2026 Main Camp: Part 5 - Jeff Cox & Tim Parkos

This is Part Five of the 2026 Main Camp Recap. Coming up, we welcome back to the show, Assistant GMs Jeff Cox and Tim Parkos! We'll take a look at some of the Phantoms new Phase I picks, as well as what it's like out on the scouting trail. Enjoy!

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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_01 0:12

Hello, Phantom fans, and welcome to part five of the Dump and Chase Podcast 2026 main camp recap. Coming up is our conversation with Phantom's Assistant General Manager Jeff Cox and Assistant General Manager and the Phantom's Director of Scouting, the King of Minnesota, Timmy Parkos. That is what he demands everyone call him. But seriously, we discussed some of the Phantoms' new phase one picks, and we dug into life on the road during some of these scouting trips. Always a pleasure to have these guys on, and it's a real treat to finish an interview with them and realize we have no damn clue what we're talking about. Feels good. Anyway, here is part five with Jeff Cox and Timmy Parkos. Alright, and we're into another round here at Phantom's Main Camp at Bubba's Burgers. We are joined by Phantom's Assistant General Manager is Jeff Cox. And I I I feel like the guy we've mentioned way too much this past season, uh usually following the word Minnesota, Timmy Parkos. Uh guys, welcome back to the show.

SPEAKER_04 1:20

Thanks for having us. Thanks for having us.

SPEAKER_01 1:22

I'm I'm trying to think if there's any point in time that we mentioned your name not referencing Minnesota, because I don't I don't think we've done it.

SPEAKER_05 1:29

Let's not get his head too big here, please.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

I mean, it's obviously you want ratings, so when you want ratings or it's Pavlov's dog at this point, somebody says Minnesota, and your name just automatically gets blurted out.

SPEAKER_04 1:39

I'm not gonna argue with it.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

Are you okay with that reputation?

SPEAKER_04 1:42

I am okay with it.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Jeff, are you okay with him? We'll let it slide going going full in on this reputation.

SPEAKER_05 1:48

We'll let it slide for today. Okay. Just today. By dinner time, it's over. So, Jeff, how are you doing this week? I'm doing great. It's uh great camp. It's always fun to see everyone together that's uh been drafted and uh see some of the returners and guys that you know you've followed all year, and um it's it's always a great week. Busy but great.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

Uh Timmy, how are you feeling about the uh product out on the ice this week?

SPEAKER_04 2:13

No, I feel great. I mean, again, I'll just go off what uh you know what Jeff said. It's just nice to uh see all the hard work that our whole staff does, that Jeff does, and other guys, like you know, Desi and Worm, other guys put together, and it's it's fun to see it on the ice.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

Now, we've had a couple conversations now uh talking about just how excited the team overall is about the phase one draft this year. Um just I just so like just before we get into this here, just overall, like what are your guys, Jeff? We'll start with you. What are your guys' feelings about uh just how phase one played out for you guys?

SPEAKER_05 2:48

Yeah, we got we got a lot of players that we really wanted to go after. We we think we got a lot of smart hockey players and players that will be uh fan favorites in Youngstown for years to come.

SPEAKER_01 3:01

Um so we're gonna start out uh right away. Uh no fail uh no first round pick. Obviously, you guys had tendered. Um coming from Honey Bake 15U, Austin Hall. Um what what is it about Austin other than the just ungodly amount of points he put up last year in an ungodly amount of games for Honey Baked?

SPEAKER_04 3:23

Yeah, no, I think I mean over the years, I think you've noticed the guys that we've tendered all kind of have the same MO. I mean, he competes. He competes, he's heavy, he just has that knack to want to put the puck in the net, and he puts the puck in the net a ton. Um, I think guys are gonna love watching him play. Um, you know, he just plays with that just that jam that I think fans are really gonna like.

SPEAKER_05 3:47

I I would say you you want overachievers, and he's an overachiever, and I mean that in the best way. He um just gets the most out of out of every you know ability he has, and um he he works hard, he goes to the middle of the ice, he's heavy on pucks, he he's a really great, great player.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Um, so your guys' uh second round pick, actually, your first actual pick in phase one this year, uh coming from the Chicago Reapers, uh Noah Druin.

SPEAKER_05 4:17

Yeah, Druin took kind of an interesting path. He's from uh you know he played for the Indiana Elite the year before, moved over to the Reapers. He's got a great stick, um, puck moving defenseman with some size. He's a kid that we think is going to keep getting better as he as he develops. But uh the he was at the top of our defensive board, so we were we were pumped to get him.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

Um in the uh third round, a a team that we're certainly seeing pop up a lot more in these drafts lately with Youngstown, uh, but the uh Buffalo Junior Sabres, you guys taking Nash Wilford.

SPEAKER_05 4:54

Yeah, I think his uh he was one of the smartest players in the draft, and um, in my opinion, he uh he's a kid that's still super young. Um growing into his uh into his body, he's just gonna get better as he gets bigger and stronger, but his hockey sense is uh is a five out of five. Yeah, I mean he just makes plays.

SPEAKER_04 5:15

Like he is gonna be fun to watch for sure.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

Now now since we're going through the timeline here, you guys had a little bit of a gap here. Uh what was it, 52 picks uh between Nash and the next one. When you guys are in the draft room and you've got that big of a gap from the third round to the sixth round, I mean, are you guys just kind of waiting your turn? I mean, are it how much strategy is going into it when you've got that many picks coming off the board before you guys are up next?

SPEAKER_05 5:40

You know, we we have uh we have our our rankings of you know forwards and defensemen. We're we're kind of tracking who's been taken off the board. And uh, you know, it's I think one of the fun parts of scouting is you know kind of critiquing other people's you know opinions, and you know, it's fun to have debates and it's just kind of fun to see who got taken, who other teams might have liked, who other teams might not have liked. Um so we just kind of followed along and uh waited our turn until uh until the next time.

SPEAKER_04 6:11

Yeah, I I always find it I always find it fun at that time. Like we're in that gap is full of phone calls and discussion and you know, just kind of different things that you know, different scenarios. If this guy goes somewhere, you know, what's our follow-up? And that that's what makes it fun for me at least. It's just the whole like like what if happens in all those moments. So um, it's just exciting as a staff. I mean, I think we all do a great job together, but just getting different opinions. I mean, like we all get along, but we also have our our moments of disagreements, which is which is fun.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

So you guys aren't like ordering pizza and stepping outside for a smoke break and running stuff like that through I mean no smoke breaks, but I've been known to slam a few pizzas. Okay, there we go. Um so yeah, we get into the uh sixth round uh left winger out of Atlantic Coast Academy, CJ Sawyer.

SPEAKER_05 7:03

Yeah, CJ's a player that I've seen a lot. Obviously, I've seen every player we've drafted a lot, but I've seen CJ probably more than anyone just because I'm based in Boston and he's um he lives about 50 minutes north of Boston. And uh his uh his skating is electric. He has that kind of second second burst of wind that he can you know just absolutely blow by guys, his sticks good, he's smart, um, he's competitive. Uh I I think he was a terrific, terrific value at that point in the draft. He was way, way, way higher on our board than a six-round pick. So the fact that we got him there is um something that we're very happy about.

SPEAKER_04 7:45

Yeah, I mean that's a kid that we I mean when when he was there and available, we're like, oh wow, that's a huge win for us. I think his IQ was off the charts. I think this kid's just a winner. Um I think you're gonna see him get better and better and better and better. He makes plays. And that's the thing. Like you if you look at what we've done over the years, like our MO around here is guys compete, guys have hockey sense. And I think I think he he fits both those uh spades.

SPEAKER_01 8:12

Um so your guys is uh you guys actually had back-to-back picks here in the sixth round. So this was the day I learned they they called Minnesota the land of a thousand uh 10,000 lakes. Um apparently one of these lakes is called Elmo. Uh so out of uh Hill Murray High School, uh out of Lake Elmo, Minnesota, Gavin Gust.

SPEAKER_04 8:31

Yeah, actually Lake Elmo is like a subsuburb of uh Stillwater, Minnesota, um uh which is where he played youth hockey. Um this kid floats on the ice. His number one attribute is his feet. This kid can skate and skate for days. Um high IQ kid, moves pucks, you know, jumps in the offensive uh play easily, um, defends with a good feet. Um I think uh again for me just watching this kid play and skate, you like he's electric.

SPEAKER_01 9:04

Alright, so um another little not as big of a jump as before, a little bit of a jump here going to the ninth round from Bishop Kearney selects uh 15s, uh Canadian Jackson Conroy. Uh and that's a name we've heard quite a lot this weekend.

SPEAKER_05 9:20

Yeah, I've um I've see I saw them play a ton as well, and he was their first line center. Um just a big, strong, long player that can really skate up and down the sheet, play two-way. He's a kind of prototypical two-way two-way center. Um, just a smart cerebral player. Um, he's looked really good at our camp, and I think he's a you know potential NHL draft pick that we were able to um draft in the ninth round.

SPEAKER_01 9:52

All right, um, another pick here in the ninth round uh from uh Detroit Honey Baked. That is uh Blake Stevens.

SPEAKER_05 10:00

Yeah, um Blake is uh one of those forwards that I also think was kind of overlooked on that honey baked team. Obviously, that honey baked team was had a lot of talent on it, and I think he was someone that you know I wouldn't say slipped through the cracks, but he was a player that we were super excited to get in that round. He's uh just a hardworking player. He's you know similar to you know someone I discussed earlier, that he just gets the most out of his ability, plays in the middle of the ice, he plays hard, he's not afraid. Um we're excited to have him.

SPEAKER_04 10:32

Yeah, I I like I I think to add to that, again, I'm just gonna keep saying the same thing. I I feel like, but I think his compete level is what for me just sets him apart a little bit. Like he's not afraid to get his nose dirty, like you know, you know, playing those heavy areas, uh, which at this age is it's hard to find. Like guys that want to go do that. And I think he's just one of those kids.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

Um a name that following uh you know Phantom Social Media we saw pop up recently, um announced as signing uh you know these new development deals that have come in uh this season, uh out of Detroit, Little Caesars 15's Jack Hare.

SPEAKER_04 11:04

I want to correct him, he's actually from Minnesota. Plays in Detroit.

SPEAKER_01 11:08

I did not say he was from anywhere, I said he was with. Make that very clear.

SPEAKER_05 11:14

Yeah, he's a um you know left shot, puck moving defenseman, skates really well, strong. Um he he's been one of the top defensemen in this age group for a while. Um so to get him late like we did was was a great thing. Um you know, I I think he's one of those players that will continue to impress and uh be ready to go and uh play for the Phantoms uh sooner rather than later.

SPEAKER_01 11:42

Um and then the last one we're gonna discuss here um out of Shattock, uh Aiden Cullen, uh goaltender, just right off the bat, can you imagine being 16 years old and being six foot six?

SPEAKER_04 11:55

I'm 47 years old and I'm shocked that I'm 5'8.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

Can you imagine how life different would be how different your life would be to be that tall at that age?

SPEAKER_05 12:06

He's um he's obviously uh he's you know one of the top goaltending prospects in the country. Um, you know, with his size obviously super intriguing. Um, you know, he's a kid that had a great nationals for Shattuck Um and just always kind of been one of those hot commodities in in this uh in this birth year among that uh goalie position.

SPEAKER_04 12:30

Yeah, I think he's got a lot of room to improve, like the elder at that age. Um but like once he you know fills out, gets his man muscle, I think he's gonna be really, really good.

SPEAKER_05 12:39

I mean Yeah, I mean the you know the kids that are big like that um just takes a little bit longer to develop like a you know different position, obviously, but like Shane Lachance, who captained our uh Clark Cup championship team, he uh you know his first year here, he was you know just an okay player um and just kind of kept uh kept developing and getting better. And um, you know, we we think uh Collins a potential NHL pick that um you know will get better as he um you know grows into his body because he's 6'6, I think he might even be 6'7 now, but he's uh you know super skinny, so he's got to put on some muscle, but he's a very, very, very high-end goalie.

SPEAKER_01 13:20

Now, and we've we we've talked in the past about you know, especially with you know, with phase one, you're kind of looking at you know, maybe in a way what you hope they're gonna be a year or two from now. I mean, is it any harder with goaltenders just you know, I mean, obviously the as as a position they tend to develop take a little longer to develop than you would a skater? Like I I mean, is it more difficult kind of maybe projecting out these guys?

SPEAKER_05 13:46

I mean, I've done some research over the years of kind of how the phase one draft works out in terms of how many guys end up getting to our league. And I would say more teams, I don't know if a mistake is the right word, but more teams draft goalies in phase one that don't get to the USHL percentage-wise than any other position. Um it's just uh it's a hard, hard position to project. Um, but when you have someone with his tool set at 6'7, 6'6, it's hard, hard to ignore.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

Now, since I have you guys here, I'll ask you as well, you know, when you're out on the scouting trail, I mean, what when you're going to an arena to what you know to watch games or whatever, I mean, is it targeted? Are you going for specific guys? Or are you, you know, or are you doing that and maybe you know, somebody that maybe jumps out at you that you weren't looking at before?

SPEAKER_04 14:38

Yeah, I think it's a little bit of both for me. I think a lot of times I'll go with an idea of who I want to watch. Um, but uh a lot of times I uh you know actually is like we'll go walk you know for one guy and we'll come out with three or four little guys that weren't on our table. Right? So it's it's the old thing like we tell kids all the time. Like you know, you know, where I'm from, we tell kids you might have somebody in your team that's gonna draw, you know, like me to come watch, but it's also your opportunity to show. Right? So a lot of times, like you know, we have a kid here today, um you know from Minnesota who I think is a byproduct of that. You know, we went to go watch a certain player, and this kid popped. You know, all of a sudden we draft him you know late in phase, you know, in phase two, uh, and he's doing really well. Um so yeah, I think for me at least, I know just probably the same way. I think you have an idea of what you want to go watch, but I I go with an open mind. I'm there to watch the game. Um and and a lot of times you'll walk away with you know some different viewpoints of some some players you didn't know.

SPEAKER_01 15:41

Now, I I mean do you ever have a moment where you you see a player like that and you're like, God, I hope nobody else has noticed him? 100%.

SPEAKER_02 15:49

100%.

SPEAKER_01 15:50

Like is it is this gonna be my little secret?

SPEAKER_05 15:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:52

I I I imagine some of those kids are in camp right now.

SPEAKER_05 15:56

Yeah, I mean, I'd say Henry Giroux was that for me a year ago. You know, he was 129 pounds, um and uh his hockey sense was off the charts, but he just wasn't there yet in terms of his skating and physicality, and um you know he kind of played on a not that we'll experience a completely off-the-beating track uh team, but it's not a you know, big name midget program. And uh we were just super excited, and he's now a lot bigger and gotten a lot better, and uh, you know, he he's a perfect example of that for me.

SPEAKER_02 16:32

So when um you scouted these kids, you know, um uh you know, last year prior to that. Now you see them in camp. I mean, yeah, we're not expecting to see them for, you know, another year or two. But I I mean, are there any anybody here that you think might be you know on that edge, maybe come up for some some affiliate games?

SPEAKER_05 16:54

I I think we have you know five or six guys that uh could you know potentially come up for affiliate games or even make our team. That's how good I think our our group is, and obviously Hall will play, yeah, play with us full time. Um but there there's you know I I think five or six other guys that could play right away. You know, not not all the time, but you know, could could get some games in. And um, you know, we we just are super excited about our our our 2010 group.

SPEAKER_01 17:22

Now, if you like when you talk about uh the tender, you know, if you go back years ago, because uh I believe the agreement is is they have what 55% at least of games in a season. I mean, if we go back years ago, you would see a lot of the tenders that's what they would do. They would kind of hit that whatever that is, 34, 35 games, and that's all they would play any year. Now that's almost completely unheard of. You bring a tender in and they're there beginning to end. They're you know, if possible, they're playing 60 62 games seasons.

SPEAKER_04 17:53

I think the times have changed, right? Yeah. I think players have gotten better, and and uh I think I think if we're gonna make that commitment, I don't think we want to make the commitment just for the minimum. Like we want to be able to push these guys so they can play all year. So they're a factor for us at the end of the season, right? Um I think that's what's really changed.

SPEAKER_05 18:11

Right. I mean, I I think it's silly to tender a kid and not play him. You know, like there's certain organizations that have tendered kids and played them a couple minutes here and there, and that's just you know, we want to develop players. That's obviously wins and losses are are important, but developing players, helping players get ready for the next level, whether it be college hockey first and then the NHL, that's that's the ultimate goal in junior hockey. Um so to me, yeah, you know, we want to develop everyone, and if if we don't think they're good enough to play every game, you know, and significant minutes every game, then you know, why would you tender a player like that? It just doesn't make any sense to me.

SPEAKER_04 18:52

Yeah, and I think that's where like our staff does a great job. Like Coach Ward and and Coach Gotten and Cal do a great job of developing. That's the whole goal. Like you said, like you know, we're trying to develop NHL draft picks. Um I think those guys take a lot of pride in getting guys to improve, you know. I think we've seen it over the last couple years.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

So I mean I'm I mean, is it safe to say that like just like the development at the youth level is just that much higher than it was, you know, say eight to ten years ago?

SPEAKER_05 19:21

Yeah, I mean I've been going to national camps in Buffalo now for probably twelve years. And I think when I first started going, there were there were still a lot of players that kind of stood out as not being that good, whether it be bad feed or or whatever, and the the more every every year it gets better and better. Um you know, everyone skates well now, everyone you know has great skill. Um and and the US has done a great job, you know. Uh whether it be the first gold medal in 46 years, um there's more success at the NHL level for Americans than ever before. Um, you know, more more world junior success. Um I think youth hockey and high school hockey in Minnesota and prep school hockey in New England, it's it's all gotten better and uh it's it's fun to watch.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

Now you you have last season ending the way it did, and we're it it's almost in a way still kind of fresh. It wasn't that far back in time. Um is main camp kind of the point because you guys are coming out of the season, and then all the work you put in um as far as scouting and everything else going into the draft. Is main camp kind of I mean, is that kind of the point where you kind of flip the switch to next season? Because now you're seeing firsthand your guys' workout on the ice?

SPEAKER_05 20:43

I'd say the draft, just because right after the draft, the uh the Mass Festival you know happens for uh tryouts for Buffalo for national camp. I know HP and Minnesota is the same thing. All the uh all the festivals are going on, you know, end of May, uh middle of May to end of May. So you kind of jump right into next season, right at the draft.

SPEAKER_02 21:03

Yeah. So where do you guys go from camp?

SPEAKER_05 21:07

I'll be in uh I'll be in Buffalo for all the all three national camps. Um go to some college camps and uh some other you know festivals and camps around New England and the north the northeast and you know, excited to get to Buffalo for national camps.

SPEAKER_04 21:23

Yeah, no, um I'll leave here and I'm right back into the fire on Monday with our our our high school camp and stuff that runs all summer long and then I'll head to Buffalo and there's a bunch of stuff going on in Minnesota, so um I'll kind of take some time a little bit, but there's not a lot of time off. You're I mean you're into it right away.

SPEAKER_05 21:42

There's no off-season on hockey.

SPEAKER_01 21:45

All right. Um gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us again this year. Thanks for having us. Always fun. Enjoy the uh I don't know if you want to call it the fruits of your labor uh the remainder of this weekend. But I I again the work you guys put in, I imagine this has to be exciting for you uh to see all these guys out on the ice and kind of really get a first real good look of how these guys interact together. Yeah, I imagine it's got to be great for you guys.

SPEAKER_05 22:10

It's a lot of fun. So excited and thanks for all your coverage. And uh you guys do a great job promoting the phantoms, so we appreciate that.

SPEAKER_01 22:18

I appreciate that. All right, guys, thank you. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_05 22:20

Thanks, guys.

SPEAKER_01 22:26

Again, a big thanks to Jeff and Timmy for stepping away from important work to play in our sandbox for a few minutes. And honestly, I don't know if he prefers Tim or Timmy, so I'm going to stick with Timmy. If he doesn't like it, I'll change it when he starts pronouncing it Minnesota. So coming up in part six is two separate interviews that once they were completed, we knew right away that they had to exist in one episode. So we'll kick it off with the definition of bromance and the comedy stylings of Braden Thompson and Sean Miller. Following that, we welcome back Jesse Orloski to help us figure out what is wrong with the first two. So we will catch you all in part six. Stay tuned.