Quentin Mustafa and Will Smith are a great pairing.
The two played big in the San Jose Sharks Prospect Scrimmage, helping Team Teal win the Marchment Cup 8-7 in the shootout despite a tough effort from Eric Polkamp and Team White.
Polkamp, who will be joining the reigning national champion University of Denver next season, had a strong showing in a scrimmage, scoring multiple goals. After the game, Polkamp spoke about his recent transfer and the influence of head coach David Karl and Macklin Celebrini during the development camp.
Masutti detailed his chemistry with Will Smith and criticized Celebrini's first pitch to the San Jose Giants on Tuesday.
Quentin Mustey
Masti said about his chemistry with Smith:
I hate to say it, but playing with him with that level of skill and hockey IQ is pretty easy. [I’ve] I played with him on the spring team a few times as a kid. I always seem to have good chemistry with him. It's a lot of fun playing with him.
It's that simple, just be open and he'll find you, so it's a lot of fun.
On who had the better first pitch, Celebrini or Smith, Masutti said, “Mac just let it float. I respected Smith's effort a little more. I could have swung.” [and a miss there]”
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) July 4, 2024
Speaking about what he got out of the development camp, Masti said: “I learned a lot.
Just try to learn. Practice games are more fun. [to] You compete. You try to play your game. But you're dealing with top-notch coaches and staff here all week. You try to learn from them. They've been through it all. So just try to absorb it all and you'll get better.
“It's a great experience,” Masutti said about playing with his NHL development camp teammates.
Obviously, that's the end goal. It's not easy to make the league, it's not easy to make a team. But you've got to keep working hard. It's fun to see this high-end skill and IQ. It's fun to watch the players coming in… and to get used to playing with them. It's been a lot of fun.
#SJSharks Yesterday, the prospects had a cooking contest… and the Finn won!
Between Masti and Polkamp, who would you rather be roommates with based on their cooking skills?
Masti: “Halttunen actually made a good burger.”
Mr. Polkamp:[Pulli] I was cutting onions…slicing and dicing them!”
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) July 4, 2024
Eric Polkamp
Regarding the buzz surrounding practice matches for promising players, Polkamp said:
I think the crowd was pretty good last year, but this year it was even better. It was good. My sister came here, she owns her own business here, and she brought about 15 employees. They had never been to a hockey game before, so they had no idea what was going on. I'm sure they enjoyed the game, the high-scoring game. They got to see those guys play, and I'm sure they enjoyed it. It was fun.
Pohlkamp explained how David Karl influenced him to transfer to the University of Denver:
Absolutely. I think David Karl is one of the best college coaches. He's proven it. He's already been to two national championships. So I'm going to try to win one with these guys. I can't wait. I think he's the best coach in college hockey, hands down.
“He's a great guy,” Pohlkamp said of Celebrini and the attention he brings to the camp.
When you get drafted in the top five, you're a very high profile person and player. It's all business, everything matters. You have to be a professional. These guys are professionals already. The way he carries himself, the way he eats, everything. All of these guys are very high profile players and they know where they are in their development.
Pohlkamp had this to say about Team White's return:
It's fun to come back from behind. I want to win. To be honest, I almost closed my eyes and shot the puck. Luckily, it worked out. The last few minutes were a lot of fun. I saw the smiles on the faces of the players as they huddled after the goal. It was a lot of fun. The crowd was great today. I'm sure my sister and her employees enjoyed it too. I don't know if they noticed that they were cheering.
