It's starting

The Grizzlies announced their training camp dates yesterday, and it looks like everything is starting on Sunday, October 3rd. It's about time - we've been waiting patiently to see what the roster will look like.

It may still be a little difficult to tell, because with the recent affiliation with Calgary, the Grizz are picking up some prospects they haven't seen yet. Not that we're hoping for anyone to get demoted, but how great would it be to see Li'l Army down here in Utah?

Riley Armstrong is currently in the Flames' system. He's also the younger brother of one of our all-time favorite players, Colby Armstrong. So far, the Flames' AHL affiliate has no set roster. Of course, we'd rather he be in the NHL, but we'd take Li'l Army for a game or two. We were going to have to draw the line at Theo Fleury, so it's a good thing he decided to take the dignified way out and retire.

Rumor has it that Coach Colley (and probably some other guys) are checking out the AHL training camps (Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Abbotsford Heat) this week to see what prospects we might be picking up in Utah. With the differences in style between the Eastern and Western Conferences of the NHL, we're curious to see how Flames prospects blend in with Islanders prospects on one team. Will it be harder for the coaching staff to keep everyone on the same page? Or will it make the players more well-rounded in their games?

These questions and more will start to be answered when training camp starts on Sunday. For locations and times, see the Grizzlies website. [Schedule] All practices are free and open to the public, so we should be hitting up a couple and posting some reports. Maybe some pictures.

NHL season opens tonight. It's all starting now.

Don't be this guy laying on the ice.

Go Grizzlies!