On strength training: "I started strength training during my first year as a pro. In high school, I never really worked out. All I did was skate. I played pickup hockey with friends at Cushing or anywhere I could get a game. Now, we all have our programs that the team sets up. Early in my career, I worked with Walter Norton Jr. (IPF Institute of Performance and Fitness) in Andover, Mass. He really taught me how to be a pro off the ice and in the weight room. Now, I work with Brian McDonough (Edge Performance Systems) at Foxboro, Mass. He knows how to push guys the right way and get everyone going. A number of hockey players train down there all summer long, so it’s nice to be around guys doing the same thing."
On conditioning: "That’s the biggest thing that I try to do. It’s not too much running, because that’s hard on the joints. I do a lot of stationary bike work. I have a road bike and mountain bike. The best thing for me is doing stuff on the bike — 85 percent of it is stationary. Maybe twice a week I’ll go out for a bike ride and get some scenery."
On flexibility: "The last few years, I’ve done yoga. I like pilates more than yoga because I get more of a workout while also getting a good stretch. I can go on an off-day and always have fun doing that."
On recovery: "I’m a big massage guy. That’s the main thing I do. During the season, I get a massage every day. During the offseason, I go a couple times a week. I just got into the ice baths in the last year or two. I do that after games. I also wear NormaTec Recovery leg sleeves that compress my legs. It’s like getting a massage, but I can do it at my house."
On sleep: "Now that my kids are a little older, they also sleep 10 hours a night. When the kids were young and crying in the middle of the night, it was tough. I’m a big believer in sleep; I get eight to 10 hours a night. I’m a big believer that rest is a weapon."
On nutrition: "I think the biggest thing is my wife cooks every night, so I’m not eating out at restaurants often. I know what’s going in the food. In a restaurant, you never know how much butter or salt they’re using. When it’s home-cooked, you know. It’s a little harder when I’m traveling. We’ll go to restaurants on the road, but most guys eat healthy. You can find good restaurants; I’m a huge sushi guy."
On hydration: "I always remember my dad saying this when we were kids: ‘Water is the wonder drug of the ’90s.’ It was the whole Gatorade/Powerade craze, and he didn’t think it would last. I’m not a Gatorade guy. I drink water, and I don’t really drink anything else."
On sweets: "I’ll give myself a break once in a while — maybe not for a full week. I love ice cream more than anyone in the world. I have ice cream nights. If I’m at the movies, I might have something. I think it’s one of those things, if you’re not doing it excessively, it’s always nice to have."
On mental preparation: "I like to visualize the game a little bit. I do it for myself to see how I’ll perform, make a pass, shoot it. I go over those things in my mind. It’s not that I’m envisioning any one opponent; it’s more myself and how I’ll get the ball rolling. That way, I know it’s game time and I get my mind and body ready."
On motivational music: "I’m a big rap guy — whether it’s on the way to work out or get myself fired up during a workout. I like old-school rap with TuPac, Biggie, Eminem. The guys I like now are Drake, Lil Wayne, Meek Mill, all those guys. They all have songs to get me fired up."
On extreme sports: "No, I’m not into that. I don’t do anything like that. Some guys ski, waterski, Jet Ski. I never really did it, so it’s not like I’m missing out on it. I don’t want to put myself in jeopardy."
