It was October 2006 outside the Kings locker room at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Anze Kopitar was kicking a soccer ball around with Lubomir Visnovsky two hours before a hockey game and I looked at them and thought to myself, "This is another old-school hockey culture that just doesn’t work."
Fast forward over a decade and I promise you, veteran NHL players are still kicking soccer balls, warming up on bikes and rubbing Icy Hot on every muscle of their lower body. The young players, though — the players who are changing the game with flawless strides, perfect edges and durability that closely mimics iron — well, they are warming up differently. They are kinetically in tune with their bodies and warm up with purpose, precision and passion. Your skill will bring scouts to a game. This article will keep them from leaving.
