Canucks Development Camp is official over, it ended Friday morning with a march up Grouse Mountain. I had heard Canucks prospects did the grind as part of camp and there's a funny clip of me asking Vancouver's media guys about it shortly after I was drafted. "I like hiking," I said, smiling, eagerly awaiting the famous grind.
Results are in and I can conclusively say: I do not like that type of hiking!
We were split into groups of four or five and our start times were staggered by 30 seconds. Team with the best time wins, but you were only as fast as your slowest team member, no individual times were kept.
About halfway up things got a little rocky for me, Cole Candella and I were at a nice pace, not too fast, not too slow. I love hiking, but going all out up a mountain is nuts! I kept channelling my inner Dory: "Just keep swimming." And I did, and I'm still alive, so it couldn't have been that bad. The grind is definitely a metaphor for life, and a gruelling hockey season. There are ups and downs and you can't get through it without the support of your teammates, or friends and family.
I'm so full of wisdom.
But seriously, the off-ice portion of camp was truly amazing. I talked about the scavenger hunt and white water rafting already, and this week we had a cooking class, visit to the Boys and GIrls Club Vancouver (some prospects went to the BC Children's Hospital), and then the grind. It was nice to get to know the guys through these sorts of activities.
On the ice, my eyes were opened. Working with such a professional staff and I learned a lot. I'm very focused on my skating right now, mainly my agility and changing direction. I have good straight away speed, but if I can gain that step in those areas, that will go a long way for me.
How good was the top prospects game Thursday night at Rogers Arena! The pace was crazy on the ice and it's exciting for Vancouver to see how bright the future is with these prospects. Sadly Team Blue couldn't pull it out, but we all got to see Elias Pettersson and his dirty goals. That was a treat - kid is a player.
I'll be boarding my plane soon, but I want to thank you Canucks fans for all the support in person and on social media. This is a great organization to be a part of and I look forward to seeing you guys soon!
Enjoy the summer!
Jonah
