Preds Thrilled to Return to Ice, Ready for Productive Training Camp

Just call them the boys of summer.

In what has been more than four months of firsts for the Nashville Predators, another arrived on Monday, as the team took to the ice for Training Camp Presented by Vanderbilt Health - in July.

That day usually comes in September, but if the Preds have their way, they'll be well into the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs at that point instead.

But first thing's first. Phase 3 of the NHL's Return To Play Plan has arrived.

"It was just like the first day of school for me and the coaches," Preds Head Coach John Hynes said following Monday's first on-ice session. "We were up early, probably 4:30 or 5 o'clock, came in and felt like we were really prepared to get off to a good start with the players, and I thought today was great. The energy by the players, it was really an upbeat atmosphere in the arena and in the locker room, so the energy off the ice excitement was great.

"Our practice had a good pace to it. Attention to detail was good, and you can see that the players are really taking care of themselves during the pause. We were able to go pretty good today, so overall a really good first day, great energy, good environment, so it's really good to be back."

[View full photo gallery from July 13 Training Camp Session]

The smiles on the ice throughout the 90-minute practice on Monday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena confirmed that sentiment, and as the Preds went through familiar drills and concepts with Hynes and his staff, it was almost as if it hadn't been more than 120 days since they last did so.

The masks and social distancing off the ice, however, provided a reminder that things aren't quite back to normal yet. But ultimately, the Preds shot pucks together again, and that was a welcome development.

"You feel normal, you feel comfortable out there and it's all business when we hit the ice today," Preds center Ryan Johansen said. "That was the feeling, and we were just going to work. Then, when you step off the ice, you have to have attention to detail for how you go about moving around the room and doing what you need to do. But it was nice being on the ice and being back to business mode and focused on what we need to do to get better."

That work will continue for the Preds in Phase 3 over the next two weeks with a number of practice sessions at Bridgestone Arena, as Hynes and his staff prepare their club to face the Arizona Coyotes in the NHL's Stanley Cup Qualifier in just a few weeks' time.

If all goes well in the near term, the Predators will fly to the Western Conference hub city of Edmonton, Alberta, on July 26 and play an exhibition game before Game 1 against the Coyotes on August 2.

In a way, two-plus weeks is plenty of time to prepare for a single opponent, but first and foremost, the Preds are focused on ensuring their own game is up to standard.

"We all just want to feel the best that we possibly can before we get [to Edmonton] and gel as fast as we can," Preds Associate Captain Ryan Ellis said. "Four months off is a lot of time, and two weeks or three weeks is not a lot of time to be prepared, but that's what we're looking to accomplish here - get up to game speed as fast as we can, execution, tempo, all those things included. Honestly, we're just really, really focused on feeling like a complete team."

Video: Training Camp Presented by Vanderbilt Health: Day 1 - 19 forwards, 12 defensemen and four goaltenders - are vying to be part of the group of no more than 31 who make the trek to the hub city, and each individual has been tasked with embracing what their role on this team could be at playoff time.

Most of the Preds have never felt this July heat in Tennessee before, but considering the circumstances, they're just happy to be here - and they're willing to do whatever it takes for another shot at the sport's ultimate prize.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of us," Preds goaltender Pekka Rinne said. "This is such a weird situation, but it's not even a sacrifice for us. I mean, we get to hopefully get back and play, so that's huge. For that, I think we have to be willing to just stay inside, do the right things and just mentally and physically get ready for the playoffs."