Wild Camp Looms For Dumba

It looks like the Minnesota Wild will have their 2012 first round draft pick attending their training camp.

Red Deer Rebels Owner / President / GM / Head Coach Brent Sutter fully expects to lose the services of Mathew Dumba for a few days while he skates with the teams that selected him 7th overall last June.

“Matty will be leaving for sure,” Sutter confirmed before Monday’s practice at the Enmax Centrium. “There’s a good possibility Matty could be leaving before the weekend games [Friday at Saskatoon, Saturday at Prince Albert]. He’ll be gone for a few days and then he’ll be back again.”

While it’s no doubt a big loss for his Rebels squad, Sutter fully understands the move by Minnesota and is fully supporting of it.

“You had to think or assume that if the lockout ended at some point, Mat could be leaving us and going in for a few days and understanding and learning what the pro level is about… getting ready, how those guys practice, and how they just do everything. That’s why they’re pros and elite athletes. It’s the best thing for Mat.”

In the meantime, the Rebels, no strangers to lineup changes over the last little while, will have to suck it up for a couple of games without their star blueliner.

“When he comes back we’ll be a better team for it because of the experience he’ll have gone through,” noted Sutter. “Then it’s our job to continue to help with Mat’s progression, along with Minnesota, to get him ready, whenever that may be, to be a consistent player at the National Hockey League level.”

When it comes to the Rebels only other NHL signed player, Turner Elson, he will be remaining with the club and will not be attending camp with the Calgary Flames.