Pod skates get positive review
Oilers winger Chiasson impressed by how well Rogers Place practices are going
In Pod we trust.
For the National Hockey League to get training camps underway in less than three weeks, 24 pod cities across North America will have to prove they can withstand the COVID -19 threat first.
Without successful Phase 2 pods, there are no Phase 3 training camps. And without training camps, there is no way commissioner Gary (Noah) Bettman will be able to gather everyone two by two and load them into the Hub City quarantines that will host the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It’s not an easy ask. With players returning to the community after their daily skates, keeping the virus out of the rink is a relentless challenge that in many ways is out of a team’s control.
But Alex Chiasson, who’s been skating in the lone Edmonton pod at Rogers Place for three weeks, is impressed with the efforts being made to stay on top of it.
“The first Monday going in, you’re kind of anxious, nervous, you don’t know what to expect and what you’re walking into,” said the Oilers winger. “But after we got through that first day and got on the ice, our little group kind of took a breath and said, ‘It’s OK.’”
Daily temperature checks and regular tests highlight the Edmonton Oilers checklist. Beyond that, Chiasson said it’s not much different than life outside the pod.
“Overall it’s the same things that everyone is being asked to do. Try to keep our distance, making sure that things are clean. Because there are only six or seven of us at the rink, it’s easy to be aware of what’s going on.
“The Oilers, from the medical staff to the training staff, every one involved is doing a tremendous job of making sure we’re safe, making sure we’re being tested a few times a week. I have nothing but positives to say about us being at the rink and how it’s been handled.”
Chiasson said it helps immensely that Rogers Place is new enough and big enough to provide the facilities and breathing room necessary.
“I think Rogers is one of the top five buildings in the league,” he said. “We have space to train. It’s not like we’re on top of each other. That’s made the transition a lot easier.”
It’s weird, though. The same guys, in a dead silent rink in the middle of summer, doing drill after drill after drill, day after day after day, not really sure how or where this is all going to end up.
“Life is not normal,” Chiasson said with a laugh. “But, given the circumstances, it’s as good as it can be. And hockey is like a little bit of a sanctuary — once we got on the ice, it’s just us doing what we’re driven to do.”
Smaller groups in the pod scenario also mean concentrated repetitions, which might be better for some of these guys in the long run. Fewer players means more time to focus on individual skills.
“I have blisters all over my hands because it’s such a small group that your turn comes so much more often,” said Chiasson. “That’s been a good part of this. This Wednesday there was two shooters and a goalie; I probably shot over 200 pucks.
“We’re touching a lot of different aspects: stick handling, shooting, skating. (Conditioning coach) Chad Drummond and (assistant strength coach) Patrick Love, with (skating coach David Pelletier) and (goalie coach) Dustin Schwartz have done a great job of setting up a plan for preparation.”