RoughRiders announce 2026 exposure camp for young prospects in Minnesota

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders will take their next talent search to Woodbury, Minnesota, for a three-day Exposure & Development Camp at HealthEast Sports Center from Aug. 4-6. Built for players born in 2010, 2011 and 2012, the camp will put younger prospects into a USHL-style setting with three skill sessions and three game sessions before they ever reach draft age.

That structure is the point. Cedar Rapids said the camp will include a player seminar, Keys to Success for a Young Hockey Player, plus a guest speaker who will share a hockey journey and off-ice team-building activities. Current, former and future RoughRiders players will handle on-ice instruction and mentorship, turning the event into more than a showcase. The organization is asking families to view it as a development step for players eligible for the 2027 and 2028 USHL Drafts, not just a weekend skate.

The camp price is $425, and the RoughRiders said limited player spots remain while goaltender spots are already full. Matt Denman, the club’s assistant director of scouting, is the contact for camp questions. For Cedar Rapids, that makes the camp a direct line between its scouting staff and the age group it is trying to identify long before those players become draft-eligible.

That long view fits the franchise’s message this spring. When the RoughRiders entered the 2026 USHL Draft in May, head coach and general manager Mark Carlson said the staff had spent “countless hours identifying players” and pointed to the draft as a key step on the path to NCAA Division I and professional hockey. The club has also said the 2025-26 season marks its 26th year in the United States Hockey League, a reminder that this development model is not a one-off project in Cedar Rapids.

HealthEast Sports Center gives the camp a big-stage backdrop. Facility listings describe it as one of the largest multiuse sports centers in the state, with two indoor ice arenas, an outdoor refrigerated rink and a sprawling athletic footprint at 4125 Radio Dr. in Woodbury. For a camp built around instruction, evaluation and early identification, that setting matches the assignment: show young players what a USHL environment looks like, and let the staff decide who can grow into the next roster piece.