As Brock Boeser was diligently preparing over the summer, he wasn’t thinking about how many goals he’d score in the home opener or having a calendar namesake to commemorate his strong start to the season.
Boeser has eight points in six games (6-2-8), including four goals in the home opener against Edmonton, and tallied points in five of the first six games.
He credits his success so far to the work he’s put in over the summer, getting a new trainer and changing his workout routine.
“Hard work pays off and being mentally ready is important. Feeling motivated and hungry to be better for my team has contributed to my on-ice performance as well,” Boeser said, going on to share his excitement when he scored his first goal of the season in the home opener.
Boeser would normally start offseason training in June but decided to get a jump on things this year and started training May 1st, spending four to five days a week grinding in the gym and on the ice.
A Minnesota native, it was Boeser’s summer tradition to play in Da Beauty League, but this year he decided he was going to try something different.
“I didn’t feel like it was benefitting me. I’d have to miss my morning skates with a lot of NHL guys in order to go play Beauty league,” Boeser said, adding the games are held Monday and Wednesday nights and trying to get to skate the next morning can be tough.
His trainer, Tommy Powers, is a former NHL Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, and Boeser noted at informal skate in September that Powers was a great fit for him. Powers worked for the Coyotes and Panthers, and now runs Empowers Performance in Edina, Minnesota.
“It was something the Canucks and I talked about at the end of the year last year to switch it up and I worked with a new trainer. More agility, more turf stuff, it was a good summer of training and I’m just glad the hard work paid off so far.”
Boeser was conscientious about following the program created for him, of which he says there were pages and pages of different types of agility shuffles and workouts.
During late summer as he was ramping up to come back to Vancouver, Tuesdays and Thursdays were turf training days, alternating between agility and speed work. To improve his quickness and his first three steps, he did some ladder work and speed and endurance consisted of a variety of different sprints.
In a press conference after the home opener when Boeser unleashed four goals against the Oilers, Head Coach Rick Tocchet gave the nod that Boeser does look quicker.
On the ice, he kept his skating routine the same, working with a group of NHLers at a rink in Minnesota. The last couple months of summer he played 3-on-3 once a week with his fellow pros.
Being able to find the back of the net this season has helped him find his confidence offensively.
“I’m a goal scorer and I need to score for our team and produce for our team to help us win hockey games. Like I said, it’s been a great start, but I gotta keep it going,” he said.
