The Niagara IceDogs will have a number of players taking part in NHL training camps in the upcoming weeks.  Forwards Andrew Agozzino (Columbus) and Chris DeSousa (Boston), along with goaltender Petteri Simila (Montreal), will leave for NHL camps this week and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is already in St. Louis preparing for Blues camp.

DeSousa will be a part of a Bruins Rookie Roster that will be taking part in a Rookie Tournament in Kitchener from Saturday, September 5th to Thursday, September 10th.  The team will play three games in all, one each against Rookie teams from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins.  DeSousa will be joining former IceDog Scott Fletcher on the Bruins team and will take on another former IceDog in Luca Caputi, who is on the Pittsburgh roster.

Agozzino will be departing to join Columbus Blue Jackets rookies in the 2009 NHL Prospects Tournament, September 6-10 in Traverse City, Michigan.  He will be joining former IceDogs Stefan Legein and Andrew Loverock on the Blue Jackets Roster.

Simila, who was drafted by Montreal in the 7th round of the entry draft this past June, will be leaving to join the Canadiens between the pipes for their training camp which also starts later this month. 

Finally, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has spent the majority of the summer in St. Louis preparing for Blues camp, which begins Sept 12.  Pietrangelo will also be participating in the 2009 NHL Prospects Tournament against Agozzino and the Blue Jackets from September 6-10 in Traverse City, Michigan.

The IceDogs wish all four players the best of luck at their respective training camps and expect that they will gain valuable experience to take into the 2009/2010 season.