Dev Camp (7/2): Halttunen

Dev Camp (7/2): Halttunen

Casper just first year full North America right you played for London looked like you had a blast there what does it mean just to kind of have that year under Bel and then come back here for a second time well I mean it was a lot of fun um you know had a long season with the guys with just SC and and uh just uh fell a little bit short at the end but uh it was a lot of fun I learned a lot got a lot of better and um you know that’s I said it was a lot of fun what was your reaction when sh drafted Sam obviously you played with him and had a lot of good times in what was your reaction to yeah I was actually watching the draft like 3:30 a.m. in F London and uh I was pumped when when they picked him I wasn’t expecting uh him to be open open uh on there but U I’m really happy that uh we picked him and uh you know happy that he’s here looked like you and Macklin were paired up in some drills they’re obviously the number one pick and what does it mean to kind of skate alongside with him that first day first time I mean pretty exciting oh yeah he’s I mean he’s an unbelievable player um you know it’s I hope it’s uh you know we’re gonna play play with each other a lot and you know he’s a great player so I really enjoy that do you feel like your guys’ games compliment each other well I mean it’s just uh under one practice but I mean hopefully in the future we we’ll uh get along pretty well uh when that number 11 pick is coming and it’s you know your teammate is on the board you there’s other very good players on the board are you kind of crossing your fingers that’s going to be Sam right there oh yeah of course uh I mean as I said I was just like 3:30 a.m. watching ing the draft with my girlfriend there you know we’re both hoping for Sam to uh get drafted here and uh I was really happy that they picked him what was your reaction and I uh a little bit there yeah I think I just jumped off the off the couch and and uh just like started yelling like yes that I was really pumped for that what have you been working on in particular with Dale hunter in London you know just like the overall game how to like get comfortable with the small eyes and that was like a big thing for me this year and and uh at the end I I think I was pretty comfortable with the smaller eyes and and uh you know got comfortable with everything like wall workor and all those things that you don’t need that much in Europe so yeah is your expectation next season to go back to London uh I have no idea yeah you know just try to as work uh uh as hard as I can on the summer and I’ll see what happens are you hoping that maybe to join at Barracuda perhaps you think you’re able to do that yeah I mean you know as I said I’m uh trying to work as hard as I can and uh you know um obviously going to um listen to sharks what they say uh you know where should I play and uh probably going to have my own word as well a little bit with that what was it like during that playoff run you were just on fire like everything you’re shooting was was F in the way what was that like for you just that well I mean as I said I got comfortable with the uh smaller ice and and uh the North American game uh as the season uh went on and uh you know in the playoffs I you that’s you know I think I I can uh put a little more effort in playoffs and get a little better uh every game and uh you know I think I did pretty pretty good job with that what was uh what were some of the things the Sharks were telling you after last year’s death camp maybe that they wanted to see you sort of work on or just improve on I guess well I mean uh just those uh those things that you need uh in this small in North American Hockey and all all the wall work um you know obviously get faster stronger um you know those normal things but most mostly just like to get comfortable with the North American eyes and I work on my uh strength and and those things that I got to work on I mean just being around death camp last year as well do you notice a difference on the ice just I don’t know if you remember what happened the last year but just did kind of notice a different environment maybe different intensity with a guy like mlin here well I mean you probably saw there uh there’s a lot more fans than last year uh you know I think sharks are more interesting to uh more people now uh obviously because of Macklin probably and uh you know it’s a growing um organization right now so uh yeah I feel pretty excited about this whole thing obviously Macklin’s a pretty big deal than I one pick but guys like musty and Smith the guys who went in your draft obviously you played against Quinton a couple of times what what can you remind just playing against a guy like MTI what does he like to go against and how do you feel that they can you know one you guys join forces can contribute to this team I mean you know uh last year playing against him it’s he he’s the kind of player that you know before a game we we got to talk about him that what he what is he going to do there and we got to you know like play harder against him than than the other guys and uh you know he’s a great player all around um you know obviously you don’t want to play against him but great gu to have uh on your team and I can’t wait to play with him going back to that player front I mean you mentioned just everything was going in have you ever had a run like that at any point in your career going up just scoring that many goals that short of span I mean we don’t like in junior in Europe we don’t have uh that kind of playoffs that we play uh best of seven Ser so he was uh you know first one for me that kind of playoffs and and you know I’ve been playing some big games too but that was uh that was something special do you feel like you can be one of those guys you know great players to maranz told us you great players step up in big moments do you feel like you’re you can kind of you know accept that role and me like look you may not be the top guy but when players come around you’re the guy you can be relied upon yeah I mean I think I uh did pretty pretty good job with that this year and I you know I I love to win that’s my biggest goal in hockey uh to LIF the Stanley Cup uh someday so you know when the uh big games comes up I always step up a little bit for your development uh how impactful was it to that decision to go to London as opposed to stay in Finland I mean I I I’m really happy with that decision uh you know I think that was the right decision for me 100% um you know I’m thank thankful for for London to give me that opportunity and uh thank thankful for uh the sharks that they helped me to go there and uh you know I’m just only happy with that Emil King said that he had a better shot than you at the draft combine and I asked him so what do you say to you know uh I I guess we can uh decide that um later on this uh future and the 10 10 years who whoever’s uh you know maybe scoring more goals in the NHL or something but um you know he’s a great player too nothing bad to say say about him

Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen answers questions from the media on July 2, 2024.