Charles LeClaire – US PRESSWIRE
The NHL may have cancelled the first two weeks of games for the regular 2012-13 due to the current NHL lockout, but that isn’t stopping it’s players from continuing to train.
Earlier this off season, Colorado Avalanche‘s Matt Duchene was reported to have done some training with Pittsburgh Penguins‘ captain Sidney Crosby. Both were together again this past weekend and will be throughout the upcoming week in Vail, Colorado along with a few other NHL players taking part in high-altitude training at the Dobson Arena. The training is under the direction of NHL trainer, Andy O’Brien, whom is known to have worked with various NHL stars including Crosby (both worked together to create a series of workout videos).
High-altitude training is used by many athletes in a number of sports to gain a competitive edge in endurance which is why a lot of hockey players such as Crosby and Duchene take part in it. Vail, Colorado is an ideal location as it’s close to 8,500 feet above sea level when more than 8,000 feet above sea level is typically preferred for high-altitude training.
Some of the other players said to be participating, although not confirmed (the training was apparently closed to the public and the players were not granting any media requests), are Tampa Bay Lightning‘s, Steven Stamkos; Montreal Canadiens‘ goalie, Peter Budaj; and Detroit Red Wing‘s Daniel Cleary.
Stephanie Lewark is a featured Pittsburgh Penguins columnist for www.RantSports.com. If you enjoy her articles / posts, you can follow her on Twitter (@steelcitysports), check out her personal Facebook page (via Networked Blogs), visit her personal Tumblr page, or stop by her Pinterest page.
