In his old age, Aksel no longer has raw speed and strength to rely on. It's a sad truth that he's slower than the rookies, so he compensates with skill and preparation. He shows up to the rink an hour before required for games and practices, and takes his time stretching. A tear or fracture would set him back months at this point, so it's more important than ever that he makes sure that's not an option. He'll kind of trick his way into practicing with the rookies, he'll ask them if they want to go over skills together, and test himself against them in a way that doesn't feel too competitive and definitely strays from hazing. He just wants to make sure that he can keep up, and when needed, perform higher so that he can still be a leader on the ice during games. He's very careful not to stretch himself too far, but does hold himself to a high standard.