Thrillin19's Road to Redemption- Hockey Journal

[thrillin19]

Just joined the forum a few weeks back and have been commenting on High Sticks and sohards hockey journals and sohard recommended I start my own. So here is my story:
I've played hockey all my life ( as well as lacrosse but not at the college level) but was recently suspended from school with a couple of my teammates for a party we had after a big win. When I return in the fall I want to make up for lost time and elevate my game to a whole new level.
I played prep school hockey in New England for a school named Williston, my sophomore year I put up only 1 goal and 4 assists in 29 games. I worked my ass off over the summer and My junior year I led the team in goals assists and points (20-14-34) in 28 games. My senior year I was the team captain and we had the schools first( and only) winning season with a record of 15-12-1, I was voted team MVP posting 18 goals and 18 assists in 28 games.
I planned to play a year of junior hockey after graduation and was hoping to play in the USHL, or NAHL. These leagues are the top american junior A leagues and I had been contacted be a few scouts, but did not make any teams. I was pretty dissapointed and sulked more than i trained that summer and settled to play in the EJHL, the top junior A league in new england but really only the third best in the US. My stats were weak, something like 22 points in 40 something games, my team sucked but I was featured on Sportscenters "Home Video" segment for one of the goals i scored, which you can see as one of the youtube links in my signature.
I was recruited by a number of schools, all Division 3 with a couple of D 1 offers but only as a walk on ( no gaurenteed spot) so I opted for Umass Dartmouth, a perennial d3 power house.
I made the squad, but was a healthy scratch the entire first semester. The team has 3 lifting tests a year: squat max, bench max, hang clean max, and pull up max. My first test I got a "DQ" on squat my form was so awful, my bench was 185, my clean 155, and pullups 4. I worked hard over christmas break, lifting everyday and taking power skating lessons to work on speed and foot quickness with skating coach John Dillon.
I played every game the second semester and led all freshman in points per game, 4 goals 2 assists in 12 games and even started 6 games because of an injury.
I worked really hard on my skating and foot speed over the summer and wanted to have a break out sophomore campaign. I was on 2nd line, but my season was halted when the school took action against me and a few other guys for our off ice party.
It has been really tough, being suspended from school I was depressed and dropped from my weight of 220-225 to 190. I have put all this behind me and have decided to work as hard as I can so that I can be the impact player I know I can be next year. I got my weight back up to 210 and haven't been drinking, so my body fat percentage is down from 16 to 10.
My goal is to rip D3 hockey a new one next year and to eventually go on to play minor pro hockey somewhere. To do this I need to continue to improve my skating ( my biggest weakness being a big man) and my foot speed, as well as continuing to get stronger and faster.
Thanks for reading.

[Highstick12]

Subscribed!

What are your favorite NHL and AHL teams?

Can't wait to learn a lot from this journal. Thanks for making one.

[thrillin19]

Subscribed!

What are your favorite NHL and AHL teams?

Can't wait to learn a lot from this journal. Thanks for making one.

Being from Mass my favorite NHL team is the Bruins, and AHL would be the Springfield Falcons, my town is right next to springfield so I went to a lot of their games growing up and my junior team was the New England Junior Falcons and we had the same jerseys as them. My favorite player has always been Joe Thornton though, I wore 19 growing up and in prep school for him. What about you.

[Highstick12]

Being from Mass my favorite NHL team is the Bruins, and AHL would be the Springfield Falcons, my town is right next to springfield so I went to a lot of their games growing up and my junior team was the New England Junior Falcons and we had the same jerseys as them. My favorite player has always been Joe Thornton though, I wore 19 growing up and in prep school for him. What about you.

I live in Ohio and am a Lake Erie Monsters fan for AHL. For NHL, I am a New York Islanders fan. Not a good time to be an Islanders fan lol. My favorite player is probably Alex Ovechkin.

[thrillin19]

Bis and tris today, legs are still fried from yesterday.

Went to yoga class, to work on flexibility... a lot harder than I thought it would be, I was sweating haha.
Stretch 10 minutes
Bike 15 minutes
Biceps-
Incline DB curls 3X10
EZ bar curls 3X10
Concentrated Bicep Curl 3X10
Hammer Curls 3X10
Reverse Curls 3X10

Triceps-
Skull Crushers 3 X12
Overhead tricep extension 3X10
One arm DB kick back 3X10
Cable Tricep extension 3X10
Dips with weight vest (40 lbs) 3X6

Abs
Aerobic ball crunches 2X100
V-ups 2X12
Russian twists with 25 lb plate 1X40
Bicyles (holding opp elbow to opp knee for 5 seconds every 5th rep) 1X30
Planks with weight vest normal and side arm 1:00
Decline bench sit ups with a twist ( up right elbow towards left foot etc) 1X10

Some light ladder work- 1 foot in each, 2 in each, 3 in each, 1 foot hops 2 forward 1 back, icky shuffles, 1 foot crossovers in front, 1 foot crossovers in back.

10 min bike
stretch

[thrillin19]

I live in Ohio and am a Lake Erie Monsters fan for AHL. For NHL, I am a New York Islanders fan. Not a good time to be an Islanders fan lol. My favorite player is probably Alex Ovechkin.

love the great 8. More of a complete player than crosby in my opinion because of how physical he plays. Yeah thats rough with the islanders lol but the bruins haven't been a cakewalk either, the only team in mass that hasnt won a championship lately and they are the sport i care most about

[DocHollidy]

from your past you should be able to tell hard work pays off... good luck man different sports but were both in the same situations somewhat.

[sohard88]

Thanks for posting, it will be fun to see a college hockey players routine. What position do you play, and are you a lefty or right shot?

[thrillin19]

Thanks for posting, it will be fun to see a college hockey players routine. What position do you play, and are you a lefty or right shot?


Im a right handed shot, and i had always been a RW or Center untill this year till I was moved to LW, which I love from an offensive standpoint. Good to be on my offside for onetimers and from an attacking standpoint i personally like bringing the puck to my backhand when going at and around defenders to protect it. Kind of sucks in the d zone though, harder to break out of the zone and still have to improve my accuracy making back hand passes

[sohard88]

Im a right handed shot, and i had always been a RW or Center untill this year till I was moved to LW, which I love from an offensive standpoint. Good to be on my offside for onetimers and from an attacking standpoint i personally like bringing the puck to my backhand when going at and around defenders to protect it. Kind of sucks in the d zone though, harder to break out of the zone and still have to improve my accuracy making back hand passes

Haha I'm left handed and wouldn't let one of my coaches put me on right wing from left where I liked it. Im the opposite, I like coming towards the goal on the left wing side much better.

[thrillin19]

Today

Bike 10 minutes
stretch
Bozu ball squat warm up
Squat 135 x 8
225 x6
275 x 6
315 x 4
315 x4
315 x4

kettle bell lunge walks 2 x 25
kettle bell step ups 2 x12

box jumps with weight vest sets of 8
2 feet straight on and from the side
right and left single leg straight on and from the side

abs
hanging leg raises 2x10
russian twists 25 lb plate 1x40
aerobic ball crunches 2 x100

60 minutes simulated shift bike ride

[Highstick12]

Nice session man! Your legs are probably toast.

[thrillin19]

Nice session man! Your legs are probably toast.

yesterday... worked all day. my buddy owns a moving company so my forearms were kinda shot from moving peoples couches and matresses big old 400 lbs tvs etc, lol. but i feel like crap if i dont do something.

good long stretch, some bike


One legged squats
8 x bar (45)
6 x 65
5x 95
5 x 95
5 x 95

quick feet ladder work, messed around with some basketball did abs and got outa there

[thrillin19]

havent posted inawhile had a vicious computer virus. everything good now

Today-
Back squat
135 x6
185 x6
225 x 6
275 x 4
315 x 4
335 x 2

Hang clean
135 x 8
165 x 6
185 x 4
205 x 2... was planning on doing 4 and then 2 of 225 but kinda crapped out

DB lunges 2 sets of 20 35lbs super set with split squat jumps 2 sets of 20 holding every 5th rep for 5 seconds

body weight one legged squats on box 15 lb dbs 2 x8 per leg

ladder work, bike, played some basketball and racketball

finally got paid so i joined a better gym, bought myself a new twig and skated for the first time since my suspension, just an adult league. a joke for me to play in but it was real fun to get back out on the ice

[thrillin19]

Bench super setted with clap push ups
135 x 6 pushups x 4
155 x 5 pushups x 5
165 x 4 pushups x 6
185 x 3 pushups x 7
205 x 2 pushups x 8

incline db press bow and arrow
45 x 10
55 x 8
65 x 6

Decline press
(135 x 10) x 3

incline db butterfly
3 x 10 35s

curl to press 3x 8 35s
skull crushers 3x 8 70

ladder for about half hour got a great sweat goin, cooled down with bike for about 10 minutes

[Highstick12]

Nice benching.

What kind of work do you do on the ladder?

[thrillin19]

Nice benching.

What kind of work do you do on the ladder?

one foot in each x 2
too feet in each x2
3 (right left right then left right left the next one) x2
4 in each x 2

Icky shuffle? ( never really sure on the proper name for that one)
2 feet out 1 foot in ( emphasizing the knee drive necessary for crossovers)
backwards icky shuffle
Crossover behind
one legged hops
one legged hops 2 squares forward 1 square back
skiers (start on the side on ladder right foot in the square left outside and alternate all the way down)
then i usually cool down by doing 2 in each and 1 in each again

[thrillin19]

lift today, felt phenominal. made a new playlist and just felt great

squat
bosu ball warmup x 8
225 x6
275 x 5
315 x 4
345 x 3

was guna try 365 but my form was shaky on my last rep of 345, lucky if i got to 90 degrees

hang clean
135 x 6
165 x 6
185 x4
185 x 4
225 x 2
225 (failed)

one legged sqauts
( 95 x 4 per leg ) x 3

db lunges super setted with split squat jumps

took a little break played some basketball then did ladder work abs and bike. ill be shocked if i can walk tomarro

[Highstick12]

Nice squatting! Awesome workout all around. Thanks for the ladder work description. I gotta pick one up eventually.

[thrillin19]

Nice squatting! Awesome workout all around. Thanks for the ladder work description. I gotta pick one up eventually.

yeah they really help a lot. you can just make one with chalk or laying down tape works just as well, even better because when u mess up you downt have to readjust anything haha.i just made one out of tape this past summer but my gym has one so i use it in the squash courts now

[Highstick12]

yeah they really help a lot. you can just make one with chalk or laying down tape works just as well, even better because when u mess up you downt have to readjust anything haha.i just made one out of tape this past summer but my gym has one so i use it in the squash courts now
Yeah my gym wouldn't allow tape or chalk probably lol. They do have an open area though where I know I could do them. I'm gonna try and find a cheap ladder off Amazon or something.

[thrillin19]

straight leg dead lift
185 x 6
225 x6
275 x 4
315 x 2 ( hoping to get 4 my legs can def handle it but i need to strengthen my grip)

barbell snatch
95 x6 x 3

db snatch
45 x 6 each arm
55 x6 each arm
65 x6 each arm

ladder work
hurdles - two legged hops fluid and sticking landing, same with one leg and did both sideways as well

box jumps and quick feet step ups on smaller box
abs
bike
basketball
stretch

[thrillin19]

back squat
135x 4
225 4
275 4
315 x 4
345 x 4
375 x 1 - new max

hang clean to front squat to push jerk
105 till fail (11)
105 till fail (7)
105 till fail (5)

weighted vest 70 lbs
box jumps, ladder, hurdles, dynamic warmup stuff ex: high knees, butt kickers, etc.
20 min bike ride with vest, completely soaked after this workout the vest makes the ladder so much harder not just because of the weight but the way it feels on my shoulders.
skating tonight with a buddy, free ice for the local police and fire department, think ill wear the weighted vest out there in stead of shoulder pads.

[sohard88]

Nice PR, the ladder work seems to be very popular among hockey players, I think I'll add those into my workouts.

[thrillin19]

Nice PR, the ladder work seems to be very popular among hockey players, I think I'll add those into my workouts.

hockey is a transition game so foot speed is very important. ladder drills are really good so are short change of direction shuttle runs

[thrillin19]

went to spin class today, got a great sweat on, was about 50 minutes. nice long stretch after and then im off to my mens league tonight. wanted to give my body a break from lifting but i feel like a bum if i just do nothing all day

[Highstick12]

Sweet squat PR.

How'd the league game go?

[thrillin19]

Sweet squat PR.

How'd the league game go?

we won like 11-4 or something i had 2 goals and 6 assists, was just trying to go easy and set up the older guys for the most part but theres nothing better than fillin the net.

kind of wrenched my back yesterday doing the circuit i posted awhile back so i took it easy today. half hour stretch, half hour of bi's and tris and half hour stretch followed by an hour spin class with the weighted vest on, had to take the vest off about halfway thru, that stuff is crazy.

[thrillin19]

hang clean
135 x 5
165 x 4
185 x 4
205 x 4

back squat
185 x12
225 x 8
275 x 8
315 x 8

DB lunges with 70 lbs weighted vest
35 lbs 3 x20 steps

curl to press, shoulder press, standing military press other noteable lifts
also did some ladder work with the vest and rode the bike with it on as well. Played mens league with it on yesterday but i took it off after the 2nd period because we only had 7 guys so i was dying, and we were losing and i wanted to change that haha. have another game in an hour

[thrillin19]

yesterdays workout sucked, i don't know what was going on but it must have been couples night at the gym or something? everywhere i looked i wanted to vomit, gym public display of affection is not cool. anyways so i ripped up bench press and i was pumped about it b ut the gym was so packed i really couldn't do much else.

Bench press
135 x 12
185 x 6
205 x 6
225 x 3

one legged squats
(135 x 4) x 3 per leg

abs and ladder, no vest

[thrillin19]

back squat
135 x 10
225 x 6
275 x 6
335 x 4
365 x 4

shoulder shrugs
185 x 10
225 x 10
275 x 10
315 x 10

curls for the girls, shoulder press, lat pull downs, abs, box jumps

[thrillin19]

havent posted in awhile been pretty busy with work and liftin and hockey. I started the smolov squat complex sohard brought to my attention, just finished week 2 today.

back Squat
135 x 6 warmup
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3

hang clean, kinda dead after the squat but my form felt great

135 x 10
165 x 8
185 x 6
205 x 4

did some bis and tris abs, box jumps, hurdle hops and ladder work

[sohard88]

havent posted in awhile been pretty busy with work and liftin and hockey. I started the smolov squat complex sohard brought to my attention, just finished week 2 today.

back Squat
135 x 6 warmup
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 3

hang clean, kinda dead after the squat but my form felt great

135 x 10
165 x 8
185 x 6
205 x 4

did some bis and tris abs, box jumps, hurdle hops and ladder work

I have to do the 10x3 day today too, hopefully I can tough it out.

[thrillin19]

finished first part of the smolov cycle earlier this week, tested my new max today, got up to 415! i was so pumped. had a game tonight and pumped in 4 goals against a goalie that plays in my college league so that was sweet too

[sohard88]

finished first part of the smolov cycle earlier this week, tested my new max today, got up to 415! i was so pumped. had a game tonight and pumped in 4 goals against a goalie that plays in my college league so that was sweet too

nice man, I just did 1 and a half weeks of it and my squat went way up without rest too, going to test max tomorrow. Stoped it early because of the Roller hockey hockey leauge starting soon, been trying to do lots of cardio and stickhadling drills. I'm going to be doing Ice and roller pickups plus the league games so I can get up to speed fast.

[thrillin19]

nice man, I just did 1 and a half weeks of it and my squat went way up without rest too, going to test max tomorrow. Stoped it early because of the Roller hockey hockey leauge starting soon, been trying to do lots of cardio and stickhadling drills. I'm going to be doing Ice and roller pickups plus the league games so I can get up to speed fast.


yeah there is no cardio training better than playing the game itself thats for sure. i think i might have been able to get 425 but i didnt have a spotter and didnt want to push my luck haha i was nervous i wasnt guna come back up when i dropped down doing 415. im excited to start the next phase though, my hang cleans been improving as well, now i just need to improve my bench

[thrillin19]

yesterday started the "intense' phase of the smolov program
(135 warmup)
3 x 265
4 x 305
4 x 345
4 x 345
4 x 345
5 x 345

also did some bench 2 sets of 10 at 185, then did close grip and inclin bench at lower weights also 2 sets of 10