Players striving to keep fit, GM says
Players make physical fitness a priority as they wait, with us all, for virus’s next move
These are fierce competitors.
So it should hardly come as a surprise that some of the Calgary Flames, despite being separated in self-isolation for the past two weeks, are still finding ways to go toe-to-socially-distanced-toe during the NHL’S pandemic pause.
“For the guys that are still in Calgary, our bikes from the gym were distributed and weights and stuff like that,” said Flames general manager Brad Treliving. “And I’ve heard of some challenges that are going on between guys, challenges within families. We’re sort of doing that here, with ours.
“Obviously, these guys are high-level athletes, elite athletes. And until told otherwise, we are preparing for the pause to end at some point. So I think it’s just trying to keep as much normalcy in your life as possible. I think it’s important to physically stay active, and also to keep your mind working. That’s how we’ll get through this.”
Thursday marks two weeks since the NHL halted its season due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The lights at the Saddledome have been switched off since.
There were more impacts Wednesday, with the league announcing the scouting combine in Buffalo, the awards banquet in Las Vegas and the 2020 NHL Draft in Montreal have all been postponed because of “the ongoing uncertainty resulting from the coronavirus.” All three were on the calendar for June.
The NHL has asked that all players, coaches and hockey-related team staff extend their self-isolation periods until April 4.
That’s the same date the Flames were supposed to wrap their regular-season slate with a Battle of Alberta against the Edmonton Oilers.
“I think the difficult part for all the managers right now is I would admit we’re all Type-a personalities — my wife would say a strong Type-a — so you
I don’t care how young you are or how long you’ve been in the league: these players are in a routine.
always want to be in control,” Treliving said. “And right now, we’re not in control.”
That doesn’t mean they’re not busy.
Treliving signed a pair of college free-agents, left-handed defencemen Connor Mackey and Colton Poolman, last week.
The Flames’ scouts, both on the amateur and professional beats, have been studying video.
They’ve had conference calls to build their wish-list for the 2020 NHL Draft, whatever form it takes.
“A large part of my day is communicating with our staff regularly, giving them daily updates, and communicating regularly with our players,” said Treliving, who is self-isolating at home with his wife and two daughters. “I don’t care how young you are or how long you’ve been in the league: these players are in a routine. For these guys, for their whole lives in winter, you know where you’re going to be for six or seven or eight months of the year. And all of a sudden, that comes to an end.
So I think my job is to make sure you’re there for them, to answer any questions, support and try to keep everybody as informed as you can. There’s just a lot of uncertainty right now.”
The uncertainty, perhaps, beats the alternative.
While the NHL has reportedly requested rink availabilities into August, hinting the Stanley Cup quest could stretch twoplus months beyond the usual end-date, several other leagues have already scrapped their spring-summer plans.
There will be no champions crowned in the WHL, OHL or QMJHL. For the first time in more than a century, the Memorial Cup won’t be handed out in 2020.
On Wednesday, the Russia-based KHL cancelled the remainder of its playoff push.
“I think I’m an optimist by nature, and you have to be prepared,” Treliving stressed. “Until somebody tells us differently, we have to prepare that we’re coming back at some point. We don’t know when that is, and certainly it’s going to be some time. But not only do you want to be prepared for it, as with anything that you go through, as bad and as serious and impactful for so many people as this is, you try to find ways to look at what opportunities it presents. You don’t want to be behind the curve. You want to be ahead of the curve coming out of it.
“Certainly, we have stayed connected to what is going on in our industry, and you see how leagues are shutting down,” he continued. … “Leadership is easy when things are going well. It’s when things are tough and hard, that’s when it’s required. Right now, for anybody in a position of leadership, I think it’s a great opportunity and it’s a great responsibility. That’s what we’re trying to do is lead our group through this difficult time.”