A season can be long and grueling, especially for a playoff team. Giving it your all every game, and even more so in the playoffs can be really taxing on the body and very hard on the mind as well. When that all comes to a finish after being eliminated, I believe it is very important to take some time away from the game to relax and recuperate. This can vary for each player, but I find most of us take a couple week vacation somewhere warm and sunny. Just sitting and relaxing, not thinking about hockey at all. Of course that can not last very long, as the weights and cardio can start after a month or so, then back home and hitting the ice again. The season might only be six months or so, but being a player really is a full time job. At least it is if you want to keep getting better and keeping your job.