Now that the season has ended for all the Ice hockey teams, we are going to take a look at the next steps in preparing for the upcoming season. For many players, Northwood was a stepping stone to get to the next level, college, or junior hockey. This can be a very stressful time for players seeking opportunities.
A few players have already locked up spots with teams and are now preparing for next season. Devin Smith ’26 just recently signed with a team for the next season and is working hard in the gym. “I took the conditioning coach so that I could really nail down my training this offseason. I’m creating the habits now so that when I get back home, I can stay consistent and be the best player I can be,” said Smith.
Parker Thompson ’26 and Henry Kress ’26 recently played games over spring break. Now that they’re back here, the level change was a little bit eye-opening. “It took a little while to get adjusted. The speed and size were the biggest challenge for me in the first few days,” said Thompson. “Now that I’m back at Northwood, I want to utilize the weight room and focus on building muscle while I have the resources here.”
Henry is taking a slightly different approach. “I saw conditioning and thought it was a no-brainer for my co-co, but when I saw tennis as an option, I wanted to sign up for that instead. I’ll have enough time with open gym to get my lifts in. I love tennis and want to play it so that I don’t get burned out with hockey.” Many players are in the Tennis co-co or the Lacrosse co-co following this same mindset.
This is a very exciting time for the players around campus, and we look forward to seeing where everyone ends up!
