Filip Chytil said he was feeling good and enjoyed playing a full five-on-five scrimmage with the group.
“It’s nice to see some new faces out there and see the players from last year as well,” he said. “After a whole summer when we didn’t see each other, it was fun, and I enjoyed it a lot.”
Chytil also spoke on his health coming into the 2026-27 season.
“I feel good. It was long, since I had [an] offseason since February, so I had a lot of time to focus on certain things, and I think it went well off the ice and on the ice as well,” said Chytil. “I’m ready for [the] season.”
He mentioned that he saw some specialists and got feedback on his body. Chytil said it was very positive and helped him focus on the physical side of the game during the summer.
Tom Willander has been having a lot of fun skating with the group over the past few days, and says a big focus of his offseason was building his conditioning for a full, now 84-game NHL season.
“I feel like last year I got a taste of how demanding the hockey is here, and so I feel like that’s something I’ve worked on a lot, and already now I feel like it’s working,” he said.
“I’ve been on the ice quite a bit, working on a lot of different things, obviously. But I think all the stuff in the gym certainly helps.”
Willander spoke about what having a veteran like Luke Schenn in the room can do for him and some other young players.
“Those older guys mean so much to us,” said Willander. “Just teaching us small habits, and just pulling the group together. I think a good example is after skate yesterday; those are the guys that pull the group together to do these small conditioning stuff. You might not feel comfortable telling all the people to do that, but I think that’s very important to get the group together like that.”
Jake DeBrusk also spoke to the media. He began by saying he’s had a busy summer, but a good one for training, and that he is ready to go.
He is excited to watch the younger players on the team grow and develop with another year of experience, but also sees the team being tougher with the addition of Schenn and Jamie Oleksiak to the blueline.
DeBrusk is looking to have a bounce-back with scoring at even-strength this season, and this summer has given him even more confidence as camp is just around the corner.
“I’ve been in this league for 10 years, and obviously last year the stats speak for themselves. But my confidence comes into my resume. I know I can score goals,” he said.
“Getting over 20, it’s not about that for me. I don’t think that I need to get that, but obviously I want more, and I scored my career high here two years ago. I’m not worried at all. That’s actually one of the things I’m excited about this season.”
The team continues to work as a group and gel as the season approaches. All these skates will lead up to training camp, which begins on September 17th in Penticton.
