Adam Douglas is building for the future

MONTREAL -- As the Canadiens embark on a new chapter, they've installed a modern approach in departments that are crucial to building a contender.

The ultimate goal is finding success on the ice, but given the abundance of sports science information available, oftentimes the work done off the ice is just as important.
That's where Adam Douglas comes in.
Appointed as the Canadiens' sports science and performance director last August, he finds solutions away from the rink to improve player performance.
"Anything that happens off the ice that can help the player on the ice falls under my purview," explained Douglas. "It entails asking questions, and then using information and data to answer those questions and make our team better."

Douglas spent the majority of the season with the Canadiens, but shifted his focus to the club's AHL affiliate and various prospects scattered around North America and Europe.
So, what's the key to asking the right questions?
"One of our biggest focuses this year is relationships," said Douglas. "Meeting with our prospects, understanding what situation they're in, and how we can best chart a course for them moving forward.
"We believe in an individualized approach. A hockey team is made up of 25 individual athletes, so we treat them that way. We meet with the players and we create an individual development plan for them. Adam (Nicholas) and I will identify certain things in their game that'll make them better players. Management gives us their feedback, then we figure out what we can do from an off-ice perspective to help them out, whether that's mobility, strength, body composition, or anything else."
It's an approach that enables the team to understand the ebbs and flows of every athlete within the organization, and it could be as easy as developing a better hydration plan to prevent cramping.
Douglas and his group come up with scientifically-based strategies by reviewing relevant papers and literature, instead of simply throwing darts at a wall.
There's also constant monitoring, and that starts at the Combine.
Interviews notwithstanding, the workouts set a benchmark which helps teams get a sense of a player's physical maturity. Those measurements can then be used to gauge progress over time.

Being underdeveloped doesn't necessarily mean a player won't make it to the NHL, it just means they'll need a different approach.
"What the Combine does is give us an opportunity to get a snapshot of where these athletes are physically before the Draft," said Douglas. "Some may be NHL-ready, others are not. It's not about judging their results, it's about getting a clearer picture of their potential."
The Combine includes a litany of interviews and meetings with scouts, but from a testing perspective, Douglas keeps a close eye on two metrics: VO2max and Power. Why? Because lung capacity is directly tied to endurance, and power is an important factor in generating speed.
But all the innovative monitoring and databases in the world wouldn't make a difference if the data wasn't parsed in a simple and easily digestible manner for the coaching staff.
After all, they make the decisions that actually impact the game.
"We could do all this fancy monitoring with technology," said Douglas. "But at the end of the day, if I'm just creating a spreadsheet and it goes no further than my desk, it's not going to have an impact. The important thing is layering context so they understand. The nice part of working with our coaching staff is that they understand the game and are open-minded. I speak to the coaches every day, after each practice. But, I'm layering in context. It's not just numbers or nice visuals. Everything I provide is also layered with suggestions and recommendations."

As vital as supplying the coaches with concise information might be, creating a cohesive work structure between departments involved in player and prospect development is paramount.
Once again, building strong relationships comes to the forefront.
"What we are building is for the future of the Montreal Canadiens," said Douglas. "There's unbelievable cooperation between my department, Adam Nicholas' department, and Rob Ramage's department."
There's a lot of work left to get the Canadiens where they want to be, but the future is bright with some of the sharpest minds leading the charge.