Camp might begin in Canada

Stu MacFadyen said he will be on pins and needles the next couple of weeks.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published January 3, 2007

MONTREAL - Stu MacFadyen said he will be on pins and needles the next couple of weeks.

The deputy mayor of Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island said that is probably how long before he knows if the Lightning accepts an invitation to conduct part of next season's training camp in the provincial capital.

Lightning general manager Jay Feaster said Tuesday, "It's something we're very interested in. It's an opportunity to get away and do a little team building and bonding."

"We would wine and dine them to death," MacFadyen said. "They would be thinking they are in God's country."

Actually, they would be in Brad Richards' country. The Tampa Bay center grew up in nearby Murray Harbour.

Feaster said if he gets the go-ahead from ownership, the team would spend five or six days in Charlottetown to open camp. Once games began, camp would shift to the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, where Tampa Bay has trained since 1999.

Concerns, Feaster said, are that the trip be "cost neutral" and that the team could be "out of sight, out of mind" of its fans.

"At the same time," he said, "if we're out there the first five or six days, maybe there's even more interest in our preseason games."

Feaster said he and coach John Tortorella had previously discussed moving camp. He said the Charlottetown group approached the Lightning and nine representatives made their pitch Nov. 28 in Tampa.

MacFadyen said the camp would be held at a new twin-rink facility. Feaster said no preseason games would be played there, though there would be a camp-ending scrimmage.

"The problem is for them to say yes," MacFadyen said. "That's all we're waiting on."

LINE CHANGES: Considering how well they have played together, it is surprising to see center Vinny Lecavalier and right wing Marty St. Louis on different lines. But associate coach Craig Ramsay said periodic changes are good.

"It confuses the opposition," he said. "They can't just focus on one line or the hot players."

It also helps the players.

"Sometimes players, when they are together a while, a little complacency sets in," Ramsay said. "We want to avoid that."

BENCH WARMER: Asked if he was disappointed not starting against the Canadiens, goaltender Marc Denis, a Montreal native, said yes, but only because he never wants to sit.

"Every time I don't get to play it's disappointing," Denis said. "I'm going to make sure I perform to what expectations are when I get back in there."

HURTING, KIND OF: Tampa Bay has lost 61 man-games to injury; three more than last season and 27 more than 2003-04.

The team has not suddenly become injury prone. Right wing Rob DiMaio, who has not played because of a concussion, accounts for 40 games.

ODDS AND ENDS: Defenseman Paul Ranger missed his second straight game with a right hand contusion.

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@sptimes.com or 727 893-8622.

[Last modified January 3, 2007, 00:00:40]