Watch Joe Sacco interviewed after  being named coach of the Monsters in May

We had two squads practicing Tuesday and Wednesday, with 15 or so players on each team. During these two days, we tried to basically get the players practicing at a high tempo again. We stressed that they need to focus on pushing the pace at a high level during all the drills, all the time.

It was also a chance for myself and Assistant Coach Sylvain Lefebvre to see some of these players for the first time. Remember, not all of these guys were at the Avs' camp in Colorado.

I have certainly been impressed with the overall effort the last couple of days. These players trying to earn a spot on our team know that they only have a short amount of time to make a good impression on the staff, and that has definitely shown in their work ethic.

Of the 30 guys in camp right now, we will eventually get down to 22 or 23 players. And there are still a few more that will be released from the Avalanche and reassigned to the Monsters, so the process will get even harder.

So now we travel to Milwaukee and Chicago for pre-season games. These next couple of days will be the time for the guys to make a statement on the ice...and hopefully make the decisions for us even more difficult!

Coach Sacco will check back in with LakeErieMonsters.com following the team's pre-season games on the road. Make sure to check back here to see his reaction to the Monsters' first competitive action on the ice.