Jack, Bratt, Pesce and Nemec speak on Day 1 of Camp

Jack, Bratt, Pesce and Nemec speak on Day 1 of Camp

I guess the easiest thing to start with is how are you feeling? We haven’t really had a chance to catch up since we were in Vegas. Yeah, I feel good. So, uh, body feels good. I’m excited for the year. How difficult was that moment for you and then just sort of how did you approach this summer to get ready? Uh, yeah, it was frustrating just because uh how sudden my year ended, but um yeah, I’m excited for this year and and ready to go. Jack, did you do anything different this offseason to try to No, no, no. What does it mean to maybe have a second season here with Sheldon knowing what he was able to bring last year going into training camp here, knowing what he wants to establish with this? Yeah, nice to uh like I know him now, you know, we have a relationship. So, nice to uh come in here and know what to expect from him and uh you know, I know what he expects from me. So, nice that uh you know, I I kind of come in he wants out of me and uh yeah, that’s that’s probably the best thing out of that. What What do you feel your expectations of each other need to be for for this group to really, you know, go to that next level? It’s hard to say. I mean, today was day one, right? So, we haven’t even um been out there with the full group yet. We just we did a day one today and I think regarding our group, that was a really good start for us and um that’s all you can do. You know, have another good day tomorrow and just keep building. First real skate with Donov. What did you think of him? Yeah, he’s uh that was fun. Me, him, and Brad. So, we were I think we were snapping around a bit and uh don’t know him too well, but I’m sure we’ll get to know get to know him over camp here. Jack, what do you make of Tom’s off? Yeah, I think uh obviously Dadov, good move. Brownie, good move. Uh bringing Jaker back is, you know, just great for our locker room. So, um I think those were three really good moves for our group. um like we have our we kind of have our core set right now. So you’re not really like doing big moves or anything. Uh but just trying to round out the pieces and uh and bring some good some good players and I think we did a good job guys with a lot of playoff experience and you know it should help us this year with some of those new faces. You got to experience that a lot last year. Got a couple of those this year. Did you hang out with them at all in the offseason leading up to training camp just to get to know them a little bit more? The new guys like that? Not at all. No. Well, I mean, everyone’s strictly everyone’s up there, you know, wherever they are in the summer. So, you just come here and you get to know them. How far do you think this team can take it this year knowing the roster that’s been built here? Yeah, I mean, uh, I think the expectation is obviously playoffs and, uh, last year I think we we wanted like to just get in and get to the playoffs and I think this year we want to get to the playoffs and then, you know, actually compete and strive for playing a long a long uh, run in the playoffs. So, like I said, today’s day one, but it’s a good start, but I think the group knows that, you know, we want to get over the hump and become a team that can can really compete. Everybody last year was surprised with the level of intensity with training camp with Sheldon Keef. You guys knew what to expect this year in the the weeks leading up to camp. Did you prepare any differently? Skate a little bit harder. What did that kind of look like? Not really. I mean, um I think everyone has their own way of getting ready for the season, but uh yeah, you’re just trying to, you know, get your legs going and uh your hips, your groins feeling good. And um yeah, I mean everyone all 32 camps around the league are tough. So it’s not just here. Everyone’s working hard today, but uh yeah, it’s a good it’s a good skate and a hard skate and uh you know, we’ll be up and running for the start of the season. Do you have a message to the fans? A message to the fans? Uh I mean uh I think they should be excited for our group and you know hopefully we’re going to be a fun team to watch and win a lot of hockey games this year. Obviously you know the shoulder something that has had to have been frustrating for the past couple years. So there was no thought really to change anything up in all seasoning. Well, I mean my game’s in a good spot now. Yeah. So I mean at the end of the day if you you go on the M wall uh a million miles per hour and you get hit like you’re going to get hurt no matter what you do in the summer. So for me I think the most important thing was just to refresh my brain and be excited for this year. And you’ve asked me that twice in one scrum. So I think we can call it there for the year. Right. I just wanted to clarify what you know why not. Yeah. I mean, for me, I just wanted to be refreshed and have a good summer and be excited to come back here and play hockey. Jack, when you talk about refresh your brain, is that just sort of letting go the off season and then just eventually finding that time to gear up? Is that what you kind of mean by that? Yeah, that’s just uh like that’s just enjoying life outside of hockey, enjoying myself, being at home, my friends, my family, and then when it’s time to dial in and and be ready to go and be excited for the year, you know, that’s what makes things great is like you start to miss the game and then, you know, you uh want to work harder and then all this comes back. So, I think for me, like I said, just refresh and get away and then, you know, when I start to miss it, then I’m excited to get going. One of the things that Nico said to me um about last year, not wanting to necessarily look back, was just how after you got injured, that sort of rallying cry is like, “We got to do this. We got to do this for Jack, we want to continue on this trajectory.” What does that mean when you you hear that that they’re kind of rallying around in that way, knowing that you weren’t even going to be able to come back? I mean, I don’t know. So that’s last year. I’m on to this year. So I’m I’m on to this year. Does it feel like this is this is your seventh NHL season? I mean, it’s kind of fast. No, it doesn’t. I mean, they always say it goes fast and then you don’t believe him when you’re 18, 19, but now I’m in year seven. So talking to Bradard today, he’s in year nine. I think when him and Nico get to year 10, that’s that’s going to be definitely crazy for the fans for me. So yeah, Jasper, uh I guess the easy one is just how did it feel to finally be out there, get your legs underneath you, especially knowing what Sheldon demands from the second things get going? Oh, it was great. Uh great first day. Uh obviously a tough tough hard skate today and I mean a day that everyone has been looking forward to for a long time. So uh it was a good process today and um I enjoyed every second of it. You are someone who lives so much in the present present, but what’s the significance for this group of understanding what you did last year, where your challenges were and then how you sort of take that game to the next level? How do you balance those two things? Yeah, it’s a lot of small things that we obviously talked about that we we know is going to be key for this group, but it’s it’s kind of starts today at at day one of camp. Um I mean, I already started a little bit with our meeting yesterday, but um we can speak and speculate as much as we want. and it’s going to come down to the work that we put in on the ice and um I mean today was a great first step of us try to build this identity to um hold that consistently throughout the year. What do you hope that identity um ends up shaping into as you go through these two two and a half weeks of camp? Yeah, I mean it’s going to be our pace. Our pace kind of sets the whole foundation of our game. Uh try to play with these like advantages out there on the ice to uh get to our spots quick and um just outnumber a lot of guys. Um, and then it’s going to come down to our our A and B game. Uh, make sure that we can win um, any type of game out there and we all know what what our job is. Healthwise, you had a procedure done at the end of last year feeling okay and just maybe if you can just give us a little insight there. Yeah, I’m 100% ready to go. That’s it. I’m excited. Just how much more comfortable you feel this year coming in with Keith’s system kind of knowing at least the basic fundamentals was last year when we were still fresh now. Yeah, no, it’s been good. I mean the the drills are similar and we know what type of game he wants us to play and uh he know what type of players we are and who we bring to the table. So um obviously it’s a good uh good thing to come in with a little more uh confidence on both part what kind of work that needs to be done and first impressions practice. Any initial impressions of Donov and what he could possibly bring to the line? Oh I mean he’s such a smart player. I mean me and Jack were just kind of watching him do his thing out there. Uh it’s a really exciting player to play with. um been in the game for such a long time. He’s got a lot of um a lot of routine under his belt with when it comes to certain certain thing. I think me and Jack are going to learn a lot from him. So, uh we’re excited. Mr. Why was it important for you to play through the pain, the shoulder pain in the playoffs last year? What did that mean to you to play in the playoffs, be with the team, that type of thing? I mean, it’s the most exciting part of the year. Uh so, obviously, during my years here, it hasn’t been something I’ve got to do too much of. Uh, I mean, it’s been some some some hard years and I want to be a part of this team. Um, turning that transition. So, obviously my all I’m doing in the season is just playing every game to to bring this team to the playoff. And when the playoff came around, it’s the most fun time of the year. So, I was just enjoying every second of it, try to get as healthy as I could dur throughout that time and u actually felt good throughout that playoff round too with with shoulder and everything and um going in with some good confidence right now. It’s hard to believe this is I think it’s your ninth season. Um what to you is the secret or maybe I don’t know what do you do to remain healthy? Is it a tough thing to do on the ice or how do you go about making sure that health is you know a top priority for you in a season? Yeah, I mean I just think I just kind of set that into a system. Uh it’s a system of consistency and um it’s a part of it that I that I really enjoy. I I enjoy being um pushing myself every day and making sure that I’m on my my best version of myself every day. It’s something that I that I really take pride in doing and I enjoy being that way, too. So, just finding new ways every day and um times of the season to to get better and just improve certain areas of the game. Doesn’t matter if it’s on the ice or recovery based stuff or whatever, just to take my game to the next level. And I always have the goal to just just consistently get better. You’ve always had that. You’ve always wanted to improve areas of your game. What was the big thing that you tried to, you know, work on this off season that you wanted to improve, if anything at all? Yeah, I mean, I I think it just comes down to small small details of the game. I mean, for me, it just um I tried obviously with the shoulder was a little different this this time, but um especially my my shooting was something that I try to get into when once the shoulder was healed, try to get that goal goal scoring touch in a little bit more. Try to get an attack mentality towards the net. And then just keep working on stuff that both, for example, centermans like Jack and Nico are bringing out on the game. Uh how do I get open for them? How do I create space for myself playing with those guys? And uh just try to take my game to an overall next level. Chris, what what did you make of the the offseason acquisitions that Tom? Yeah, I thought it was good. I mean, we kept kept part of the team uh the same just because there’s a certain belief in this room. Uh we felt like not a lot of changes needed to be done. um felt like we have a good core and we have a good group of guys that um is going to be a part of this team being successful. And then I think that the players coming in with dads and um I mean um Brown too and and and more guys. It’s just kind of the part of part of the players that that does the job that it’s going to help this team. So we’re we’re really excited about that. I think now just being before the camp starts and now with dads on the ice, it was just exciting to see how they work. Uh they’re guys with great work ethic and they’re going to be smart players that bring this team forward. Pesh, welcome back first of all. Uh how are you feeling with one session under your belt so far and just how was your summer? Yeah, good. Um it’s good to be out there with everyone. Uh first session is always the hardest. It was it was a good skate out there, but uh happy to have it over with and um yeah, guys look good. Look fast, crisp. It was uh it was a good skate. just a couple changes in the group, you know, not major changes like the team went through last year. What are you sort of liking about what you’re seeing right now? I know just day one, but you’ve been skating for a while. Yeah. No, just the speed. Um we’re a fast group, um competitive group, and you could see that you don’t have much time with the puck even in practice. Um so, makes my life harder, but it’ll make it easier in the games. How much more comfortable do you feel this year as opposed last year coming in, meeting all these new guys, different expectations, now you know the coaching, the drill, kind of how much more comfortable is this year? Yeah. um a lot more comfortable um just just being familiar with the organization, you know, growing a lot of friendships in the locker room and um kind of understanding Kefir system. It’s uh yeah, it’s been fun. It’s it’s kind of nice to be a little more acclimated this year. Reflecting back to last year’s training camp, the general consensus was that everybody was a little shocked with the level of intensity in the first couple of days. Is there anything that you changed kind of leading up to the training camp to be a little bit more prepared? Yeah, I mean guys were here early. Um two, three weeks early. We were skating hard. Um it’s almost like a pre-training camp, but um to be honest, I think every team’s doing it. You know, it’s game one’s just as important as game 82. And um you know, us as a group, we understand that. So um you know, you got to be ready to go um day one and um I think we all are and you know, I thought we all look good out there today. You were in the position last year where you were one of the new faces. You have a couple of those this year. Is there anything you’re taking or being a little bit more responsible with the guys that are coming in and helping them get up to speed quicker? For sure. Um yeah, especially the young guys. Um you know, I was part partnered with Edwards today, so just trying to help him out in the drills. You know, Kefir, uh he doesn’t like when his uh drills are disrupted. So, uh, just try to make it as smooth as possible for for him and, um, just try to talk to him a lot and just just try to make his life easy and whoever needs it. Knowing what this Dore was able to do last year and how you guys finished, what do you feel, Brett, that maybe you can build upon last season to become an even better D? Yeah, just just our offensive confidence, I think. Um, I think defensively we were pretty good. um you know, maybe try to be a little quicker in transition and and you know, as a as a group of six, join the rush a little more and create some more offense for for our group. So, um I think we’ll work on that. Just wondering how it feels to finally be back and get in that first session. Yeah, it’s awesome. I think uh summer was uh pretty long for me this time, so I’m really excited to be here and uh yeah, finally we started. What was so different for you maybe about this summer? You know, you went into the summer feeling really good about your game. You look like you’re stronger, bigger like that. How do how do you feel about how your summer went? Yeah, I feel really good. Like I had the longest summer in like four or five years. So I had so much time to to train and uh I also started practicing earlier on the ice. So now I I feel way way better than than last year in the same time. Was there anything different about your training that you felt you wanted to do to get to this point? Yeah, I mean uh uh the training was was harder and uh maybe more hours and uh yeah, I I just feel better right now and I think but uh yeah, we will see in the season. Do you work with your normal team over the summer? Do you have a new group working with you on your conditioning and strength training? Uh I think pretty same group. We just uh elevate uh some things on a on a different level. So, we just changed some things, but the group group is still the same. Nemo, what do you remember that what was working so well for you at the end of last season and particularly in the playoffs? And and maybe what are some of the things that you feel you need to be consistent at to get to that level at the start of the season? Uh, yeah, I just have to move my legs more and uh if I’m moving my legs, my my game is way better. So, that’s the biggest thing. And also be will be more more physical. So, I did that in playoffs and I also want to start a season in in the same way. And when you say physical, what does that mean? Just uh close the guys earlier and be be more physical around the net and just just don’t give up stupid. Nemo, what changed for you in the playoffs in your game? Was it just something that you recognized you needed to do differently? Like because it’s been acknowledged that that was the best hockey they’ve seen you play. Uh I think I had fun. Yeah, I was like, uh, there’s nothing to lose for me, so just just have fun and and be yourself out there. So, that was the biggest point. Do you feel stronger? Like, obviously you look a little bigger. Feel stronger. Is it? Yeah, it looks like that in the gym, but yeah, I feel I feel stronger on the ice also. But yeah, but every guy is strong here.

0:00 – Jack Hughes
6:00 – Jesper Bratt
11:32 – Brett Pesce
14:11 – Simon Nemec