A wise hockey man once said that it’s the legs that feed the wolves. That same man, the legendary Herb Brooks, repeated the word “again” to his players as they bag-skated after a lackluster effort during an exhibition game.
Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill, who has also had his fair share of time with USA Hockey as a head coach, had his players participate in a bag skate more than once during the first two days of training camp.
Although the Blackhawks are a team with a lot of young talent, that youth can be a detriment when playing against some of the best players in the world. Being well-conditioned is a way to combat those troubles.
By the end of multiple up and down skates, the players at Blackhawks camp were bent over trying to catch their breath. Nobody is complaining; it is just a tough drill after an hour of intense hockey practice.
“Some of the best bonding is when you go through struggles together,” Blashill said. “The guys did a great job. It’s the kind of work ethic we’re going to have to have.”
Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) on X
Conditioning drills. #Blackhawks
Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) on X
The final result after conditioning drills. Jeff Blashill is not easing them into this training camp, that’s for sure. #Blackhawks
Sometimes, out-thinking and out-working teams can be a key to victory. The Blackhawks aren’t going to be the deepest team in the NHL, and there is a lot of inexperience, but they won’t be tired or giving weak effort.
“He’s just trying to make sure we understand we’re going to be a skating team, so we need to be in great shape,” Captain Nick Foligno said after practice. “I think he’s got to be impressed with how well we do on that.”
Not every player on the team is considered young in hockey years, but guys like Nick Foligno know what it takes to be a good, fast team in the NHL. It sounds like he’s ready for the next challenge.
When it came to setting the tone for the skating drills at the end, Sam Rinzel and Matt Grzelcyk (PTO) set the tone. Each of them can skate like the wind, and it was on full display during these bag-skates.
Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) on X
Matt Grzelcyk looks like Katie Ledecky
Skating like this is hard and the marks of the early part of camp, but it will be worth it in the end when the Blackhawks are not out-worked or out-conditioned by anyone.
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