- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
The final test
- Updated: June 4, 2016
MONTREAL – Before they arrive well rested and relaxed at First Niagara Center on June 24, many NHL draft hopefuls will first have to suffer a little bit at the NHL Combine.
Over the course of the week at the HARBORCENTER in Buffalo, more than a hundred youngsters dreaming of reaching hockey’s highest ranks will have to push themselves past their limits at the 2016 NHL Combine. Just like the other 29 teams in the league, the Canadiens will have their own crop of invitees that will attempt to exert themselves physically like never before, to prove they have the requisite physical attributes necessary to join the organization.
The ever watching eye of Habs Strength and Conditioning coach Pierre Allard will be paying close attention to that group of future Canadiens hopefuls. Knowing just how demanding the NHL Combine can be, the longtime coach is well aware that a player’s first NHL contract is not so easily signed.
“In addition to the tests, players must also cope with stress factor. I try to put myself in their shoes, which is tough. They’ve just showed up at the Combine fresh off dealing with the stress of the individual interviews – which can vary from 15-25 meetings in just one week – and then they are expected to perform a battery of physical tests with all eyes in the room fixed upon them,” outlined Allard, who is set to enter his seventh season with the Canadiens organization in 2016-17. “The tests have been adapted and improved in recent years. Two years ago, all the physical trainers from across the league met up and gave their opinions based on what we’ve seen the past several years and what we would do to improve the formula so that we can obtain more information moving forward.”
Situated in the state of New York – for the second consecutive season after being relocated from Toronto after many years – the Combine offers prospects a chance to test their physical conditioning against a multitude of tests spaced out over the week. The annual event gives NHL teams a greater insight into the amount and percentage of a player’s body fat, the power exerted by a player’s upper and lower body and a player’s endurance as measured via reaction time and stamina testing. Many prospects will leave the Combine …
continue reading in source canadiens.nhl.com
