2026 Main Camp: Part 2 - Kamden Kaiser, Jack Hair & Jackson Conroy

Up next is Part Two of the 2026 Main Camp Recap. We welcome Phase II pick Kamden Kaiser, followed by Phase I picks Jack Hair and Jackson Conroy to the show. The future is bright! 

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This recording is the sole view of the members of the Dump & Chase Podcast.  This is a non-commercial fan production. We are not affiliated with or compensated by the Youngstown Phantoms, the United States Hockey League, or any league, club, or team.

© 2026 Dump & Chase Podcast. All Rights Reserved

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:13

Hello, Phantom fans, and welcome to part two of the Dumpin' Chase podcast main camp recap. Coming up is our conversation with phase two pick and last year's captain of the North American Hockey League's El Paso Rhinos. That is forward Camden Kaiser. Following that is our chat with two of the Phantoms Phase 1 selections, defenseman Jack Hare and forward Jackson Conroy. So let's get into it. Here is part two. All right, and we're back here at Bubba's Burgers at Phantom's Main Camp down here in South Point Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania. We are now joined by Camden Kaiser. Camden, first off, welcome to Youngstown.

SPEAKER_03 0:58

Yeah, thank you guys.

SPEAKER_05 1:00

So how how has your week been so far? Kind of your your first real uh taste of getting into Youngstown hockey.

SPEAKER_03 1:05

Yeah, no, it's been great. It's been nice to get some games under the belt now, and then obviously getting to know all the players and staff. It's been really, really nice to meet them all.

SPEAKER_05 1:14

Um, so you have a little bit of history coming in with uh Timmy Parkos, one of the uh assistant GMs with the Phantoms. Um, is it has it helped a little bit kind of having at least somebody here you have some familiarity with?

SPEAKER_03 1:25

Yeah, it's nice to know Tim here. I've been talking to him a little bit leading up to camp, and yeah, it's just always nice to have someone you know.

SPEAKER_05 1:31

Um so last year uh you were with the El Paso Rhinos and the Knall. Uh overall, like how do you felt your season went last year? And um how are you feeling just so far kind of making that jump from the knall into the USHL?

SPEAKER_03 1:43

Yeah, last year um we had a really good team in El Paso. It was a lot of fun. Um I thought it really helped me grow my game a bunch. Um and so just playing there last year, getting a lot of minutes has kind of helped uh transist transition, uh jump into the USHL, uh, maybe a little smoother. So it's been a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_02 2:00

You were the uh captain, correct?

SPEAKER_03 2:02

Yeah, I was. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 2:03

So I mean, was there any conversations with Youngstown uh before the draft this year? Um like anything like that with them, or was kind of uh you being drafted by them, was it just kind of out of nowhere?

SPEAKER_03 2:13

Um yeah, I had a couple, I've been talking to them for a little while, um, had a couple Zoom meetings uh during the season last year with them. Um so I kind of knew that this, if everything worked out, this was gonna be the spot.

SPEAKER_02 2:24

So you weren't like, oh, where the heck is Youngstown? Let me find this on a map.

SPEAKER_03 2:27

Oh no, no, I was really excited when I was able to talk to them and hopefully come in here.

SPEAKER_05 2:32

So kind of I mean, coming into this season, like what are you looking forward to? I mean, obviously that you're coming into your OA year. Uh so your last year in juniors, uh just I mean, as far as your development, kind of what are your goals for this season?

SPEAKER_03 2:44

Yeah, I think um everything I've seen just playing in Youngstown should be able to help me grow my game even more, um, which will be really great for hopefully moving on to the college level. But I'm just really excited to play in this organization. I've heard so many great things about it, and I'm just really excited to play here.

SPEAKER_05 3:00

Where are you committed to?

SPEAKER_03 3:01

I'm not committed yet. Not committed yet?

SPEAKER_05 3:02

Okay, why not?

SPEAKER_03 3:04

Yeah, I don't know. This year, hopefully.

SPEAKER_05 3:06

We've we've had quite a few conversations about you so far this weekend. Um I'm kind of finding that shocking.

SPEAKER_02 3:11

Any place you're looking at?

SPEAKER_03 3:14

Um, there's been a few schools reaching out, but I'm from Minnesota, so it'd be really cool to play in a Minnesota school, but um obviously can't be too picky.

SPEAKER_05 3:24

I mean, everything we've been told about you a couple months in it at the latest couple months into the season, I have a feeling you're gonna get be getting a few more knocks on your door. So I'd don't worry about it too much there. Um so as we mentioned before, because we can't do anything anywhere without mentioning Timmy Parkos. He told us a little story about you. Oh boy. Uh I wanted to ask you about.

SPEAKER_03 3:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 3:43

Um apparently, as far as hockey goes, you're uh one half of a power couple. Yes, it's true. He was telling us, uh didn't give us a name or anything, but uh your girlfriend who plays, I believe, collegiate.

SPEAKER_03 3:56

Yes, she does.

SPEAKER_05 3:57

Um he he said very well she might be much better than you.

SPEAKER_03 4:01

Yeah, no, she's really good. She uh her name's Ala Puppy. She um played high school in Minnesota, won the Miss Hockey Award, and then committed to the Gophers. Um, played a year at the Gophers, and now she's at Mankato. So definitely some top schools there. So we have a lot of competitions.

SPEAKER_05 4:18

Okay. He he was telling me about uh you have a barn something on like on your property or something. You have like you have kind of like a shooting area there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:26

Either her house or my house, we always like to shoot pox and obviously make it competitive.

SPEAKER_05 4:30

Uh yeah, told us there's been there's been some knockout drag outs with those. So now if you asked her, would she say she's better or 100%? She would? Okay. Yeah, she would for sure say that. Um so uh I mean, coming in, uh has there been any guys here like you've played with before, or was there any guys coming in here that you knew?

SPEAKER_03 4:52

Um no, I didn't really know them any of the guys. Um Malachi McKinnon, I knew of a little bit just from him being from Minnesota. Um, but other than that, I didn't really know any of them.

SPEAKER_05 5:02

Okay, okay. Um so you're gonna have uh like all-star games coming up tonight and tomorrow. Uh what are you looking forward to there?

SPEAKER_03 5:09

Yeah, definitely just to be able to play with some of those guys, it should be really high pace and a lot of fun. So I'm excited.

SPEAKER_05 5:16

So making the jump from the null to the USH, I mean, just what you've done here, like it like what do you feel like's been the biggest difference between, you know, like say like a null camp and a USHL camp?

SPEAKER_03 5:25

Yeah, um definitely it's definitely very high paced, um, a lot of skill too. Everyone up and down the lineup has a lot of skill and can play with pace.

SPEAKER_05 5:34

Okay, okay. So yeah, um, of course, you know, we'll we'll get into a lot more. Uh of course we know we'll have you on later in the season and everything else. Uh we'll we'll throw this kind of an early one out now. Um, any family friends, anybody potential, you know, girlfriend might be listening in. You want to give a shout out to?

SPEAKER_03 5:49

Um, yeah, my mom actually would like a shout-out. So shout out my mom.

SPEAKER_05 5:54

We need we need to see those Minnesota numbers go up. Oh, yeah. Yep. All right. Well, uh, Camden, uh, good luck the rest of this weekend. It was great meeting you. Uh, looking forward to see what you're gonna do this season. Awesome, yeah. Nice to meet you guys.

SPEAKER_03 6:05

Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 6:08

All right, back again here at Bubba's Burgers in Phantoms main camp. We are joined by uh two of the Phantoms phase one uh draft picks, that is Jack Hare and Jackson Conroy. Jack, we'll start with you first off. Welcome to Youngstown. Um, how's the week been for you here?

SPEAKER_04 6:25

It's been great. I've had a lot of fun meeting new people, being able to play in these games. It's been really I've been really lucky to be drafted by the Youngstown Phantoms.

SPEAKER_05 6:34

Um, so you would uh you had said right before we start first started recording this is uh your second main camp, uh USHL main camp. So how how how do you feel like a little more of a comfort level at a as far as the USHL main camp this year compared to last year?

SPEAKER_04 6:46

Definitely. I think this is a lot more welcoming than the other one was, but it's I've started to be a lot more comfortable with this stuff, so it's I'm very grateful.

SPEAKER_05 6:54

Okay. Um and uh Jackson, this is your first USHL main camp. Uh how how's the week been for you?

SPEAKER_00 7:00

It's been great. Uh all the returnists have been very welcoming and coaches as well, so it's been a great week.

SPEAKER_05 7:06

So, how how has it been kind of coming in? Um, Jack coming in, you know, talking to some of the older guys, uh the guys that have been here for a while. Um, I mean, uh are you right away kind of picking up stuff from them as you've gone through the week?

SPEAKER_04 7:18

Definitely. They've been very welcoming, very open with advice and all that stuff, but I've definitely started to pick up some stuff for them, but I'm they've been very kind.

SPEAKER_05 7:26

Jackson, for you, kind of what's what's been the biggest surprise for you uh coming in, you know, these practices and playing these games this week?

SPEAKER_00 7:33

Definitely the speed of the play. You don't have a lot of space when you touch the puck, but once you have it, all the guys around you are gonna be helping you. So it's a lot of speed, which is great.

SPEAKER_05 7:42

How how long do you feel like it takes you to kind of get your brain to kind of maybe start thinking a little bit quicker when you're out there?

SPEAKER_00 7:49

I think uh after the first or second shift, you know what's going on and you're ready to play the rest of the game at your full capacity.

SPEAKER_05 7:55

Like Jack, has it been any bit of an adjustment? Like when you're playing youth, you're you know, 13, 14, 15, you, everybody, you know, on the team is the same age. When you're coming in here and you've got like 19 and 20 year olds out here, like how much of an adjustment is that something like that?

SPEAKER_04 8:08

It's definitely a bigger adjustment than with your own age group, but after probably the first second shift, you start to realize that the game's picking up faster and you start to settle into the place of play.

SPEAKER_05 8:19

Okay. Um now, how has it been? Uh Jackson, like how has it been for you coming in here, like interacting with the coaching staff, you know, the support staff? Um, how has that experience been for you?

SPEAKER_00 8:30

It's been great. They've all been super welcoming. Showing me the city of uh Youngstown on Wednesday morning and great city. Showing me around the rink too. Heard there's great fans, so making me feel really welcome here.

SPEAKER_05 8:42

Jack, kind kind of take us through like where were you at like when you found out you were taken in the phase one draft? Um, you know, and it was the Phantoms that had drafted you. Like, kind of what was what did that process end up being for you?

SPEAKER_04 8:53

Um, it was a great experience to get that phone call from Mr. Kazeki. But I was very excited to get that, and my whole family was very excited for me and excited for the opportunity that I had in front of me.

SPEAKER_05 9:06

Like were you like sitting around kind of watching the draft, or some some guys will say they're out playing golf or you know, whatever.

SPEAKER_04 9:15

Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:17

Of course. It he had to call during dinner. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 9:20

Uh yeah, we've we've heard of guys just being whatever happens, happens, they'll be out on the golf course, or they'll just, you know, find you know, find a rink and get some time in.

SPEAKER_04 9:27

And I wasn't too focused on it. I've just gotten done shooting pucks, so I just went to eat dinner with my family.

SPEAKER_00 9:32

Okay. Uh Jackson, what about you? Uh, we had a team watch party actually in my dorm room this past year. So we were all there together, saw all of our teammates get drafted together. And uh Coach Ward and uh Jason Deskins both called and welcomed me to the organization, and it was really a great feeling. Uh, all my teammates were super excited for me as well, so it was a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_05 9:54

And now I know you know, talking to Werdo, talking to some of the GMs and everything, you know, they've had a lot of high praise for you guys. Was there any conversations with anybody from the team beforehand? Um, you know, any inclination that you know Youngstown was interested in you, you know, coming into this?

SPEAKER_00 10:09

Uh I had a call with Jason Deskins before the draft, and he told me that they were very interested and that they're gonna try to pick me up. And from that moment I knew that this is definitely an organization I'd want to be a part of and super happy that they picked me.

SPEAKER_05 10:22

Okay. Um so I mean, you know, we'll have the All-Star games coming up, uh, the Young Guns games and everything else. Um I mean, how much how much are you guys looking forward to, you know, especially coming down to the end of the week here? How much are you looking forward to these games coming up tonight and tomorrow?

SPEAKER_04 10:36

Uh I'm looking forward to it a lot. It'll be a great opportunity to test my skills against tougher players and tougher opponents. But I'm very grateful to have been put in this opportunity. But it'll be very exciting and have a lot hopefully have a have a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

I'd say the same. It's been uh really great week so far. So this last week this last few games, playing with older guys and competing out our 100 110% every game. It'll definitely be competitive, but something I know I'm looking forward to.

SPEAKER_05 11:07

Um any any guy like any of the returners, anything like that you guys maybe kind of made fast friends with here uh this week?

SPEAKER_04 11:14

Um definitely a few that I've made friends with. I'd say Jesse Orlovsky and um Brody Burrard. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:22

Um what about you? I'd say the exact same two people and uh Logan as well. Yeah, all felt very welcomed.

SPEAKER_05 11:29

Now, um now with phase one, I'll be in the same uh year. I mean, was there any other phase one picks that you guys were kind of familiar with or maybe had played with in the past coming in here?

SPEAKER_04 11:38

Um I knew Dylan Legfield a lot because he's in Michigan also, so we played against each other a lot during that. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 11:44

Now, is it is it kind of one of those maybe more happy to be on the same team now as opposed to going up against each other?

SPEAKER_04 11:50

It was fun though.

SPEAKER_05 11:51

A little less stress in your life or definitely, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:54

Uh my teammate Andre Jonak was also drafted by Young Sound in the phase one draft. So we got the calls around the same time and very exciting for both of us.

SPEAKER_05 12:03

Does that give you a little bit more of a comfort level when you come into something like this and you have a teammate with you, kind of going through this journey with you?

SPEAKER_00 12:10

Yeah, definitely. And he's super close friend this year, so it's great to be picked by the same program as them.

SPEAKER_05 12:16

Okay. Um, so before we let you guys out of here, um, certainly there'll be more conversations in the future, uh, for sure. Uh before we let you out of here, anybody might be listening in, friends, family, anybody you'd like to give a shout out to?

SPEAKER_04 12:28

I'd just like to give a shout out to all my family, then all my teammates, my coaches who have helped me get this far.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

Okay. Yeah, I definitely have to say to my family, uh, all my teammates as well, all my friends and the entire Young Sound organization for their trust and belief in us. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 12:43

Jack and Jackson, got to make sure I don't mix those up there. Uh, yeah, thank you so much for doing this. Uh, really looking forward to see uh what you guys are gonna do for this team uh, you know, coming up here in the future. Thank you. Thank you very much. A big thanks to Camden, Jack, and Jackson for sitting down with us for a few minutes. Coming up next in part three, we make show history with our youngest interviewee ever, as we welcome back Phantom's head coach Ryan Ward and his son and unofficial team scout Ollie Ward. Stay tuned.