Bubble Blog 7/20 - Zach Whitecloud

There's an old saying about when something gets taken away from your everyday life, you see how much you really need it. You crave it. You need that stimulus.

For me, hockey is that stimulus. I don't know what life is without it.

Returning to the rink for our first week of training camp has been such a welcome change of pace from the last few months. I'm back to a rhythm and routine and there's a little bit of extra meaning behind everything knowing that it's all in preparation for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Days have been pretty similar to how they were back in early March before the season went on pause. I get up around 7:15 a.m. and start my day with some breakfast and a cup of coffee. Sometimes I mix in some TV to relax a little bit before heading to the rink around 8 a.m.

After I go through our safety protocols upon arriving at City National Arena, it's time to get in a warmup before we start our different video meetings. Right about 10:15, practice gets going and the feeling of being back on the NHL ice feels so real. There's some intensity out there. Guys really haven't had opportunities to be competitive the last few months, so it comes out in a good way out there. You see it when they clean the ice and we come back out for a scrimmage and other drills that simulate game situations.

I talk to the guys in my locker room before we go back on the ice about it and how we're always dissecting the drills we just did or are about to do. I sit with Nate Schmidt, Alex Tuch, Nic Hague and Jake Bischoff. There's never a dull moment with those guys, that's about the only way to put it. We all miss being in the big locker room with the whole team though. That's where you have those moments as a full group that make you bond as a team.

That being said, everyone here is making the best of the situation and I love that everyone is onboard with everything going on here. The guys are staying safe whether they're at the rink or at home and our staff is doing an amazing job of keeping it that way.

You look around at different places in the world where the COVID-19 pandemic has hit really hard and it makes you so grateful for your health. People are all going through this differently and it's something that impacts individuals, families and entire communities. I take my safety with this very seriously for my own health and for that of my teammates and the entire organization. I'm also FaceTiming my parents back in Manitoba reminding them to stay safe and wash their hands, even though they know to do that already.

It's seriously a crazy time. To say that this is a time we will never forget is an understatement. This is a time that's going to be looked back on for many generations to come and it's going to be taught in schools in the future.

For me, I always try to live in the moment. I don't take what I have for granted and I love to make memories and look back on the ones I have. I try to take everything in with my own two eyes and my own two ears. I remember even the little things that way. It's a whole different experience for the entire world. This is still an ongoing issue and we're constantly learning and adapting.

For the past few months, it's been about quarantining, staying away from high-traffic areas and keeping up my own sanitary practices. None of that is easy for anyone to do. It's taxing on your mind when you think about the impact that all of this is having on the world.

Staying on top of your mental health is such an important thing in these times. I don't have a single thing in my life to complain about - I never have. But I'll admit there were times early on in this pandemic where I was alone in my apartment had to remind myself of how lucky I am. I'd get sad about being away from my family and friends back home. It's not easy to look at the same four walls for hours on end. I craved human interaction just as anybody does and I cherish those FaceTimes with my family and friends.

But my strength in all of this came from hockey.

Hockey has given me things to always be thankful for and it continues to do that every day. I have a roof over my head. I have resources to make sure I have food and every basic thing I need to live. I have people in my life that love me for who I am. Those are the things that have kept me in such good spirits the last few months.

I've also realized how lucky I am to be in Vegas specifically. I mentioned that it's tough being away from my family, but they support me because we know how important hockey is to me. That's grown from just loving hockey to loving being a Vegas Golden Knight. This is my home for at least the next two years and hopefully many more to come. This is the place that I want to be, it's where I want to live and it's where I want to be an NHL hockey player.

Thanks to all of those things, I've been able to come into this training camp with a refreshed mind and body. The pause came at a time that allowed me to get to a place physically that I wanted to get to. Any injuries or anything that have come up the last few years are gone now and my time working out and getting back on the ice has just fueled my passion to want to get better. I've used this time to emphasize my own self-discipline in my workouts, my diet, everything. That's all been key in getting back on the ice with the full team because I'm at a level that I want to be at. That being said, I always want more.

I appreciate our fans for supporting us from afar through all of this. Winning with this team is something we're all focused on and the feeling that we can achieve something special is alive within our group. We're working toward a Stanley Cup. Nobody is just going through the motions. The boys are ready to go, and I think everyone can see that.

-Zach