Young Penguins star makes big changes
prepared for the marathon than the sprint, which I think will help him.”
‘I feel really good’
The most obvious change for Guentzel is how and where he works out.
He switched trainers, hand-picking Ryan Engelbert of ETS Performance and a facility only a couple miles from home. Guentzel has added 10 pounds and gushed, “I don’t think I’ve had a better summer than this one.”
It shows, too. Guentzel has been tearing up Da Beauty League — the summer hockey home to many Minnesotans — with 10 goals and 14 points through six games. Watch him, and it’s not hard to see that same shot and hockey sense shine through … but with a little more swagger.
“I feel really good,” Guentzel said. “I’m excited to get the season going.”
In designing Guentzel’s workout plan, Engelbert focused on building a base layer of muscle, then employing exercises designed to prevent injury and improve flexibility by putting Guentzel in compromising positions.
“He has missed zero workouts,” Engelbert said. “He’s been there every day. He’s extremely focused. It’s been fun to work with him.”
Guentzel loves the results and the progress he’s made in a short time, but it’s likely he wouldn’t describe the workouts as “fun.” By design, Engelbert manipulates sets and reps, adjusting both on the fly to mess with Guentzel and others, keeping them on their toes.
“I want them to come in not knowing exactly how the workout is going to lay out and keep their nervous system guessing as well,” Engelbert said.
Many of the exercises Guentzel does are multifaceted, with Engelbert gearing the majority of them to be core-activating. One example involved a type of splitsquat, where Guentzel must hold a dumbbell in a specific spot to work his abs, the tiniest deviation knocking the train off its tracks.
“It’s something that keeps him engaged and thinking more about total movement rather than a single-leg squat,” Engelbert said.
Hip mobility was a particular problem for Guentzel at the beginning of the summer, Engelbert said. So another point of emphasis has been ROMs — or range-ofmotion movements.
Doing that, and putting Guentzel’s body in what Engelbert called “vulnerable” positions through non-traditional exercises, should theoretically lessen the likelihood of injury.
“When you’re in a game, and you get tied up, knocked to the ground or pressed against the glass — where a lot of injuries happen — your body has been in those unorthodox positions before,” Engelbert said. “Your body is going to be more receptive, and your chances of getting injured are going to be less.”
To improve his leg strength, endurance and flexibility, Guentzel has taken up biking, often pedaling around Woodbury, Minn., for 30 minutes to an hour in the mornings.
But working out isn’t all Guentzel has changed. His diet and sleep schedule have been overhauled as well.
Gone are sweets — candy and Oreos were the hardest to lose — and they’ve been replaced by additional protein and proper serving sizes. Guentzel used to sleep from 11 p.m. or midnight until 9 or 10 in the morning. Now, he’s keeping old-man hours: in bed by 9, up by 7.
“I don’t think you really notice how big of a deal it is [until you do it],” Guentzel said of changing his diet and sleep habits. “At this level, you have to be recovered and rested every time. I feel like I’ve been eating well and eating enough to try and gain weight to try and make it good weight. This has definitely been a good summer for me.”
It’s tough to argue that. But will it stick?
Guentzel is living at home this summer. His mom, Sally, remains willing to wash his clothes, and Mike will often ensure Jake’s bed is made and no dresser drawers are left open.
The setup has allowed the Guentzels to reconnect some as a family, but it’s also by design. They’re trying to help Jake become a bit more of a homebody and capable of managing life on his own. To further facilitate that, Jake’s older brother Ryan will be moving with him to Pittsburgh.
“I think the one thing that will be really good for Jake this year is he’ll have people to live with,” Mike said. “Last year, he was on his own. You’re excited to get on your own, but then you realize really quickly how boring it is. When you’re in a pro lifestyle like that, guys have girlfriends, guys are married, guys have families. Then there’s Jake, who has his hobbies. It’s just different. I think this year, with his brother out there, that will help try to ground him and settle him.”
Some of the adjustments have already occurred. According to Mike, Jake has recently talked about buying a house — probably wise to wait until after that next contract — and investing his money. “It’s been interesting, to say the least.”
It’s been that way in the kitchen, too. Previously, the only thing Jake made there was a phone call. Now, slowly but surely, Sally is teaching him to cook. On a recent morning, Jake whipped up some scrambled eggs and sausage. A few other favorites include enchiladas and quesadillas.
“Jake has always taken care of his body, putting the right things in, but there’s a difference between cooking your meal and going out next door to Market Square and getting Chipotle or wherever,” Mike said. “I think he’ll do a better job this year now of kind of managing his lifestyle and understanding what the whole routine is about.”
One of the things Sullivan discussed with Guentzel during that February meeting was the frequency with which his young winger was out and about. It’s not accurate to label Guentzel a wild child or a problem. He was simply a guy in his early 20s who didn’t cook much, needed to eat and figured he’d explore some of what Pittsburgh had to offer.
Having Ryan around is a move designed to prevent that — the need to go out to eat or seek social time. The hope is that they cook a healthy dinner together and binge watch a Netflix series.
“He doesn’t have to run around at night to get out,” Mike said. “You can go to dinner with your friends if you want, or you can stay home and cook dinner. You don’t have to go out and do some other things.
“Sometimes a kid can go to a casino, a kid can go wherever. You know how it is. Next thing you know, someone wants to snap a picture with you if you’re in an establishment. I’ve had a chat with him a little bit about the differences now. It’s not college anymore. It’s the NHL. You can draw attention to yourself in a great sports town.”
On the ice, Jake badly wants to avoid the types of streaks that doomed him last season, the prolonged goal-less spells that put him across a desk from a fired-up Sullivan; twice Guentzel went 19 games while scoring just once.
“There’s those 10-game stretches where you really can’t take off,” Jake said. “Maybe you’re not playing well or the bounces aren’t going your way, but you still have to create those chances. You have to try and limit those as much as you can because those are the things that are going to hurt you and cost you. It’s a big adjustment period.”
Sort of like his entire life right now.
“I was never a big cooker, but now when you try it, it tastes that much better when it’s your own,” Guentzel said. “It’s been a little bit of a journey. Some things go wrong, but it’s been cool.”
‘The symbol of hockey’
On a sun-splashed afternoon last week before the Herb Brooks Foundation Golf Classic at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn., Guentzel took a break from socializing, sat by himself in a golf cart and thumbed through his phone.
It did not provide much of a reprieve. Although several established NHLers played — the 80 open slots for the tournament were filled in mere minutes, its directors said — Guentzel was the star attraction, the most recognizable face.
“How you doing? Good to see you,” Guentzel repeated over and over, always patient and courteous, never turning down a picture or autograph request.
It’s the same thing Guentzel did at each and every hole as he was approached for autographs and pictures, bearing a striking resemblance to the smoothness Sidney Crosby shows in those sort of situations.
“Very respectful and fun to be around,” said Julie Yeazle Cherney, whose group drew Guentzel as its celebrity guest. “And a good golfer, too.”
Coming off so much like Crosby isn’t intentional, Guentzel said. But the two do spend a ton of time together, and it’s an example Guentzel has certainly followed.
“He’s willing to sign autographs and take pictures every day,” Guentzel said. “You would think at that level you would get annoyed or sick of it. He’s doing it every day. If he’s doing it, we can do it. That’s just a thing you have to learn — how happy it makes the kids and people, how much it means to them. Whenever you have a chance to do it, you should do it.”
And Guentzel does, every place he goes, a burgeoning star on the Minnesota hockey scene, not totally at ease being the center of attention but a good enough person that he makes it work.
“It means fans like you and you’re doing something right,” Guentzel said. “It’s a good feeling.”
On a recent Wednesday night following one of Guentzel’s Da Beauty League games, Lightning defenseman and St. Paul, Minn. native Ryan McDonagh quietly made his way out the back door of Braemar Arena and up a gated hill.
McDonagh is a former captain and All-Star, but the high-pitched cheers for Guentzel were easily the loudest.
Inside Braemar Arena, Guentzel sweaters far outnumber those supporting Calder Trophy winner Brock Boeser or established pros such as Brock Nelson, Nate Schmidt and Derek Stepan.
“He represents the symbol of hockey in Minnesota,” said 10-year-old Bergen Segedy, a Maple Grove native who created his own autograph book complete with biographical information for each Da Beauty League player. “He rocks the NHL.”
It’s impossible to argue when you look at the past two postseasons, where Guentzel has 23 goals and 42 points in 37 games. The problem has been avoiding sizable dips in production during the regular season.
As the sun set, the crowd dissipated, and Guentzel again was one of the last players to finish signing and posing for pictures, the dichotomy of his life becoming more and more obvious.
He’s not terribly far removed from being on the other side of that fence — and in some ways still is. The playoffs have also seemed almost too easy at times for Guentzel.
With a huge payday coming and Guentzel navigating normal life experiences, he must show that he’s capable of being a consistent, productive pro — not one who needs a kick in the pants from the coach every so often.
“Confidence is huge,” Guentzel said. “When you’re going through downs, you have to lean on people to get out of it. Maybe it’s just one bounce. You just have to work on being a consistent player throughout the whole time. Obviously it’s going to be tough. I think if you’re going to be successful in this league, that’s what you have to do.”