Training Camp: ‘It’s a lot of fun, but it’s hard work’

FORT LAUDERDALE – It’s full steam ahead for the Florida Panthers.

Kicking off a new brand campaign with the first day of training camp at Baptist Health IcePlex on Thursday, there were certainly no shortcuts being taken by the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Known for having an intense training camp in the era of Paul Maurice, the core of players that have been wearing the Panthers shield know what to expect, but for many it was a first-time experience.

“Pretty hard, like really hard,” said forward Jesper Boqvist, one of the two Boqvist brothers experiencing their first training camp in South Florida. “A lot of skating, compete drills, and high pace. That's the way they play and have to do, so it was a good first day for sure.”

Having made back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final, the Panthers know better than most what it takes to reach the ultimate goal and be the last team standing when the all the dust finally settles.

It starts with a strong camp.

“It was tough,” said defenseman Jaycob Megna, a newcomer fighting for a spot on the blue line. “Today was a good day, a lot of fun, but we worked. It was a good pace and it’s one of those things where you’re working hard, but you’re having a good time doing it and everyone has the right attitude here.”

Even when they were gasping for air after intense battle drills, players were still smiling.

Despite being exhausted, their enthusiasm shined through.

“It’s a lot of fun, but it’s hard work,” said veteran forward Tomas Nosek, who signed as a free agent with the Panthers on July 1. “Just need to do a quick recovery and be back tomorrow.”

Given the team’s recent success, it’s easy for everyone to see that hard work does pay off.

And in a statement that should scare the rest of the league, Maurice said players – despite another abbreviated summer -- arrived at this year’s camp in even better shape than they were last season.

“These guys are fitter,” Florida’s bench boss said. ‘We know that now by the numbers that came back. The core returning players are fitter than they were last year and in turn last year they were fitter than the year before. So, at the 50-minute mark today, I'm wondering if is this hard enough, because they're taking the exact same drills, they're driving through them harder and they're recovering faster on the wall. Now, by the end of it, it's hard for everybody. It doesn't matter how fit you are if you push that hard for that length of time.”

For a team that’s already been one of the league’s best the last few years, if the improved fitness level is any indication of how this year could go, it should be another fun season in South Florida.

Although some practices are closed, fans can attend the Training Camp Fan Fest presented by Baptist Health on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Baptist Health IcePlex.

To stay up to date on open practices, click here.