After a good month in the finale of the DEL season, the Grizzlies are back in Wolfsburg ice hockey professional training. It’s on the ice on August 2, before which endurance and strength will be honed. Athletics trainer Peter Krause has therefore had his hands full – and not just since training began on Monday.
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For some grizzlies it started again first. After his broken collarbone, Ryan Button debuted in his native Canada in early May. “I’m in touch with that. The lower body wasn’t restricted by injury,” Krause said. Button is an exception—most players who spend the summer overseas “have personal trainers and train in groups with other professionals,” Krause says. “But Ryan trains with me.”
The young Grizzlies also stepped on the gas early: for Steven Rabe, Jan Nijenhuis and newcomer Thomas Reichl, the season ended earlier than the rest, so the U23 team started first.
Monday was the opening shot for all grizzly pros living in Germany. “It was a good start, I am very satisfied with the first few days,” Krause said happily of the team’s situation. “Boys feel like that again, you can tell.” Among other things, they went to the weight room and went to the VfL stadium in Alsterweg together. There the runner-up used the track for fitness training. The only one who isn’t quite there yet is Dominic Bittner – the 29-year-old was with the national team at the World Cup in Riga, where he finished fourth on 6 June. He also scored his first World Cup goal. “The bits are already back, but there’s still a break,” Krause said.
Positive: Garrett Festerling, who injured his wrist in the final final game at Isberen Berlin, is fit again. “He can redo everything. As far as the wrist is concerned, let’s start slowly,” Krause says. Nijenhuis, who suffered an injury late in the main round, was “fine,” Krause said. “The rest of the team didn’t have any illnesses from last season.”
The rest of the squad should reach Wolfsburg in late July, with preparations on the ice starting on August 2. Then there will be new coach Mike Stewart – Krause is already looking forward to the new coach: “The conversation with him was very enjoyable, I’m really impressed. Mike is a great person and is open to my point of view – I’m happy support me.”
Two Canadian newcomers Darren Archibald and Chris D’Sousa also made a good first impression. “I talked to them on the phone for about half an hour. We didn’t just talk about training, they were both really good. They are happy to be here.” By the way, Archibald is foreign when it comes to training, as Krause explains: “He’s been training on his own for two or three years – because he’s now learned what’s good for his body, as They say.”
The Grizzly Athletics trainer had little time to switch off. “Since the season is over, I have been to the Baltic Sea for two days, but in July I want to switch off for another five days,” Krauss said. Plans for the near future: two weeks of training with Krauss on site, the third is “personal, everyone has their own plan, but it doesn’t have to be on site. After that, a week is more or less free, during which the boys will have a certain should still be active.” Light runs, cycling or golf are popular options.
Then there is the same rhythm again before the training camp starts from 2nd August. The main round should start after about a month.
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