Justin Peters 21, is a Carolina Hurricanes Prospect who has split his time between the AHL and the ECHL thus far in his first two seasons of pro. Peters played three seasons in the OHL. Justin is from Blyth, Ontario.
Here is his entry:
I like to start my preparation with a good night’s sleep. Morning skate is at 10 am. I set my alarm for 8 am. This allows me to eat breakfast before I leave the house at 8:30. Breakfast is essential. I usually eat eggs and toast or blueberry waffles. It is important to start getting fluids in me at breakfast because I sweat a lot. Therefore, it is really important to make sure I am always hydrated.
We have to be at the rink by 9 and it’s a fifteen-minute drive to the rink. So I give a little time in case of traffic. When I arrive at the rink I throw on some workout clothes and start my warm-up. I try to get a sweat going by using the Stairmaster, exercise bike or running stairs (usually ten minutes no longer than fifteen). Once I have a good sweat going, I stretch.
While I stretch I go over my ingredients. My “ingredients” are what makes me the goalie I am. It serves to reassure myself and gets positive energy flowing. Once I feel warmed-up, I head back to the dressing room. Usually its 9:30. I get dressed and I am on the ice between 9:45 and 9:50. The first thing I do when I get out there is put the pucks in 2 piles on the top of the circles. I get 2 of my teammates to take shots alternating sides. One shoots at my glove and the other at my blocker. This is just to get the eyes following the puck. I try to watch it right into my glove and right off my blocker to the corner. Morning skate starts at 10.
During the skate I try to concentrate on doing little things well like find the puck, save the puck, follow the puck. Practice is no longer then 45 mins. After, I stretch off the ice and head home. I stop at Nino's, a little Italian restaurant for a pre-game meal. I start with a slice of cheese pizza, then a salad and my favorite, cappellini caprese. I drink water with the meal. I usually get home by 1ish. I hang out at my place, watch t.v. and do a little cleaning. I always like to have my house clean on game days. I just feel better about myself when it’s clean. I nap from 2-4 and have a snack - a sandwich or some fruit -when I wake up. I leave for the rink at 4:45. Our home games are at 7:30. I get there usually a little after 5. On the way to the rink I always call my family just to say hi.
Once I get to the rink I change out of my dress clothes and into my work out clothes. Then I tape my sticks. At 5:45 our team massage therapist warms my leg up and gets out any knots I have. Our coach has his meeting with us at 6. He talks about the team we are up against and there tendencies. After the meeting I start my warm-up: 10-15 mins of cardio, some active flexibility and I go over my “ingredients”. Once I'm done stretching, I bounce a tennis ball off the wall: 20- 30 catches to each hand. I start getting dressed about 10- 12 minutes before I go on the ice. I always put on my left skate first and then left goal pad. I try to time it so as soon as I am dressed I walk out to the ice and right on for warm up. During warm up I just want to get my legs going and get a feel for the puck. Whether I feel great in warm up or fight it I just try to keep the same approach - be loose and laid back the whole time having fun.
When I head back to the dressing room, as they resurface the ice, I know I have done all I can to allow myself the opportunity to succeed. I try to use my routine as a guideline. If something causes the routine to change, it doesn't bother me. I just try to be in control of the things I can control and not get upset over the things that are out of my control. There are always obstacles in life and hockey and I feel how we deal with them is what defines us as a person.
Justin Peters
