Training camp is about assessing the present and looking towards the future.

The Moose Jaw Warriors are coming away happy with what they have in place for this season and down the road after hosting their 2016 training camp over the weekend at Mosaic Place.

The veterans look ready to take care of some “unfinished business” from last season, while the young players impressed throughout the four-day camp that started on Thursday with 72 players taking part.

“Great showing by our young guys, it’s been a good experience for them, it’s been a good part of their development and that’s the process to get better,” said General Manager Alan Millar following the team’s annual Black and White Game to close camp on Sunday.

This year’s draft class looked strong – with nine players making it through to the intrasquad game at the end of camp – as did the players from last year’s draft, who are coming in looking to make the team this season.

The Warriors have some good organizational depth right now.

“The job that our scouting staff has done in listing players this past year, I’m really encouraged by that and there’s discussions going on for 3-4 listed players to sign,” said Millar. “We’re continuing to build that depth with good young prospects and getting our 2000 and 2001s under an agreement and getting them into our development path, getting a scholarship started, it’s all important for putting a team together now, next year and the year after. We’re pleased and it looks good.”

16-year-old defenceman Matthew Benson came into the camp as a bit of an unknown after being listed by the Warriors over the course of last season. He was able to turn some heads and earn himself a WHL Standard Player Agreement.

“As an undrafted guy, you always want to make a point out there and I think I did that pretty good,” said Benson, a Vancouver native, who played for the Delta Hockey Academy Elite 15s last season.

“My goal coming in was to make it to the (Black and White Game) and seeing what happens from there.”

Last season, Benson had one goal and 13 points in 33 games with Delta Hockey Academy. He attended training camp with the Kelowna Rockets last year and said that experience helped him coming into camp with the Warriors this year.

“I definitely got bigger and stronger, and faster and more confident with the puck, so I feel like I can skate with the puck a lot more now,” he said.

Benson was one of four players to earn a deal with the Warriors coming out camp on Sunday. (Click here for more details)

2016 first round pick Brayden Tracey is still a year away from being able to crack the Warriors’ roster, but he was able to get his first taste of playing at the WHL level over the weekend.

The Calgary product said it was eye opening going against the veterans and adjusting to the speed at the major junior level.

“I didn’t have a great start to the weekend, but a couple of the guys told me to stay positive, bounces weren’t going my way and coach told me to work harder, so that’s what I did and things started to go my way,” said Tracey.

Tracey scored once and added two assists in the win for Team Black during the Black and White Game on Sunday.

“This has been a great experience,” he said. “I know what to expect for next year and need to take that into this season and then come in next year and play even better.”

Tracey along with fellow 2016 draft picks Jakin Smallwood, Austin Herron and Matt Sanders will all be taking part in the Warriors’ first preseason game on Tuesday against the Swift Current Broncos.

Black Tops White in Intrasquad Game

Four days of on ice practices and scrimmages wrapped up on Sunday with the annual Black and White Game for the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Team Black took the intrasquad contest 8-7 in overtime on a goal just eight seconds into the extra frame by 17-year-old defenceman Josh Brook.

The goals came fast and furious during the camp ending scrimmage with the veterans leading the way as 19-year-old forward Tanner Jeannot posted one goal and six points in the win for Black.

“It’s just a scrimmage, but definitely when you’re putting the puck in the net and get some points, it gets your confidence up,” said Jeannot. “I know I’ve got to keep working hard into the preseason and regular season.”

Jeannot thought overall that the team looked strong in training camp.

“We had lots of young guys, there’s some pretty skilled guys out there and I thought the pace was pretty good all weekend, and it got more physical as the weekend went on,” said Jeannot. “The guys coming back are in really good shape and it looks like they’re ready to go for the season.

Rookie forward Luka Burzan completed a stellar training camp with one goal and two assists for Team Black. Noah Gregor and Nikita Popugaev each had two goals for Team White, while Jayden Halbgewachs added three assists.

2016 WHL Bantam Draft pick Ethan Fitzgerald made 12 saves, while 2015 draft pick Adam Evanoff turned away 21 of 25 shots during his time in goal.

Zach Sawchenko allowed two goals on 12 shots over the second half of the game for Team Black, while Brody Willms stopped 22 of 26 shots in goal for Team White.