BACK AT IT

It feels great to be back!

A small group of us hit the ice for the first time since the season was paused and while it definitely was different, we are all very grateful to get back to skating. While everyone has been channeling their energy into different off-ice training regimens to keep themselves in shape, nothing compares to being on the ice and getting those reps in.

With the NHL announcing the next step in the Return To Play Plan and looking ahead to training camps in July, getting your legs under you and preparing for that is crucial. Being on the ice, you're on a skate blade that works a lot of different stabilizer muscles that you don't train any other way. By being able to skate now, we'll be physically ready for camp.

It's also so refreshing mentally - being able to be around a small group of the guys and get the momentum back as a team will be huge as we prepare to face the Jets. As a team, we've been in constant contact over FaceTime and Zoom but nothing compares to being on the ice with the guys.

The organization has done an excellent job in ensuring the 'Dome is set up for us to get out there and we are so thankful to the staff that has gone to great lengths to make sure everyone is safe. A big thank you also goes out to the crew who has maintained the ice - given the situation and the time of year, having the ice in excellent condition is no small feat. We're so fortunate to have the best ice crew in the league keeping it up.

Today was a small step towards getting back to playing and we're enjoying every second of it.