We all got to Las Vegas pretty early Monday morning. We had a little bit of a meeting in the morning and the rest of the day was pretty much ours to do what we'd like and get settled in. The hotel we're staying at is pretty extraordinary, so that part was pretty easy. I'm staying with Cody Glass, a really good player I sort of look up to, so I look forward to the rest of the week with him. Some of the guys just sat by the pool, which was different for a Michigan guy like me. It's my first time here and it's really cool to see this city.
It's hot here. I've been doing hot yoga back at home lately and I don't think that even compares to this. Brandon Kruse and I went out to lunch yesterday and by the time we got to our lunch place, I think we were about to pass out. The heat is crazy, but I think by the time we go home, we'll miss it.
This morning I woke up right around 6 a.m., pretty easy with the three-hour time change and the big nap I took yesterday. Waking up this morning wasn't too bad and I had a quick shower before coming to the arena for breakfast. There was a chef here at the rink, good for me, because I'm fairly certain all I could make is a bowl of cereal. It was a big breakfast, which is good. A big breakfast is key, especially with the testing we had this morning.
The day was pretty straightforward, but jam-packed, just a lot packed into the day and we didn't have much time to stop and think about what we were going through. Then by the time we had to hit the ice for practice at 2 p.m., we were pretty rushed to get on the ice and didn't have a lot of time to savor the moment of putting on the jersey for the first time aside from the draft. Now to sit back and think about, it's awesome.
Our legs are jelly with the training and the gasser of a first practice. We'll just have to get used to it, I don't think it'll change this week. That first practice was tough. Guys are still finding their edges and getting their groove back. It's a lot different than any other practice I've been a part of. All these guys are really, really good so the competition is ridiculous. We're all out here trying to prove ourselves, giving 110 percent. The first couple of mistakes today were probably forgiven, but every mistake here will be magnified as we all shake our cobwebs off. There weren't too many nerves today, probably because we were all so concerned with making sure we did shake off those cobwebs. Once we find the edges and get our sticks and are playing top notch, then our nerves will start to kick in, but everyone is here for a reason, so as long as we all play our game, there's not too much to worry about.
Now all good and tired, we're just going to rest the best we can. I'm going to try to have a good dinner with the guys and turn in pretty early tonight before we do it all again tomorrow.
