Initial team training in Newfoundland is a profoundly erotic experience. The goal is to become one with your teammates in both body and soul. It involves a great deal of massage sweet whispers in each others' ears. At first, Hugo was apprehensive. He's a liberal man, but this was...strange to him. They first began with the oil massage. Teammates begin by lathering one another in oil until covered from neck to toe, and then after flipping a coin, one lies down and the other delivers the massage. They alternate two times so each player is in both roles twice. Then comes the invidual embrace. Switching partners, teammates embrace one another in a deep hug. They hold for thirty seconds before switching partners, alternating until everyone has embraced. Finally, the group pile. It begins with the Captain and the Alternate Captains piling on one another, nude and oiled, in the center of the room. One by one, in order of seniority the pile grows until all men are together as one mass. At this stage the coach then burns various incense and the mass of flesh breathes in synch. This lasts for forty five minutes.

By the end of the experience the men are drained. It is a physical, mental, and spiritual ordeal that assures a strong bond between all involved. Many enter unsure, but all leave ready to win, ready to dominate the ice.