Exciting is the word for the first day on the ice at Canadian boot camp.

The players had to dig deep to complete the on-ice conditioning test that coach Martin St.

Testing has been on the agenda for some time. So the players were not surprised.

The exercise was very simple: do three laps on the rink and do it six times with about two minutes of rest between each repetition.

Phew!!!

One Canadian leader, whom I met at the edge of the ice in Broussard, told me he had never seen anything like this in his career.

Image credit: Joël Lemay / QMI Agency

The players were exhausted, exhausted and lonely. It hurts. And I can understand it.

On top of that, new defender Mike Matheson told me his legs were burning so badly that it required the same feeling as climbing a steep hill on a bike. By the way, I thought Matheson sounded really good in this test. He has shown that he is an excellent skater and that he is in great shape.

In my opinion, this conditioning test was not intended to punish players. no. It was, first, finding out who was in good shape or not. And second, it was more about uniting players and creating a sense of belonging.

During the test, I found that the players encouraged each other to keep going and not give up despite the pain and suffering that could invade their bodies and minds.

I realized that this was the first stage of this culture that Martin St. Louis wanted to establish in his locker room. As if to say: “Despite the obstacles and pitfalls, we are together, we are a family. At least that is my perception of things.”

Because this is the main challenge of the organization. Leaders and coaches need to create a sense of unity. The next few months will present their share of obstacles and the team must overcome them in order to hope for better days.

One step at a time.