It was just like old times for Vancouver Canucks defenceman Dan Hamhuis.
There he was lined up on the ice at CN Centre Wednesday with the other Prince George Cougars players, a man amongst boys, taking passes, chasing after loose pucks and unleashing blistering one-timers from the point.
A lot has happened over the past 13 years since Hamhuis said goodbye to Prince George and became a star in the NHL. But at 31, he still goes through the same conditioning drills he did when was in junior hockey, skating laps and digging up ice chips in a lengthy rounds of heart-pounding stops and starts.
Now a part-owner of the team, Hamhuis took time to gather the blueline troops on the side boards for a whiteboard session to discuss positional play in his one and only Prince George skating session before he heads to Vancouver for the start of the Canucks main training camp next Thursday.
"It was fun to be back and skate with those guys, it's just neat to especially work with the D, those young guys, there's so much to learn, I'm still learning after being in the [NHL] for over a decade," said Hamhuis.
"Just to be able to have a chance to share some of that, I love the opportunity. I think it's really valuable just to see on the ice and off the ice it's a big step from junior to pro, and I hope to able to make that transition easier for them."
While the sheer size of the players, physical play and speed of the game is amped up infinitesimally in pro hockey, Hamhuis says what sometimes takes graduating junior by surprise are the demands of the game on their thinking processes.
"The mental side of the game is the biggest thing, everybody's got a different skill set, but if you can just play with poise and confidence out there every night, it's easier said than done," Hamhuis said. "That's a challenge when you have guys on the other side trying to not let that happen. You've got tough travel schedules, tough practices and you're coming to the rink tired and still have to perform and it's all part of being part of being a pro."
Hamhuis, a native of Smithers, played four full seasons in the WHL with the Cougars from 1998-2002. He's coming off a memorable season highlighted by his role in helping Canada win Olympic gold in Sochi, Russia. He's getting set for his fifth season with the Canucks, his second NHL team, after playing six seasons with the Nashville Predators.
Coming off a non-playoff season with the Canucks in which he totaled five goals and 22 points in 78 games, Hamhuis has been skating for the past month with the Canucks in Vancouver and has also seen the ice in Smithers, where he's been working out with former Spruce Kings defenceman Zach Davies, who divided last season between Abbotsford (AHL) and Alaska (ECHL).
Hamhuis welcomed his chance to get into some battle drills and forechecking practice with the current crop of Cougars a week before his NHL camp begins. He'll be following the direction of new head coach Willie Desjardins and relishes the challenge of getting the Canucks back into the postseason.
"There will be a lot of changes but everyone's coming to camp with an open mind and a lot of excitement too," said Hamhuis. "Being around the rink it's a great atmosphere. Everyone's excited and real positive and I'm looking forward to getting it going."
Sharing the ice with Hamhuis made for a memorable practice for 17-year-old Cougars goalie Matt Kustra.
"It was neat to see how good those guys are and how hard you have to work to get to that level," said Kustra. "You can see how hard he works and it's kind of inspiring and makes you want to work that hard to get to that level. His shots hurt a bit more, but it wasn't too bad."
Therapist joins Cats
The Cougars announced Wednesday they've hired Craig Hyslop as their athletic therapist. Hyslop, 28, a University of Manitoba graduate, is certified by the Canadian Athletic Therapy Association. He worked the past two years in Prince George with CBI Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Clinic and last season helped players from the Cariboo Cougars major midget team deal with acute injuries.
"I'm thrilled to be back in the world of trauma care and aggressive rehab," said Hyslop. "Working with high-level athletes is a passion of mine and the reason why I started in this line of work."
