Getting Back at It

The NHL season is finally underway with training camps around the league opening this past weekend, which means the offseason is finally coming to a close. It's been a long summer this year and it feels great to know the season is right around the corner. Knowing that the season is approaching fast I knew it was time to get back on the ice and start working on my skills and conditioning again for the next 3 or 4 weeks until training camp opens.

This past summer from the middle of June to the end of August I was on the ice twice a day Monday thru Thursday plus working out and it has been the best offseason of my career. I was getting paid to shoot pucks on high end college goalies every morning then working out in the afternoon and going back to the rink every Monday and Wednesday to shoot on the areas top pro goalies and top division 1 tenders. It wasn't only shooting pucks, the goalie coaches myself and the other shooters were working for usually incorporated drills for us as well most days, especially against the pro guys.

When those skates ended I wanted to take some time off to just relax and enjoy the end of the summer. I took about 3 weeks off the ice where I didn't do any skill work or anything too heavy, focused on endurance in the gym and on the track and got my legs back underneath me. It felt great to be away from the rink for a little bit and take in the nice August weather. But I knew sooner or later the mini-vacation would end and I'd have to get back on the ice and back to work.

This morning I got back at it on the ice in Nashua, NH with 2 of my buddies, one has 5 years experience in the AHL and the other has played in the ECHL and is going to his first AHL camp this coming Sunday. There were supposed to be a lot more local pro guys there but for some reason it ended up being just us 3 wheeling around the empty arena working on passing, edge control and the dreaded conditioning. We skated for a little more than hour and it felt great to shake the rust off and get out there with the guys.

For the next few weeks that's what I'll be doing with my life every morning and I will have updates from the skates as more guys start showing up and the skates get more intense. Also stay tuned either later tonight or tomorrow for some BIG news!