Andrew Cristall Heads Back To Juniors With Head Held High & Quite A Few Lessons From The Pros; Capitals' Brass Impressed

The 18-year-old has taken quite a few lessons away from his stint at Capitals training camp.

WASHINGTON — Andrew Cristall's worn his fair share of jerseys, including several as a fan growing up. But on Thursday, the Washington Capitals sweater he pulled over his gear was the real deal, marked with his last name and No. 28. And instead of sitting in the stands of Capital One Arena, he was on the ice, skating with heroes Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie.

Cristall made his NHL preseason debut and picked up a power-play assist against the Detroit Red Wings before heading back to the WHL's Kelowna Rockets on Friday. And for the 18-year-old, it was a major confidence boost to have before his reassignment.

"When you could put on an NHL jersey and not be a fan when you're wearing it, it's pretty cool," he noted. "The fact that I got this opportunity is awesome and definitely jitters at the start... it's pretty crazy. I think one time in the third, I kind of stepped back and was like, 'Wow, I'm playing the Detroit Red Wings right now.' I used to watch them on TV all the time."

After being taken 40th overall back in June, Cristall worked to make his mark at development camp before signing his entry-level deal. Then, after a long summer of training, he arrived a few weeks early in D.C. to soak in the pro experience and cram in as much learning as he could before rookie and main camp.

He even got some help from prospects in his position just a few years back, including Vincent Iorio and Hendrix Lapierre, who had nothing but good things to say while adding that the only struggle was getting the young prospect to stay off his phone.

For Cristall, there were so many positives to take away from the experience, from his interactions with Oshie and pros to cards with Iorio and company after practice. However, the biggest thing for him was being able to keep up with NHLers.

"Just being on the ice with everyone has been my favorite thing. Being able to push myself and kind of compete out there has been the best part," Cristall told The Hockey News.

And compete he did. The Vancouver, B.C. native put on a show in his first NHL camp, as his NHL counterparts and the coaching staff caught a glimpse of his playmaking ability, hockey IQ and quick hands. His skating, which was the biggest area the tea wanted to see him improve in, has also come a long way.

"He's got those hands in tight, he's got the smarts for the game, he's a guy that out there when he gets into space, when he gets the puck on his stick, he can make things happen," Tom Wilson said, agreeing that Oshie would be a good comparison. "Even I've been impressed with his work ethic, the integrity of the character he adds to the game... His skill won't be the issue. That comes second nature. Just as an overall package, he seems like a great kid and he's doing all the right things."

Oshie is one of the players Cristall has worked to model his game after for years, and during camp, he tried to spend as much time with him and the pros as possible.

"He's a guy I've watched growing up my whole life. He's so good with his hands and his perceptions; it's pretty crazy being out here with him and being able to talk with him," Cristall said.

"It's nice seeing the young buck in there... he's out here making very elite plays against NHL-caliber defensemen and players on the other side. Mac and all the guys upstairs did a fantastic job of getting him to our organization... He's got very, very qick hands but he's got a little more [Nicklas Backstrom] going on," Oshie commented, adding, "He's got the brains and setup to see the plays and anticipate them and make them."

Now back in juniors, Cristall is ready to take the lessons he learned back to Canada and translate them into a productive post-draft year. And while being at an NHL camp provided an adrenaline rush, pressure and taste of the road ahead, he's looking forward to taking things one day at a time.

"For me, it's just kind of trusting myself. Once I'm on the ice, [the nerves and outside noise] kind of all goes away," Cristall said.

"How I said, it's great for [the young guys], you know? Obviously, he's a skilled player. He's gonna learn and he's gonna be very good for us in the future."