Crowded rookie camp for rebuilding Caps

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They ranged in age from 16 to 28. Some were rather small for the NHL -- forward Chris Bourque is listed at 5-foot-7, 170 pounds but plays more like Hulk Hogan -- while others, specifically defenseman Nolan Yonkman (6-6, 245), were quite large.

The largest rookie camp in Washington Capitals history got under way yesterday with 32 players present, all but two of them taking part in drills. About a third of the players are former first-round picks, and that didn't include No.1 overall selection Alexander Ovechkin, who is back home training with his Russian Super League team.

Washington had that many players on hand because of its rebuilding program, a result of last season's purge of expensive veterans in budget cutting moves. The players chosen with the high picks or the prospects obtained in exchange for the veterans were on skates at Piney Orchard Ice Arena in Odenton, Md.

"It's a great feeling to go out there and see a lot of good young players," general manager George McPhee said. "We've never had this kind of depth before with young players. We think we've done a good job of trading and drafting, and the rest is up to them."

It was difficult after one brief appearance on the ice to gauge the relative talents of individuals, but the group appeared to be in good shape and enthusiastic about getting a chance.

"It's not necessarily a tryout, but it does count, and that's what [coach Glen Hanlon] explained to them this morning, that what we do here matters," McPhee said.

"Basically we're here to teach them how to train, how to eat right, and then the rest of it is up to them. We can usually tell within a day or two of training camp if they've put the work in. We have a series of tests, and if they do well, then we know they paid the price."

"I have three things we want to accomplish here," said Hanlon, who is starting his first full season as the Caps' coach. "I want to impress on them that our team is going to be built around unselfish team players; it's going to be a fantastic, well-conditioned club; and thirdly, we're going to be quick, and that's what we're doing with the drills."

Ovechkin was not present because he is taking part in Dynamo Moscow's training camp and soon will join Team Russia's World Cup training camp. He will be the only 18-year-old representing his country in the eight-nation tournament that starts in late August.

"We'd like him here, but he's at a higher level right now," McPhee said. "He's at a good level. He's not missing out on anything. He's in good shape. We're not worried about him."

Eight of the players on the ice yesterday have played at least a few games for Washington and are considered key components in the team's rebuilding plans. Most split time last season between MCI Center and Portland, Maine, of the American Hockey League.

At 16, Garrett Roe of Vienna was the youngest and lightest (160 pounds). He is considered a solid prospect for the future and was invited to camp -- at his own expense -- to give him a chance to see what the next step entails. He will be a junior at Shattuck's St. Mary's High School in Minnesota next season, where he had 48 goals and 126 points in 64 games last season.

At 28, center Jeff Halpern was the oldest and most experienced. The Montgomery County native has been to most of these camps since before he began attending classes at Princeton in 1995.

Notes -- Wyatt Russell, the son of Hollywood stars Goldie Hahn and Kurt Russell, never has advanced beyond the Junior B level but snared a spot in rookie camp when the team needed another goalie to even the sides. He will play in British Columbia next season. ... Two prospects, right wing Eric Fehr (wrist surgery) and left wing Alexander Semin (sprained ankle), were in camp but did not skate. Fehr is expected to be ready in time for the fall training camp. Semin, who missed the Caps' season-ending game when he failed to show up for the flight to Pittsburgh, is listed as day-to-day.