army added, “I know I’m not going to create the next Auston Matthews in my one week here, but if I can help these guys with a couple life lessons, then I’m going to try to do that. There’s always a couple things I try to hone in on throughout the week, so as they get older and mature more and get to any situation, they get tipped off by that.
“They just ask questions, and that’s the best part, is being able to show them how much I love coaching, how much USA Hockey loves having them here and how special the camp is. Just being infectious with that enjoyment of the game.”
Player Development Camps continue with Boys National 15 Camp, July 17-22, and Girls National 16/17 Camp and 2006 Training Camp, beginning on July 19 in Oxford, Ohio. All camps are streaming live on USAHockeyTV.com.
