Prospects in the Buffalo Sabres summer development camp are undergoing a rather unique training regimen. In an attempt to gain a mental as well as a physical edge, prospects such as Mikhail Grigorenko and Luke Adam have been working with Navy SEALs for the past week.
In an interview on Sabres.com, Adam admitted that the training is helping him grow as a person.
“It’s a lot of mental training. I don’t know if it’s as much a hockey player as it was a person,” explains Adam. “They said ‘we’re not training you from the neck down; we’re training you from the neck up.’"
There are 39 players in total at the camp, who start every morning by waking up at 4:30 a.m. and undergo various drills such as swimming, squats, pushups, crunches and several unconventional exercises that sometimes involve giant logs.
The SEALs force the players to make their beds, clean up after meals and as well as other military protocol, which is punishable by more pushups and squats if not followed.
Whether or not the training produces results on the ice for the Sabres, these prospects are giving another perspective on hard work, respect, and teamwork that is valuable for dressing room morale.
