Training Camp question....?

Question

My question.Today I had the honor to watch the Columbus BlueJackets at training camp.The thing I want to ask is has anyone been through a Nhl level or any pro level camp.Whats it like after you leave the ice.Good stories or bad ,fill me in. Anybody???

Answer 1

I was to several Chicago Black Hawk training camps under Rudy Pilous and Billy Reay............and believe you me.....they weren't easy.

I'm not going to relay any stories because there are literally hundreds, and because my association with the team lasted a long time, some of the early years are melded into one.

Back in the 60s, players had to work summer jobs (unless your name was Hall, Hull, Pilote, or Mikita) to make ends meet so the last thing you were doing after a hard days work was working out. So training camp was a lot of skating, and running, and more skating, and more running. Back then, training camp for the hawks was in St. Catherines for a week before moving to the big city. It wasn't until we got to the big city that there would be a puck on the ice. And for a week or so we would practice powerplays, stickhandling, fighting, etc. You name it, Pilous preached it. Back in those days, the teams were usually set before the pre-season games started. Some of us got to play in pre-season games so that players like Hull, Wharram, Mikita could rest a few more days. Teams had fewer players on their roster back then too so those of us who were fringe players at best, had to work our asses off even harder.

A general day under Pilous had us at the track at 7am (and in Ontario in September.....it is just getting light at 7am) to run 3 miles, and he expected it completed in 30 minutes or less (unless your name was Glenn Hall, and then you had extra time).

At 9am, we were on the ice, and we skated laps and laps and laps...had to get that summer fat off! At 11am we broke for lunch.

At 2pm, we were on the track again.

At 4pm, we were on the ice again.

Once Pilous thought we were in shape, we flew to Chicago, and the ice portions started to be more skills, strategy, etc. It was at this point in time you knew where you stood. THose who were going to start the season did the offensive drills, those who were going to the minors, juniors, the family farm etc were the pylons.

I was almost always a pylon! The 'stars' spent 1 hr 45 minutes doing drills, the pylons got about 5 minutes each.

Each year, I spent more and more time as a pylon until one day, Tommy Ivan called me and said....."son....you don't got it! And...you never will!". How would you like to become a scout?"

I accepted that position the next day. 24 hours of unemployment was scary!

Today's camps still have a lot of running, and skating, but there is a bigger emphasis on weight training, resistance training, etc. Practices are shorter as per the CBA agreement, and the run-up between training camp open and the first pre-season game is less than a week. There are still 12-15 set positions for each team with everybody fighting for the last few spots. Hence, everybody spend their summers working out...............

................except Scott!

Answer 2

I just got back from the Wings training camp. But I've never been through one. It was awsome to watch though.

Answer 3

Like I'm Telling You Who I am is the only one I know that can chime in here.