Vancouver Canucks: No day at the beach...

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      (This article is sponsored by Vancouver Canucks.)

      On a cold, windy preseason afternoon at Kits Beach, a group of Canucks spent part of their day off doing a very non-traditional workout outdoors. 

      Curious bystanders stopped along the seawall to watch the group do landmine presses with logs, driftwood lunges and agility drills in the sand in front of a backdrop of whitecaps and kiteboarders. All of them curious to catch a glimpse of the players on the beach.

      Devin Manky

      The workout, designed by Canucks trainer Bryan Marshall, was intended to get them out of their element in preparation for opening day. 

      “One of the advantages of living in Vancouver is our ability to utilise the natural environment to add more versatility to workouts." Marshall said about their outdoor workout.

      “It’s important to shake things up now and then, get out of the arena. Luckily we live in a city full of prime workout spots.”

      “Just go down to the seawall on any given day and you can see this city’s full of competitors. It’s a great energy and we’re proud to be part of it.”

      The group included a mix of young and old. Veteran Daniel Sedin was on hand, as well as goaltender Jacob Markstrom and youngsters Markus Granlund, Philip Larsen and Brendan Gaunce.

      Devin Manky

      But before the hard work began, they all stopped for a skills competition using a small square of artificial ice, shooting pucks at stacks of logs. Each time one of them hit, a bunch of hoots and hollers quickly followed. Although they were about to push themselves during their workout, they were still able to have a little fun.

      It wasn’t just about having some fun on the beach, as Canucks trainer Marshall mentioned, it was about using what Kits beach provided to push themselves as if they were in a high end gym. “I haven’t done this before. It’s difficult, the trees are pretty heavy, the logs are heavy, and the sand isn’t easy to run in,” Gaunce exclaimed shortly after completely the workout.

      Devin Manky

      “I’d love to do this as part of our routine. It’s definitely different for a lot of us, from cities that don’t have this - it’s one of a kind.”

      All five of the players were giving it everything they had; there wasn’t any taking it easy. However, when they were switching stations, you could see them taking a brief moment to soak in the view.

      Goaltender Jacob Markstrom talked about the novelty of living in a unique city such as Vancouver “The city is right there; the rink is right there... it’s amazing. Vancouver is just beautiful.”

      Daniel Sedin was quick to praise the city as well “It’s great, you have the seawall and the beaches, but the mountains [are] number one for us. Doing the grouse grind and hiking up in the North Shore. That’s what this city is all about.”

      Devin Manky

      And it isn’t just the city that inspires and excites them. The people who reside here do, too.

      “You look out in any park and you see people running, or doing yoga, or biking and hiking,” goaltender Jacob Markstrom remarked after the beach workout. “It makes you feel good surrounding yourself with healthy people.”

      After sweating and grunting their way through the stations, they capped the workout off with a tug-of-war, which was won by the duo Sedin and Markstrom.

      Even though they had all done a full day’s work at the arena before heading to the beach, they still wanted to push through an extra workout. “A couple guys here wanted a little extra work, so we were out here at Kits Beach with Marshy working hard.” said Markstrom at the end of the session.

      Devin Manky

      Despite being extremely fit athletes, utilizing the diverse elements that Kits beach provided still pushed them outside and caused them to be out of breath.

      With a pair of wins on opening weekend, players are more eager than ever to work with team trainers, looking for anything that can give them an edge early in the season.

      This article is sponsored by Vancouver Canucks.