Then, there's the Wingate Cycle Ergometer Test.
"At the end of the 30-second part where you're going as hard as you can, they drop the weight. They've got a hype guy screaming at you and telling you to go faster and faster. I got off of it and went to the back room and there were like three guys throwing up," mentioned Poehling. "I lay down for like 30 minutes because I felt so light-headed. I didn't end up puking, though, which was nice."
Nevertheless, if Poehling could change anything about his stay in Western New York, better controlling his nerves would be at the top of the list.
"Looking back, it's so silly. When it came to the training stuff, leading up to it, I was so anxious going to bed. I wish I just wasn't. It's about doing what you can and it's all going to fall into place," explained Poehling. "It's fun to look back at it and joke about it. You take it so seriously, and it does matter to an extent, but you're so young, you have so much time to grow. If I had to do it again, I'd just enjoy the process more so than being so anxious about it."
That's the message Poehling would share with prospects going through the NHL Combine process this time around.
"You've got to be confident, especially in the interviews. You've got to realize that there's only 100 guys there, so it's pretty special to be in that group," emphasized Poeling. "They attack you pretty hard in some of the interviews with questions, but you've just got to stand your ground and be confident in what you believe in."