from Joe McDonals of The Athletic,
NHL training camps have drastically changed over the years.
When he reported for training camp, Hall of Fame goalie and one-time Bruin Rogie Vachon would run a couple of miles and then sit in the locker room and enjoy a cigar and beer. He wasn’t the only player from his era — he retired after the 1982 season — to swear by this type of regimen....
Imagine current goalie Tuukka Rask smoking and drinking after the performance testing?
“Maybe not the cigar, but maybe having a beer,” teammate Torey Krug said with a laugh. “It’s a different time. You hear war stories about the guys showing up in training camp just to get in shape and that’s not the way it goes anymore.”
When today’s players return to their respective teams in late August and early September, they’re already in outstanding physical shape after an offseason of relentless workouts on and off the ice. As a result, the actual training camp portion of the preseason is much shorter than it once was, and exhibition games begin almost immediately. Teams now have nutritionists on staff, as well as skating and skill coaches.
Puke buckets, a onetime staple, are no longer needed on the ice.
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