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CleverPin · 08-05-2019, 09:06 PM

The Whalers decided to have a combined training camp this year with the Kelowna Knights, which in retrospect was probably the worst decision anyone has ever made. Me and Shepard had a good time on the ice, but some of the veteran players were going to toe with each other. I remember a couple of times when guys would stumble up to the red line and start sparring with words back and forth while me and Shep sat one the side and laughed. It's weird to live in a world where rookies aren't the ones getting in trouble. Personally my favorite moment of the camp was the banquet at the end when all the guys came together and got all dressed up. Shep came down the aisle wearing a bright green suit and it was one of the funniest things I've seen to this day. The guy is quite the character, that's for sure.

Budgie · 08-05-2019, 10:31 PM

Anchorage Armada Training Camp. Day 2. Dawn. Ian Venables wakes up.

5 am. He packs up his bed and stuffs it into an unused locker.

5:30 am. He steps out of the shower and gets dressed.

6 am. He leaves the rink to loaf around town for a couple hours.

9 am. He arrives back at the rink.

A full day of training with the team. Goalie coach has him working on using his size to cut down the angle. Dryland, hit the gym, lunch. Back on the ice for afternoon practice to learn a new breakout. Beer from Wang's fridge. Stagger shower times to avoid the shenanigans. Family dinner with the team. Drinks with the boys. Sneak back to the rink.

12 am. Ian Venables pops open his secret locker. He spreads his sleeping bag on the locker room floor, and does his best to grab a couple hours sleep before it's time to do this all over again.

After spending all his contract money on a new set of custom equipment, Ian was left with no money for rent. With no other options, he decided to try living at the rink, like many teammates have accused him of before. Of course, he never asked anyone if he could do it so he has to clear out early in the morning before anyone arrives in the morning. Is this a sustainable lifestyle? Who cares! He plays hockey as a career!

*fishy* · 08-06-2019, 12:02 PM

Aron Hernadivic, after his night of celebrating being a low second round draft pick in the SMJHL draft, couldn’t wait for training camp to start. Hungover as tits, Hernadivic began packing his things, and boarded up on his flight to St. Louis. Arriving in St. Louis, Hernadivic headed right to the rink and got his groove on with some of his fellow Crow rookies, dishing back door beauties specifically to fellow Czech Crow Sasha Dangelchek (@acdangel). After a couple grueling days of high IQ/glue guy training that would make Tomas Plekanec proud, the boys had a night off. Heading out into town, the rookie gang new to St. Louis wanted to take in all the tourist scenery, specifically the Arch. The Uber driver, misunderstanding their broken Czech English, took them instead to the Golden Arches, where the guys decided to just consume copious amounts fries and junior chickens. With more bag skates on the horizon, it’s safe to say the rookie Crows might not be letting Hernadivic order them another uber again. (175 words)

pazuzu15 · 08-06-2019, 01:40 PM

Man training camp was a blast it was great to meet so many new teammates and friends here in Kelowna. I think everyone, or maybe it was just me, was nervous and excited to start playing already. At first training camp was pretty similar to my other experiences; getting used to your new teammates and basic drills to see if any players have on ice chemistry. Sheppard and I were usually partners, during one of our drills Sheppard hit me with a beautiful set up pass for a goal, and I whiffed it so bad. I ended up cracking one of the glass panels behind goal, that was embarrassing.

That same night, man of the guys were teasing me about what happened while we were out for drinks. Sheppard got a little too drunk that night and busted his àss dance trying to impress someone. Me and our other teammates were dying laughing when that happened and poor Sheppard. Well at least that forgot about what I did during training camp though.

KlusteR · 08-07-2019, 01:10 PM

Markus Tegernako arrived a bit later to the Lethbridge Lions' training camp, as he had signed his contract later than the rest of his rookie class. As he was putting on his gear for the first time, he was called by the coaching staff to get a review of the system they would be using this year, just so he would understand why the team trained in a certain way. Full glad to be included in these discussions this early, he finished putting on his gear, excited to show what he could do on the ice.

Halfway through the practice, he felt a bit of discomfort around his neck area, and a sudden itch overtook him just as the penalty shot drill started. Obviously, he lost all focus when the itching became more and more persistant, until the point where he removed his helmet, only to find that someone had ground pepper directly into it! The team's veterans roared with laughter as the rookie skated towards the bench to wash it off with a water bottle - with the minor inconvenience of his scalp being soaking wet for the rest of the practice.

"Hey, at least they didn't put laxatives in my Gatorade bottle. I wonder what they did to Nolan last year...", he thought as he started scheming for next season's rookie class.

bartolo · 08-07-2019, 08:27 PM

It's the night before the first day of training camp. I could not sleep for the life of me. I have always had this issue mind you. Just can't sleep. Finally fell asleep about an hour before I had to actually wake up.

I wake up tired, but excited for my next chapter in hockey. Have a good breakfast. Protein shake, some bananas, grapes, yoghurt, my favourite three berry blend from Costco. Let me tell you I love Costco, but I digress. I get ready and make my way to the rink.

I meet all the players, and they are a great bunch, well they sure seem to be.

These were some of the longest practices of my life. I have a new understanding of the term suicides. Because after I was done them, I sure thought it was going to be the end of me. But after a while started feeling good. It was great getting some shots on net.

After all was said and done though I can't wait for the next day. Sure not the most amusing story, but hey, at least I didn't show up hungover this time.

Bauer · 08-08-2019, 09:59 AM

PBE PT

UrsinZ · 08-08-2019, 11:33 AM

Training Camp is a wrap. How was it? Awsome! Met some awsome guys and made a lot of new friends. I love the athmosphere in the locker room.
After half a week i thought they wont troll me but on Thursday they proved me wrong. I wanted to take my sticks but man were they heavy! First i was pretty confused. What happend to my Sticks? The Sticks locked normal so i wasn't sure why they were so heavy. I took one Stick and started inspecting it. When i fliped the stick to check the curve i heard something dripping. There was water coming out of my stick. So what they did was pretty simple they filled my sticks with water.

The rest of the training days were pretty normal. I trained my defensive positioning and on the last day i did some passing practice.

So at the and there isnt much more to say than that i am happy to be in Anaheim with the Outlaws! Hope we will go far this season!

CapMonty · 08-08-2019, 03:05 PM

Imgur Link for training camp schedule

Couldn't get the picture to load in post.

AbstractArtist3781 · 08-08-2019, 09:41 PM

I am now in the training camp for the Whalers and I am excited. So first time in the locker room I decide to pull a prank and change in direct line of sight full nakedness without closing the door and became the streak for all to see including the staff of the stadium but boy did I freeze my balls off when I went on ice barefoot. I didn't stay long on the ice and ran back to the locker room. Got dressed for my first training camp. So I did needed a big big hockey stick and asked my dad to order 1000 hockey sticks from Bauer and 3000 boxes of Proflex hockey pucks, with the bills all sent to Government of Canada from the Whalers and the Hockey league. He agreed that we pay if it goes sour. I told him it won't. During all this I heard that the GM got called to headquarters and the government of Canada. So what happens now. I start doing workouts on the ice and skate hard and fast to get me in fit fast. So I got the Zamboni and serviced it to run at max throttle and very little brakes, and told the machine to automatically start at turn of key. This is going to be fun to watch after the ice training day. So much fun I hacked into the cameras and have started a recording on all the cameras to watch this employee go crazy.

249 words

TomHanks · 08-08-2019, 10:13 PM

Training camp was great fun. Met many new players as well as new coaches. Usually am not one for making new friends, but this is first team sport. Need to at least pretend to enjoy company of other people. Used to fighting league and was told that fighting was allowed here. Very surprised when coach got angry with me for fighting teammate. Assumed this was part of training. Apparently, these men save fighting for “game time”. No wonder they all have such bad form. Veterans also tried to play prank on me. Key word in statement here is try. No one pulls a fast one on Jakob Hamr. When I went to put on ridiculous pads, I smell faint scent of itching powder. This would be hilarious joke to play on others, I thought, but not on myself. This is why I find man who put itching powder in pads and force him to put on my pads. Frankly, he was right, was very funny joke to see him all itchy.

The BreakBot · 08-09-2019, 02:34 PM

Colorado raptors rookie Georgry Gorbachecnko was apparently very nervous the first few days of training camp. luckily there were many rookies on the raptors this year so georgy had many new faces to mesh with. While english isn't his strong point he added “many guy here who know how to hockey.''

When asked about a memorable story in training camp georgy paused for a few seconds, seeming to choose the appropriate memory. He goes on to recount how during the first few days of the training camp the raptors organized various trust building exercises. During the trust fall exercise gregory says his fellow rookies dropped him during his turn. Luckily he walked away with only a bruised butt. “I think i am very much man to handle” with a smug smile on his face. “My teammates kept calling me theek, i don't know what that means”. Lastly when asked if he had a great time Gerogy responded with “from what parts I remember”.

dylanjj37 · 08-09-2019, 04:46 PM

Training camp started out great. Adjusting to a new city, and a new country, was hard but coming from the Swiss mountains meant he at least didn't find it as cold as some of the other rookies. Practices had been going well too. Daniel got on well with his teammates, especially his linemate and fellow rookie Andrei Petrikov. His other teammates were great as well.
Daniel's problems started when Gabe Johnson suggest some off-ice bonding for the team. When Augustus Wang, already famous for his draft-day exploits, suggested they go for a drink, he wasn't going to say no. Unfortunately, trying to keep up with Augustus was not a good idea. Wanger must have a very high alcohol tolerance level because Daniel was completely drunk after just a few rounds. He embarassed himself in front of his teammates, and when the best ever Armada alumni, Eko Van Otter, who happened to be drinking with them offered to take him home, he couldn't even remember where he was staying. In the end, van Otter had to take Daniel home with him. At least the bed was comfy.

jjlangabeer · 08-10-2019, 12:01 AM

I will admit when it comes to training camp there is always a lot of dread and fear with it, you know there is going to be a lot of bag skating, a lot of conditioning and a lot of moving around the line up. On the other side of things there is always they joy of meeting the new rookies coming in, getting back with the team and spending some time and start creating the early memories. I think going through this years training camp the most exciting part and now amusing was watching the young guns of McCloud and Knurtsson fight their way on to the roster this season. Starting from day one you could see their anxiety being a key factor but then slowly settle in as they started to get comfortable. It was always a joy taking those two to dinner and sticking them with the bill, or at least the fear of it, one of the vets always took care of it before we snuck out on them. The final sigh of relief when the coach pulled them in and said they should look for a place in the area was what makes training camp so exciting.

Clayroo · 08-10-2019, 10:11 AM

James Hendricks was the last to get picked in his eligible draft and had been feeling bittersweet about it. On one hand, every team, including his own, passed him over several times. On the other hand, he could have not been drafted at all. All he could do was show up to training camp and give it his best effort. What had helped his spirit was being invited for dinner and drinks with the team. Of course every one is but at least a veteran came to him to put the invitation forward; he was a member of the team. In true Hendricks fashion, he was running late after taking too long to get ready. As he arrived to the bar he was excited. He had recently turned 19 and was now able to drink....in Ontario where he was from. Now he was in California and he would not be able to partake. He realized he was the last player to arrive and started to get nervous. As he got inside, he saw there were no spots left and other players just stared at him. His eyes darted around the table, hoping another spot would miraculously appear where there wasn't before. Suddenly other players began to snicker; he started to get nervous as he knew something was up. Behind the team sat the head coach at his own table with an empty spot and an apple juice sitting waiting for him. As Hendricks realized what the team had done he smiled and shook his head and everyone burst out laughing. Hendricks took his licks and blushing said, "I prefer fruit punch."

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