Minnesota Wild coach Todd Richards punishes team with intense practice
When a team in any sport begins a new season with a slow, uninspired start, the dressing room often becomes a gloomy place. And it gets even gloomier once the coach’s wrath is incurred.
The Minnesota Wild have had a slow start to the 2010-11 National Hockey League season, and their uninspired play has not made head coach Todd Richards a happy person. After a 3-2 loss
to the Columbus Blue Jackets at home, the coach held a practice for the team the following day, and put his team through a set of brutally punishing drills.
During the practice, he went “Wild”, so to speak, letting his players know how he felt about their recent lack of effort, which he considered “unacceptable.” He wasted no time tearing
into the players, and he mentioned that they would battle until they were able to solve the problem.
Many of the players fought during the intense practice. Richards had to step in and separate defenceman Cam Barker and centre Kyle Brodziak, while defenceman Nick Schultz and forward Brad
Staubitz engaged in a heated exchange later on.
“It’s not fun,” Schultz said of the battles. “You shouldn’t have to do that against your teammates.
“It’s a lot more enjoyable if you compete in games and battle against people you don’t care about or don’t know. This is why we need guys buying in, being committed every night.”
The practice concluded with a “bag skate” that lasted for 20 minutes. During a bag skate, the players continue to skate around until their legs begin to burn. Richards thought it was a
fitting punishment for a game that had not been well-played by the Wild.
Veteran centre John Madden, who signed with Minnesota during the off-season, said that he had never experienced a bag skate like that in his entire career, which spans 15 years.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a bag skate that long before,” the 37-year-old said. “Maybe a drill or two, but nothing like that.”
The Wild, who will hopefully be a little wiser after their intense practice, will play their next game against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, 19 October.
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