There were a pair of strangers at Everett practice Thursday afternoon at Lynnwood Ice Center.

Defenseman Ben Betker and goaltender Austin Lotz have both been away for two weeks as they first attended NHL rookie training camps, then advanced to main camps. Betker was with the Edmonton Oilers, who picked him in the sixth round of the 2013 NHL draft. Lotz was with the Vancouver Canucks on a free-agent tryout. Both were reassigned back to Everett earlier this week. For more on this article Click Here. Lotz has been training with GDI Goaltending for the past 5 years as he moved from Bantam, Midget, and then into the WHL. This summer he completed the Off-Season Total GDI Academy where he was on the ice three times a week and in with Elite Performance several times during the week for off-ice training.