Season 95 Offseason Interview with Felicia Hardy

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We have had the opportunity to sit with Felicia Hardy, tough, grinding defender for HC Davos Dynamo, recently named to the all-rookie team for season 95, to discuss their offseason and what we should expect at the beginning of season 96. 

 

Felicia, thanks for sitting with us. We wanted to sit with you to ask about your offseason activities, particularly in respect to your preparations for season 96.  Can you let us in on what you have been doing to get ready for the upcoming season? 

 

It is my pleasure to be here with you. This offseason has been a combination of activities for me. Obviously like most players I took some time at the beginning of the offseason to get some rest.  The VHL is a physical game and anyone playing up to their full potential is going get some bumps and bruises during the games, especially during the playoffs.  As such it is quite common for players to take a few days to relax and heal from those minor bumps and bruises.   

 

After taking time to rest, during which I reconnected with family and friends, I put my focus on preparing for season 96. I have done two main things to prepare.  First was working on my physical conditioning and on ice work.  Second was spending some time with retired VHL defender, Victory Cup and 2-time Continental Cup winner, Marcel Janser. 

 

Felicia, can you provide us with some details on the on and off ice training that you do during the offseason? 

 

My training is broken down into a few areas. First, I always put in some work doing strength training.  VHL players these days are larger and faster so to compete you need to focus on your overall strength especially throughout your core.  Second, I focus on my speed and agility.  It is one thing to be able to move down the ice in a single line at top speed but in the VHL that very rarely happens, you need to be able to move from side to side to handle the competition who is in your way. Third, I spend time working with the puck.  For a defender like myself, being able to get the puck out of the defensive zone and in the hands of our talented forwards is paramount. That means spending time working on puck handling within tight quarters as well as working on ensuring tape to tape passes even with obstacles in the way. 

 

Felicia, what can we expect from you at the start of season 96? 

 

Season 95, my rookie season, was a great start to my VHL season, but I know that the other teams have learned what I can do and will be focusing on stopping that.  So, in season 96 I am going to need to bring more, which is why, when given the opportunity to sit with one of the greatest defensive players this game ever saw I took the opportunity.  Marcel Janser gave me a lot of good advice on how to view the game, he has many unique perspectives on the league. It was an honor to get the chance to sit with him and learn from his wisdom. I am hoping to put much of that wisdom into practice as we start this season.