#CapsDevCamp Diaries: Kody Clark

WashingtonCaps.com asked 2018 Capitals Draft Pick Kody Clark to keep a running diary from his time in Washington, D.C. during 2018 Capitals Development Camp.

Day One
My last few days have been a whirlwind. My experience was a little unique because I decided not to go to the draft after speaking to my agents about it, who advised I stay home and be with family. Going into it, I had no idea where I when I going to be drafted or by which team. For the rest of my life, I'll always remember hearing my name called by Washington and the moments that followed. I ran out to my dad, who was mowing the lawn at the time, and I told him the good news immediately. My dad, Wendel, is my NHL role model, he's my personal hero, and it's been my dream to get drafted in the NHL for some time. He knew this, so being able to give him the news in person was a very special moment between us that I'll never forget. I then talked to the guys in Washington on the phone and hopped on a flight to come down here on Sunday.
So far, it's been really exciting being here in Washington. Today was our first day on the ice, which was a great opportunity to get to know the other guys and get used to everything. There's not a whole lot of pressure on anyone at this camp-it's more about getting to know everyone in the organization and feeling comfortable. That makes me more excited than it does nervous. I remember seeing Washington lift the Cup in Vegas, and what I cool moment that was. I haven't seen it yet, but I heard we might be able to see it later in the week. And I can't wait.
In terms of my playing style, I don't emulate one person when I play. I've always admired my father's game, but I like to take little bits from each player I admire and try to combine them all to it my own. But most of all, I try to always have fun, whether on the ice or off. I like to get ready for games with some Shania Twain throwbacks - but I switch it up depending on my mood. And occasionally, I like to pull a prank or two, like putting shaving cream in the skates of teammates before practice.
I'm really excited to be here and I can't wait to get to know the other players and work really hard this week.

Day Two
Last night, I had an early night. After dinner, around 8:30pm, I shut down. I went back to the hotel and watched Friends on Netflix, my go-to show, before falling asleep. Besides being a little sore, I really feel ready to go. This morning we had an early breakfast then went to the local track for a workout. There, we did a lot of jumping and sprinting to help with our acceleration. Then we came back to Kettler for some on-ice testing, had a quick break, then were on the ice again for practice this afternoon.

Something new to me this week for me is having an audience watch while we play. I mean, we're talking about some great fans. That was never the case at juniors. It's been a lot fun trying to meet and see as many fans as possible, and we've all been trying to sign autographs any time we are coming on and off the ice. It's been pretty cool, especially with the Stanley Cup in the building and all the excitement surrounding the Caps this year.
I've travelled a lot for hockey, but the best place my hockey travels have brought me is Washington. Coming here has been the coolest experience of my hockey career - and I'm excited for the rest of the week to both learn and develop further.

Day Three
Last night was relaxing. We had a lot of time off after our last game, so Riley Sutter and I headed back to the hotel and took a nap there. We came back to the rink at night and ran a skills clinic and scrimmage for the little kids of Washington, which was a lot of fun. Any time we can have an influence on kids in the community is special to us. Growing up in Toronto, I remember when I was that age and would go to Little Leafs camps that they were holding. Because I did that, I know how these kids are feeling and how special this one-on-one time is to them. I try to be as much of a positive role model as I can out there, while also having fun with it. Because I know from my own experience that if everyone's having fun out there, it is going to be a good day. After the clinic, we went out and got some late-night smoothies-which was a great way to end the day.
Camp overall has been a lot of fun, but there have been a lot of surprises as well. The biggest one is the competition between the guys and the volume of information we are getting in such a short period of time. Being with all the guys, who come from all over - NHL, AHL, and experiencing all the cultures that are represented, is a great experience. I'm just trying to soak up as much information as I can and improve my game as much as possible in a very short time.

We start every day with a break out session, which has been very beneficial. Today's session was all about being a professional and the importance of self-evaluation. Understanding how to be hard on yourself as a way to improve your game. It also emphasized that balance between being too hard and too easy on yourself. After the break out, we moved into on-ice sessions. These have benefited me a lot. They are so detailed that they take you to a new level of hockey intelligence. They point out the little things that are required to make it to the next level. I've been focusing a lot on my skating and the little details that can make me better throughout the week. We're all excited for the scrimmage on Saturday and putting these skills we've been sharpening throughout the week to use. We're also excited to get back to full ice.
Today we did a lot more on the ice than the other days. After the breakout session, we split up by forwards and defense and focused on tipping pucks and playing close to the net. We then had a full-team practice where we did 2-on-2's and 1-on-1's. We had a break for lunch (the chef in Washington is great) and came back to the rink for the 3-on-3 tournament. Our team didn't do as well as we hoped, since we came in last place, and so we have to serve dinner to the rest of the guys-they are lucky we aren't cooking it as well.

Day Four
We had a lot of time off last night. My roommate (Riley Sutter) and I ended up staying in and watching a movie together in the room. We both fell asleep by about 9:00 - we were exhausted from our busy day yesterday. This morning we were up by 5:45, had some breakfast, then meetings with the coaching staff, and we watched a lot of video.
We also got to do yoga this morning as a team, which was nice because my body has been feeling sore lately. I usually do yoga about once a week at home over the summer, but it was a nice change of pace and great to be able to relax and stretch my body out before the day started.
After yoga, we had a goal scoring seminar with the coaching staff. We practiced getting shots off quickly and worked on some tipping methods. This has been a huge week for me, I've learned so much. Every minute of every day we learn something new, whether from the training staff where I'm learning about my body, and the food I need for fuel or skills from the coaching staff that will help me on the ice. Everyone on the staff that you talk to around here is full of knowledge and they are all helping us get smarter and better.
For the rest of the day, we all have our exit meetings with coaching staff. Then we are pretty much free to explore or do whatever we want. My meeting is at 3:00. After that, I think a couple of us are going to do a little site seeing downtown; the monuments, the Mall and the White House, which I am excited to see.
After this hectic week, I am looking forward to relaxing and working on my game for the rest of the summer. First, I'll be in Ottawa for a week to see some guys I play with during the winter. After that, I'll be headed back to Toronto for the rest of the summer. I'll probably spend weekends at our family cottage, which I'm excited about. This summer, my hockey goals are to get bigger, faster, and stronger. I'd also like to improve my shot, so I'll be shooting a lot of pucks.
Overall, I think I made a strong first impression this week. I know that the scouts and coaches have been watching me the past year or so, so I think the team knew what kind of player I was when they drafted me. But just to get here and have them see me firsthand and for me to get to know the organization a little more has been beneficial for both of us.

Day Five
It was good to finally get back into a full game session today after about three to four months of just doing some on-ice drills and power skating sessions. The scrimmage today provided an opportunity for me to put everything I've been working on the past couple of months, and this week, into a game situation and compete with the other team.
It was really special having packed stands for our game today. This is the biggest crowd turnout we've had all week, and it never gets old to hear the reaction from the crowd when you make a move or someone scores. The support that the Capitals have received ever since the playoff run has been incredible and seeing everyone make the effort to come and watch our development camp is amazing.
The Todd Reirden coaching announcement right in the middle of development camp was exciting for us. He's been with the team for four or five years now so he knows the ins and outs of the organization. From getting to know him, it is evident that he is a player's coach - plus, he is always smiling. Those two qualities are the ones you want in a head coach.
I've made some great friends this week that I plan to keep in touch with. I'm the only guy from Toronto, which is pretty rare, but I'll stay in contact with all of them through Snapchat and texting until main camp arrives.
To anyone out there who dreams to one day be in the NHL, keep working hard and have fun with it. Always remember that hockey is a sport and you play it because you choose to-not because you have to. As long as you're having fun and working hard it'll definitely pay off.
Thank you Washington for a great week!