Answering for the player prompt:

Vaseline Podcalzone is going into his 14th pre-season with the Seattle Argonauts. At this point in his career, so much of it feels like routine, almost automatic even. At the end of the day, however, there is no denying just how much he misses the ice during the off-season. Pre-season is a very refreshing time for Podz. However, he understands that at this point in his playing career, he doesn't have that same relentless energy that he had as a rookie, and thus understands the importance of pacing himself during pre-season. Getting injured in pre-season would not be ideal.

So, for a veteran player like Podz, it's all about getting back into the swing of things. He kept his conditioning up over the off-season, but now it's all about getting back up to speed with the fast paced tempo that is SHL level hockey. Otherwise, things aren't going to turn up too well come Opening Night.