After a successful start, the High Performance Academy presented by Cirque Du Soleil held it’s second session on Monday. The coaches and players built off the first session and dove deeper into what makes a good hockey player. The session started off with a powerpoint presentation led by Director of Hockey Operations Misha Donskov. After going through the presentation with the players, they were then put to the test in Jeopardy form.

Afterwards, they headed upstairs to workout with sports performance specialist Jordan Troester. The main focus through the workout was to improve the stretches taught in the first session and learn a few new ones. Troester reminded the players about the importance of stretching and how it will transition to performance on the ice.

After they were all warmed up, it was time to hit the ice. The team started their drills with a heavy focus on what they went over in the presentation. This session consisted of 2-on-1’s, down low wing support and puck protection.

Donskov and his staff had a multitude of high intensity drills to challenge the players’ skill and agility. They were constantly being instructed on key parts of the game to better develop themselves on the ice and hone in on the main focus through the second session.

As the on-ice portion came to an end, the players headed back to work on post-game stretches. This cool down routine will help the players’ heart rate relax and their muscles will go into recovery mode. Once in their toolbox, it can be applied at home and on their own teams.

The next session of the academy will be held later this month.