Colton Point admits it can be intimidating coming in as a young prospect into an NHL training camp.
But he admits, Jamie Benn made that experience easier this past July at the Dallas Stars pre-playoff training camp.
"He is great to the prospects. He goes out of his way to know every prospect's name, interacts with them on a daily basis when we were there at camp," admitted Point.
The North Bay native and Dallas Stars goaltending prospect is currently training in Connecticut awaiting more news as to when the ECHL or AHL will begin.
While he did not make the journey from Texas to Edmonton to compete in the NHL playoffs with the Dallas Stars, he says the success of Jamie Benn and the Dallas Stars is something that does not shock him at all.
It starts with the captain.
"Benn is a great captain from the time I have been around him," said Point.
"He inspires hard work and dedication. He is definitely the backbone of the identity of the Dallas Stars. He might have had a down year or two but he provides other aspects of the game that are invaluable. When he is not scoring goals he is out there making big plays, big hits, and defensive plays that tide the momentum and the energy of the game."
There are plenty of feel-good stories in the Dallas Stars locker room. He noticed something special about the locker room when he was one of the five goaltenders invited to the Stars summer camp.
"Dallas has a really tight-knit team and in the playoffs, I think that counts a lot more than people give credit to," he said.
"A lot of sportswriters were getting on their case because they could not score in the round-robin play. At the end of the day, it was just a training camp and people were trying to make assumptions off that."
The Stars punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in 20 years on Monday night defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals in five games. They edged the Colorado Avalanche with a dramatic late comeback win in overtime in game seven in the conference semi's and knocked off the Calgary Flames in six games in the opening round of the playoffs.
The Stars have defied the odds, and have sported a perfect 5-0 record in overtime.
"The backbone of that team is really strong," said Point.
"They were built to go far. They have a good veteran presence and a lot of experience so I think they have been counted out but they definitely have the talent and the mentality to make it happen this year."
Between the pipes, Point is impressed at what Gump Worsley look-alike Anton Khudobin has been doing for the Stars.
The 34-year-old perennial backup has taken his game to the next level coming in after starter Ben Bishop was injured early in the Stars playoff run.
"He works hard, he is the definition of a grunt," Point said in a complimentary manner.
"He comes to the rink every day ready to work and has fun with it, enjoys himself. I am not surprised he is doing well. He has obviously worked for it and he is just a guy that you are rooting for all the time."
See related: Point back in Texas for Stage 3 training camp
Because of that goalie injury, the Stars are down to two healthy goalies in Khudobin and youngster Jake Oettinger with Bishop still on the shelf. That means Point is potentially one injury away from being called back into action with the NHL team that drafted him in 2016.
"There is always a chance of that. Injuries can happen," said Point.
"I am on call, I always am. It is just like during the regular season I could be called up at any time. I pray for nothing but health for the guys that are playing right now and I wish Ben Bishop gets better soon, but it could be at any moment someone could get hurt and yes, I probably would have to fly up there. But it is just part of the game."
Colton is not the only Point in the bubble in Edmonton. His second cousin Brayden Point is leading the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference finals and they are currently one win away from meeting the Stars in the Stanley Cup final.
"I have only met him one time and it was in Calgary, I was 16 years old at Hockey Canada's World Junior goalie camp," admitted Point.
"It was nice to meet him but I am obviously rooting for Dallas wholeheartedly. Obviously I would love to see Brayden do well but at the end of the day I have to go with the team that I belong to and the team that gave me my professional chance."
If they play the Lightning, the Stars will likely be overlooked once again. Point thinks that's a bad idea.
"Everybody's personality fits well on that team," he said.
"Everyone knows their role. Jamie Benn, the coaches, and the captains have done a good job of preaching Dallas Stars culture and not relying too heavily on individuals and their identity. They are their own family. They don't care where you come from, where you have been, you are there now and that is all that matters."
