Two Mondays ago I received a text from a co-intern of mine. I was in Chicago at the time I received what I perceived as the most heartbreaking message:
“OMG Sidney Crosby is HERE!!!”
I couldn’t tell whether or not my colleagues were trolling me until the pictures began to stream in. Crosby. Nathan Mackinnon. Matt Duchene. All training at Germain Arena in Florida while I helplessly suffered from afar in the Chi. Some of the NHL’s finest came to train at the arena I had been at all summer and I was not there. I was grief-stricken until I found out that they would be there all week training with Darryl Belfry. I was able to catch the tail end of their training. I had the amazing opportunity to watch Darryl train Sidney Crosby, Nathan Mackinnon, and NHL prospects. I also caught Kyle Okposo and Jonathon Tavares of the New York Islanders, Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche, and David Clarkson of the Toronto Maple Leafs cleaning out their stuff from the locker room.
I was able to learn a lot just by watching some of the most elite athletes in the sport practice with Darryl, whom I was able to talk to for a bit between practices. He apologized that no Blackhawks were at the camp but he said he’d try to get Patrick Kane, a client of his, to come next year.
Here is a video of Crosby explaining what they were all up to down in Florida courtesy of Naples Daily News.
Nathan analyzing his playing on an I-pad with Darryl
Selfie I was able to snag with Mackinnon
David Clarkson
Crummy Pic of Crosby post practice
Hooked on Hockey 