Would you be in support of a mandated training camp in the off season?

[bluck]

With the recent rush of injuries that have occurred just a few days into camp, (Backlund and Raymond) for example, would you be in favor of a mandated camp over the summer? (Just to preface these are examples and in know way do I know if their injuries were a direct result of not training)

I understand that the post season can drift very long into the year and most players would be opposed of a mandated camp; however, I can't help but believe that it would directly influence the amount of injuries that occur.

Obviously some players take their off season very seriously and some players barely give a crap and it shows in their performance. I feel that if you are making millions of dollars a year, fitness and off season training should be one of your top priorities, while obviously trying to balance that with family.

What are your thoughts CP? Would you be in favor of mandated off season training camps?

[habernac]

No. The team basically owns these guys from September to June. I think they deserve time off.

[Resolute 14]

Somewhat ironic topic idea since there has been some speculation that excessive focus on off-season training is what has led to a rise in pre-season injuries across the league.

[Locke]

No.

As much as we see these guys, we too often view them as club assets, I think we really need to remind ourselves that they're still humans. They need their time off.

Injuries are a fact of life, thats what depth is for and we just have to roll with it.

[dino7c]

would never happen...even trying to mandate it would do nothing but cause another work stoppage

so no

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Somewhat ironic topic idea since there has been some speculation that excessive focus on off-season training is what has led to a rise in pre-season injuries across the league.

I think his point is that the teams should have greater control.

That way they can have direct control of what type of training is done.

[bluck]

Originally Posted by habernac

No. The team basically owns these guys from September to June. I think they deserve time off.

I understand that they deserve time off, but my work owns me for a full year and I only get 3 weeks off. If you don't make the post season you have 4 months off. Pretty big difference

[Locke]

Originally Posted by bluck

I understand that they deserve time off, but my work owns me for a full year and I only get 3 weeks off. If you don't make the post season you have 4 months off. Pretty big difference

I sit on my ass and drink coffee and talk on the phone for the most part. The most pounding I do is on my keyboard. If Mark Giordano walked into my office and planted me into the boards/wall I wouldnt be getting up for weeks.

Pretty big difference.

[bluck]

Originally Posted by Locke

I sit on my ass and drink coffee and talk on the phone for the most part. The most pounding I do is on my keyboard. If Mark Giordano walked into my office and planted me into the boards/wall I wouldnt be getting up for weeks.

Pretty big difference.

That's fine, you also get paid to sit at your desk and drink coffee. Im assuming you don't make 5 million dollars a year to do that? If you do, please accept my resume.

These guys are professional athletes, they get paid like professional athletes, I feel that if you have 4 months off, the team could hold a camp or even send personal trainers to ensure that you are at least doing the right type of training.

[TurdFerguson]

I like the idea of training guidance but not mandated structure. It is the players career to manage...I see the off-season like professional development - let each player approach it as they determine best.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by bluck

I understand that they deserve time off, but my work owns me for a full year and I only get 3 weeks off. If you don't make the post season you have 4 months off. Pretty big difference

You also probably don't have a curfew, can go away for weekends, etc. These guys can't do that.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by bluck

That's fine, you also get paid to sit at your desk and drink coffee. Im assuming you don't make 5 million dollars a year to do that? If you do, please accept my resume.

These guys are professional athletes, they get paid like professional athletes, I feel that if you have 4 months off, the team could hold a camp or even send personal trainers to ensure that you are at least doing the right type of training.

I believe that the Flames training staff and strenght & condition fella is in contact with the players through out the year.

What about the players on league minimum, do they get treated differently?

[Clever_Iggy]

Definitely a "no" to camps (mandatory or optional) during the summer.

I think there should be more oversight by the teams over the training that is done. Not sure how that would look, but the teams should have more say over the off-the-ice training in the off season.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by bluck

I understand that they deserve time off, but my work owns me for a full year and I only get 3 weeks off. If you don't make the post season you have 4 months off. Pretty big difference

Do you work literally all day every day of those 8 months, being told what to do, where to go, when to sleep, what to eat, when to eat, when to workout, how hard, on what, all while travelling almost everyday? These guys make a great deal of money, but they literally eat, sleep and breath their work. Even in the offseason they have to keep up with a certain lifestyle or risk losing their spot.

Now, I am against the summer training camps not for percieved time off they are owed, but because it is up to them. If guys want to be Kyle Wellwood or Phil Kessel in the offseason and risk being out of shape or injury during camp, that's up to them.

I really have a hard time believing teams don't have perosnalized summer training programs set out for all their players. The mandatory part is that if they show up and can't make the team, too bad.

Non-guaranteed contracts would likely help this. Not that the NHLPA would ever allow that.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by Clever_Iggy

Definitely a "no" to camps (mandatory or optional) during the summer.

I think there should be more oversight by the teams over the training that is done. Not sure how that would look, but the teams should have more say over the off-the-ice training in the off season.

I think that's really up to the teams isn't it? If they offer to work together/pay for players off season programs I am sure most players would take them up on the offer.

With that said, injuries are going to occur no matter what training program these guys use. Hockey is a contact sport. This stuff Is inevitable.

[Fire]

Players get so little time away from the team as it is, leave them be. If the players want to sure, but don't make it mandatory.

[killer_carlson]

Not at all. In fact I would oppose it.

I think time to relax and focus on something other than your job is important to enable better, more sustained focus in the long run.

Let these guys and their families enjoy life in the summer.

[Clever_Iggy]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

I think that's really up to the teams isn't it? If they offer to work together/pay for players off season programs I am sure most players would take them up on the offer.

With that said, injuries are going to occur no matter what training program these guys use. Hockey is a contact sport. This stuff Is inevitable.

I think the issue is more with overtraining, not enough time to heal and improper or detrimental exercises than hockey being a contact sport.

I don't know if it's a matter of educating or vetting programs or providing funding for programs conditioned on the team's approval. The balancing act between letting the player get away from the team/hockey and choose their location/training regiment and having control over the investments teams make in these players is a tough one.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by bluck

That's fine, you also get paid to sit at your desk and drink coffee. Im assuming you don't make 5 million dollars a year to do that? If you do, please accept my resume.

These guys are professional athletes, they get paid like professional athletes, I feel that if you have 4 months off, the team could hold a camp or even send personal trainers to ensure that you are at least doing the right type of training.

I do not. Sorry.

You make a good point but perhaps a more acceptable response would land somewhere in the middle.

Make up some fitness regimes for players during the off-season and maybe stipulate an acceptable periodical check-in weight. But I think teams do a lot of this already.

[Erick Estrada]

It does appear possible that some of these guys are maybe not giving their bodies enough rest and are training too much. That said coming into camp out of shape can lead to injuries just as much. I realize teams give input to players their offseason expectations but if teams and players could agree on a universal timeline where players in the offseason should start hitting things hard prior to camp that's not earlier than needed. Obviously some players will always do their own thing but maybe have some players tone down hard offseason training far in advance. It's not just hockey as we are seeing mass injuries in football as well. It appears we may be hitting the wall in just how far we can push the human body. Players in all sports are faster, stronger, bigger but they are also breaking down faster (at least it feels like it).