There's nothing quite like getting to jump in the ocean after a workout.
On Tuesday morning, all of us took part in some group exercises on the beach before heading to the Panthers IceDen for practice. After a few pretty normal days of workouts, it was really fun to switch it up. I can't imagine somebody not wanting to play down here. There's so much to do.
At the beach, the scenery was really beautiful. It was a little windy, which somehow made the view even better. Staying with the trend of post-practice outdoor activities, we also got to hit the water again on Wednesday night when the team rented a boat and took all of us guys on a tour.
We were given a grand tour of the boat. It was amazing. I feel like it was an opportunity that a lot of us had never had before and may never have again. It was just really cool.
It's definitely a special place to be able to play down here. When you need to shut off your brain and take a break from thinking about hockey, you aren't limited to just sitting inside and playing video games. You have a lot of opportunities go outside, be active and enjoy Mother Nature.
Whether it's been on the ice or off the ice, this really has been the best development camp.
I've already been to three of these camps since being drafted in 2018, but I don't think the other two can compare to this week. The pace in practice has just been really good and the activities away from the rink have been great. I think getting able to do so many different things each day has really helped all of guys get immersed in not only the area, but also the entire organization.
We've only practiced for a few days, but you can feel that the intensity is there now.
I think everyone is comfortable with making plays on the ice and playing with the pace that the coaches have asked us to play with throughout camp. With the season right around the corner, there's no better way to simulate getting ready for training camp. Honestly, this is essentially a mini training camp for rookies. I think it's been a great resource to help all of us get ready to go.
The timing of this year's camp is also something that I think has led to that uptick in intensity. A lot of times when you got to development camp in the middle of the summer, you're usually not used to being back on the ice yet. In July, you're usually just focusing on building up strength.
For a lot of guys, going from being in the middle of your summer workouts to playing at a high pace in camp, it can be tough. But with this year's camp being held in September, I feel like all the guys - myself included - are more ready for all of the skating drills, on-ice battles and pace.
Given the timing, this year's camp is also about half the size of a usual camp. With a smaller group like this, you get to know the guys a lot quicker. As you can imagine, it can be hard to know everybody's name when you're thrown into a group of 50 guys you've never met before.
With only 24 of us in this year's camp, we've all been able to get to know each other better on a more personal level. Since there's only one group of us, it doesn't even really feel like a typical development camp. It really feels like we're a normal team having a lot of practices together.
That being said, I think we're all happy to take a break from practice and play some games.
As we prepare to leave for the Prospect Showcase Tournament in Wesley Chapel on Friday, all of us are really excited. Once we start playing games, it feels like the season is off and running. This is why we work so hard. We all just love to play the game. We love to compete. It's so fun.
For myself, I want to focus on paying attention to the details during each game and playing with good habits. If you play with good habits and do things the right way, everything else really falls into place. I feel the stronger you play defensively, the more offensive opportunities you will get.
We've all put in a lot of work these past few days.
Now it's time to have some fun and drop the puck.
Thanks for reading,
Logan
*As told to FloridaPanthers.com's Jameson Olive
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