It is the off-season for hockey, however, with the NHL schedule being unveiled, it means the return of Canada’s favourite sport is just around the corner.
Former Quinte Red Devil Owen Beck has finished his first season in the pros, which was split between the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League and the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens.
Beck says his first year as a pro has been incredible, but most demanding to date.
Audio Player“Comes with a lot more elements throughout the year, call-ups and getting sent back down. So many different roster changes throughout the year. It’s more demanding on your body overall, you play more games, it’s more physical. Definitely an adjustment.”
He says as the hockey has been getting better and better over his career, there is more help.
Audio Player“The support continues to grow as long as you’re willing to reach out and ask for it and look for it, and be passionate, and work hard. You’re going to have those that support you the whole way through like your family, your friends. But just as you get up, further down in your hockey career, you get more support staff that come in. Skills coaches, mental coaches, nutritionists. “
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Another major focus is health, as you have to treat your body as a piece of equipment.
Audio Player“Everybody at this level’s good. The smaller differences are going to be what makes the difference. Things like supplementation, things like your diet, it can make a small difference but in the long run, over a career, or even at this elite level, it can definitely make a big difference, that small margin of difference in skill and talent.”
“I don’t think there is. Having 21,000 people supporting you every shift, just loving every minute of Canadiens hockey is the best feeling in the world. Being on the right side of that is an awesome feeling.”
The focus for this summer is to stay with the big club.
Audio Player“Took a little bit of time off just to let the body heal, let the mind reset a little bit from a long season. Played into June the last three years, so it definitely wears on your body a tiny bit. Back at it in full swing now. Keep going pretty much every day, take the weekends a little bit lighter, try to recover over that before you hit the ground running again Monday. Just do that until camp time comes and be ready to put your best foot forward.”
The full interview can be heard below.
Audio Player
Former Quinte Red Devil Owen Beck celebrates with the Memorial Cup (Photo: (Eric Young)
