Senators' Karlsson admits he doesn't do any conditioning during summer
Most NHL players take some time off from working out and conditioning during the summer, but then they typically start conditioning again at some point during the offseason.
Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson isn't most NHL players.
"I do all my conditioning on the ice," Karlsson told reporters Tuesday. "I don't do any conditioning during the summer."
Karlsson explained to reporters that he struggles to keep weight on his slim 6-foot, 180-pound frame, so he avoids conditioning over the summer so he can gain some weight for the season. When put in those terms, it seems like Karlsson achieves the same goal of conditioning (getting a body in the best shape possible for the season) without taking the traditional conditioning route.
This is not the way Karlsson has always trained. It's something he learned after years playing in the NHL.
"From 17 to 23, I went really hard for five years straight," the 25-year-old Karlsson said. "You know that you can kind of feel as you play more games and you've been around for a long time that you can't do the same things anymore. As of right now, I'm in the stage where I am trying to maintain what I have."
Karlsson's routine pays off; the defenseman won the Norris Trophy last season.
At the very least, this sounds like a great excuse for some more milkshakes and junk food in the diet.
(h/t The Score)
