GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — It will be a few days before pucks hit the ice at New York Rangers training camp.
The intensity, however, showed up right away.
Life is never easy under demanding coach John Tortorella, and that was clear Friday when camp kicked off. Forget about any grace period or easing into the season. If you didn’t train well or stay fit during the summer, everyone was going to know it during first-day sprints.
With sticks in hand but no pucks, players skated in groups — doing an endurance test of three hard laps six times. Most got through it fine, to the delight of Tortorella, who isn’t outwardly easy to please.
