Perfetti staying upbeat during quarantine at Canada's Selection Camp

Winnipeg Jets prospect Cole Perfetti is one of 46 players in quarantine at Hockey Canada's World Junior Selection Camp in Red Deer, AB.
The players, along with the team's coaches and staff, have been in quarantine since Nov. 23 - the day two players tested positive for Covid-19.
The team has abided by all protocols set forth by the Government of Alberta and Alberta Health Services, which includes moving players from the familiar structure of roommates to individual rooms. However, Perfetti said the group is finding ways to still be together virtually.
"It has been a mental grind, but I think it's been a good learning experience," said Perfetti. "Even though we're not face-to-face, we're spending a lot of time with each other over the internet and over video games. I've been able to do that and get close with them in that sense."

In addition to those unscheduled video game sessions, Hockey Canada keeps the players on a schedule to keep them in routine.
Starting at 10 am local time, the group hops on Zoom and a stationary bike - which players have in their rooms thanks to local gyms - for a workout.
"We're doing a pretty good job of staying fit and doing the most we can with the resources we have to be prepared when we come out in a week's time," said Perfetti. "We're not putting on muscle, we're trying to maintain, stay fit, and stay active - not just sit in our bed."
The next formal Zoom session begins at 4:30 pm, when motivational videos are shown and are discussed. This session is put together by Canada's Mental Performance Consultant, Ryan Hamilton.
The day winds down at 7 pm with a social meeting, which not only helps the players interact, but also gets the competitive juices flowing.
"We're doing rock, paper scissors over Zoom, like a big bracket, everyone is in it," Perfetti said. "The winner gets a prize at the end. It's to make sure we're all having fun."
An addition to the itinerary comes on Tuesday, Dec. 1, when the team will have its first guest speaker.
The other part of camp that Perfetti is thankful for is the fact he got to play in competitive games for the first time in nearly nine months.
While his Team Red fell to Team White in two intrasquad games - with scores of 4-2 and 6-3 on Nov. 21 and 22 - Perfetti had an assist and was happy with how quickly his play returned to the level the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft expects.
"It wasn't easy to jump into your first game back in eight and a half months and it be a World Junior Camp game," Perfetti said, adding that some QMJHL and NCAA players had already seen some form of game action while those in the WHL and OHL had yet to do so.
"It took a period, period and a half to get used to it," he said. "But by the late second, early third in the first game and all the second game, I felt really comfortable. I was back in the groove and playing my game."
The final day of the 14-day quarantine is Dec. 6, with Canada's first practice scheduled for Dec. 7.