TEAM BONDING, FROM THE ROCK TO THE ROCKIES
Coach says pre-season Sens trip might even include some tennis-kick ball
From The Rock to The Rockies, the Ottawa Senators have undergone the ultimate all-Canadian pre-season schedule.
It seems a tad bizarre, flying all the way east to the Atlantic, followed by a pit stop in Canada’s capital and then another trip all the way west here to the Pacific, just to help decide a few precious roster spots to start the season. For those counting, it’s approximately 7,285 kilometres from St. John’s to Vancouver.
New coach D.J. Smith, however, has no issues with any of the above, riding the wave of travel to try to make the most of the timetable that’s in front of him.
That included the oddity of a Monday morning skate at the David Bauer Arena on the campus of the University of British Columbia before Monday’s late game against the Vancouver Canucks in Abbotsford, B.C. That’s a different sort of trap, a 90-120 minute logjam through the notorious Vancouver traffic jams that mark the daily commute here.
The clubs will play again Wednesday in a more traditional arena, at the Rogers Centre in downtown Vancouver.
“I love Newfoundland and Vancouver is a great place to go, too,” Smith said. “It’s a five-hour plane ride (from Ottawa to Vancouver), but for most of these guys, they’ve done a lot of busing. Five hours on the plane is nothing. It’s a great bonding trip.”
Tuesday will be a day away from the ice. If the rain stays away, there was some talk about fishing and golfing in the afternoon. Smith also had plans to bring his team back to the UBC campus in the morning.
“I’ve got something set up where the guys play tennis-kick ball and we’re trying to make everything competitive,” said Smith. “Even in those games, you find out who the best competitors are. It starts out as fun and joking around and by the end, some guys just refuse to lose. Really, we want as many guys
You get a sense of who is who and how the team is going to jell. We’ve got a lot of new faces coming in.
that refuse to lose and compete as much as possible around you.”
The Senators are probably better off avoiding the typically touristy venture of a trip to Stanley Park. On a Senators team-bonding cycling venture through the Vancouver landmark long ago, defenceman Anton Volchenkov got lost.
But don’t sell the tennis-kick ball thing short.
“We get pretty fired up when we go head to head with that kind of stuff,” said winger Bobby Ryan. “You get a sense of who is who and how the team is going to jell. We’ve got a lot of new faces coming in. We’ve got some young guys who are not so vocal and you want to put them into positions where they’re loosening up a bit. We’ve got 82 (regular season) games. You want to know everyone.”
The games out here will go a long way in determining the roster for opening day on Oct.
2 — the most intriguing combinations Monday included a trio of Nick Paul, Logan Brown and Drake Batherson, along with the Parker Kelly-Jordan SzwarzScott Sabourin threesome — but whatever happens, it will be team with lots of youngsters.
The motivational exercises to bring everyone together on the trip began with a seminar on Sunday, pushing some of the quieter players into different roles.
“We had some good laughs, got some people to sit up a bit,” said alternate captain Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who didn’t play Monday night. “Some of the guys who are not loud or big speakers, we got them to talk. We got to spend some time together. It’s a big challenge. It’s a big season for everyone. It’s a crucial time to get to know each other.”
As much as the Senators would like to immediately return to the playoffs and challenge for a Stanley Cup, that’s not likely going to happen. There are lessons to be learned in how to deal with the stresses that lie ahead.
“There were some speeches about motivation, little games between us just to get to know each other better,” said Pageau. “There were also (discussions) about relaxation. We push so hard, you have to learn how to come down, too.”
Winger Anthony Duclair, who has experienced a rebirth in his career since arriving from Columbus at the trade deadline last February, is gladly taking it all in as he hopes to secure a spot on one of the Senators’ top two lines.
“It has been a solid first three weeks (of training camp),” said Duclair, who has breathed the ocean air at both sides of the country in the past week. “It has been fun and competitive, as well. Now we’re going down to the last week and you want to make sure you’re dialed in every day and make sure you’re ready for opening night.”