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<< Previous   of   Next >> Michael O'Leary / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Kyle Beach is back from NHL camp and the Everett Silvertips are counting on him to have a big impact on the team. Michael O'Leary / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Kyle Beach (center) works out with the Tips for the first time this season on Thursday.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, October 10, 2008 Beach back on Everett ice Everett star winger Kyle Beach finally rejoins the Tips after an eye-opening tryout with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks By Nick Patterson Herald Writer EVERETT -- Kyle Beach had a visceral reaction to his initial first-person experience with an NHL game. "I was shaking through the whole first warmup, and I wasn't even in the lineup," the Everett Silvertips star winger recounted. Beach chronicled that and much more Thursday, his first day back with the Tips since departing for training camp with the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks nearly four weeks ago. Beach, Everett's 18-year-old goal scorer/agitator supreme, was participating in his first training camp with the Blackhawks, who made Beach the 11th-overall selection in this year's NHL draft. And his first look at the NHL level was an eye opener. "It's crazy," Beach said. "It's definitely a different league. The guys are a lot bigger, a lot stronger, a lot faster. They all play their role, they don't mess around and run all over the ice. It was tougher in some ways, but at the same time it was a lot easier because you just have to play your position and everything else falls into line." Beach suited up for five of Chicago's eight preseason games. Playing an average of about nine minutes a night, Beach registered one assist, a minus-2 rating and 14 penalty minutes, including a pair of fights with Minnesota Wild defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron. Chicago finished 4-0-1-0 in those games. Despite limited ice time, the Blackhawks gave Beach a chance to experience all facets of the game. "I was jumping around from second line to third line to fourth line," Beach said. "I even saw a couple shifts with the first line. I killed penalties a bit, got a bit of power play. It was definiely different, but it's something you have to adapt to. When all the players are at the same level, going from one line to another all you have to change is your role and how you play." Fitting in with Chicago was easier for Beach because of the makeup of the Blackhawks' roster. Chicago has one of the youngest and most exciting teams in the NHL, personified by 20-year-old captain Jonathan Toews and 19-year-old reigning Rookie of the Year Patrick Kane. Those two are part of Beach's generation and were therefore the players who spent the most time showing Beach the ropes. "I hung out with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane quite a bit," Beach said. "But I spent time with almost everybody on the team. They all treated me like I'd been there for five years." Chicago gave Beach a legitimate shot of making the team -- a rarity for a player so young -- as he survived until the final week before the season began. "I felt I did really good," Beach said. "I felt like I was in good shape, I was talking care of my body really well. They gave me a pretty good opportunity, but they've got so much depth. "I definitely think I could have stuck," added Beach, who didn't sign a contract but said a deal may be forthcoming. "We talked a lot about keeping me there, what would be best, what would happen if I came back and what would happen if I stayed there. I definitely could have stuck there, but at the same time another year here is definitely not going to hurt me." Spending time at the NHL level gave Beach a new perspective toward the game, particularly when it comes to preparation. But when asked what he learned from his experience with the Blackhawks, the most common thing Beach mentioned was leadership. That's something the Blackhawks will be looking for out of Beach this season. "The guys really showed me leadership," Beach said. "They've got 40-year-olds and they've got 20-year-olds, but everybody's equal and everybody has a role on the team and they're all expected to play it." As a result, leadership is something Beach plans on adding to his game with Everett. As the Tips' leading returning scorer he already was being counted on to be a major contributor. Now he's an alternate captain and has accepted the additional responsibilities that come with that title. "As an assistant captain guys are going to look up to me," Beach said. "At the same time I'm going to have to play a big role. I'm going to play big minutes and I'm going to be expected to perform. I've got lots of pressure on myself to come back and do well, not have a year where I slack off. So I'm going to do everything I can. I'm going to work as harder or harder than I have in the past. Hopefully we'll have a solid team this year and I'll put up good numbers." On his first day back in Everett Beach jumped right back into the fray, taking full part in post-practice games with his teammates and being the last player to depart the ice. "It's a great opportunity coming back," Beach said. "All the guys have accepted me well. This is the first time I've talked with a lot of them since I left, but they've all welcomed me back and I'm excited to get in the lineup (today)." Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. 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