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The Florida Panthers are again.
Recent off the primary Stanley Cup championship in franchise historical past, the Panthers kicked off their 2024 Coaching Camp on Thursday morning in Fort Lauderdale.
The Baptist Well being IcePlex opened in December, so this marks the inaugural Panthers Coaching Camp at their new facility.
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Whereas the setting might have been completely different, there was quite a lot of familiarity throughout Thursday’s classes.
The group was cut up in half, with a pair of 90-minute apply classes that includes the identical drills and timing.
That’s as a result of Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice has stored the primary week of camp precisely the identical throughout his first two seasons on the helm, and yr three might be no completely different.
“Our first 4 apply days might be precisely the identical practices we’ve run the final two years,” Maurice mentioned Thursday.
Gamers have been run by means of excessive vitality drills that had them going full velocity and pushing onerous towards each other.
There may be clearly no aspect of easing into issues at a Maurice-run camp in South Florida, however there’s a methodology to his insanity.
“They are going to be targeted on the 4 main defensive techniques that we run, and in an effort to try this, they’re going to be actually onerous,” he mentioned. “That’s the entire level of it.”
The camps could also be extraordinarily troublesome, difficult and exhausting, however Florida’s gamers are leaping again into camp headfirst with massive ol’ smiles on their faces.
That’s as a result of these Cats know the tougher they work, the higher the outcomes.
“It was a fairly powerful begin, however that’s what we like,” mentioned Panthers ahead Eetu Luostarinen.
The previous two seasons, the Panthers have earned themselves a fame as a group that isn’t enjoyable to play towards.
They are going to out-work you, out-hit you and on extra nights than not, outscore you.
It’s playoff hockey, however year-round.
Final season, the Panthers proved which you could completely push as onerous as they did for so long as they did and nonetheless have sufficient left within the tank to outlive the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup.
Now they’ll attempt to do it once more, and with some recent blood within the lineup following the standard, inevitable offseason turnover.
“The starvation continues to be there, that’s why I joined the group,” mentioned Panthers ahead Tomas Nosek. “I do know it’s a good group, and an skilled group as nicely. They’ve confirmed it the final three years. They gained the Presidents’ Trophy, they went to the Finals, they usually gained all of it, so I don’t assume there’s a greater group the final three years within the NHL.”
The tip of every of Thursday’s apply classes introduced a drill that has grown close to and expensive to a lot of our hearts.
Maurice traces 10 pucks up at middle ice and the gamers all pair up alongside the boards.
For round 20-30 seconds, the pairs would battle one-on-one for a puck, instantly adopted by three laps across the rink. The pairs have been cut up into three teams, so there was a pair minutes for guys to catch their breath between turns.
In any case three teams of pairs have gone, Maurice shoots one puck down the ice into an empty aim (most go in, some don’t).
Rinse, repeat. Till all ten pucks have been shot down.
It’s a hell of an introduction to Panthers hockey for all the brand new guys, that’s for certain.
“Fairly onerous. Like, actually onerous,” mentioned Panthers ahead Jesper Boqvist. “Numerous skating, compete drills and excessive tempo. That’s the best way they play, and you must do it. It was first day, for certain.”
No person can ever accuse Maurice and his workers of easing gamers into coaching camp.
After two years of onerous work resulting in glorious outcomes, the challenges from the primary days of camp are wished. They’re appreciated.
It’s how these gamers are wired now.
Carry it on.
“It felt good,” mentioned Luostarinen. “Get somewhat sweat going and the legs going additionally. It’s been actually good to date, simply hope to maintain it going.”
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