A look at Tyson Barrie.
Victoria's Tyson Barrie missed out on an opportunity last year to impress the Colorado Avalanche's coaching staff at the NHL training camp when he tore a hamstring muscle. That injury also kept him out of action for a month with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL.
The 20-year-old Barrie is healthy again and working out in Denver with many players from the Avalanche team. The rookie camp opens on Sept. 11 followed by the main camp on Sept. 15
"Yeah, there was some joking going on, and I guess because no one hit one out last year, everyone expected me to do it this year because I played softball," said Dan Winnik of the Phoenix Coyotes. "Maybe it’s because I’m stronger, training with Matt Nichol."
Nichol, the former Leafs strength coach who currently trains NHLers and other elite-level athletes, had a stable of his hockey clients testing their baseball swings, including Bissonnette, Winnik, Clarkson, former Leafs Nik Antropov, Jay Harrison and Matt Stajan, and University of North Dakota forward Miles Koules.
Good news for Ben Fanelli: he's been deemed to be in good enough health to return to OHL ice after a nasty hit 2 years ago. He credits Landeskog for helping him get over the fear of the ice.
Fanelli rejoined the Rangers about two months after he was released from hospital in a bid to extend his rookie season, which was cut short after seven games. There were some dark days on the sidelines as he worked to get back in shape, especially on game nights at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
"I skated out there with (teammate) Gabriel Landeskog and we both ran and jumped into the boards," he said. "Now, when I go back there, it’s just a regular hockey rink."
And a few stories about what the Cup has been through.
Goalie Patrick Roy took apart the Stanley Cup while it was in possession. Bourque did the same thing, carving his name on the inside with a screwdriver before putting it back together. Later on, he was surprised when Montreal player J.J. Daigneault confronted him about what he did. Daigneault knew because he had done the same thing.