2023-09-18 11:00:00
BUFFALO – Jayden Struble was certainly not disoriented on Sunday when he attended the Bills’ crushing victory in Buffalo. The defender, with athletic qualities similar to an NFL player, has been training for several years with a former employee of the New England Patriots.
Taking advantage of an followingnoon of respite, the players representing the Canadian at the rookie tournament were able to see Josh Allen and the Bills trample the Las Vegas Raiders by a score of 38 to 10.
Throughout his association with Joe Van Allen, who took care of Patriots athletes from 2001 to 2019, Struble occasionally crossed paths with Stephon Gilmore, Julian Edelman, James White, Devin McCourty and co.
“It’s especially pleasant to see the mutual respect that exists between athletes from both sports. The NHL players are excited to see them and it’s mutual,” Van Allen told RDS.ca.
The day before the Bills game, Struble confirmed everything.
“Just seeing them, it’s really cool.” We work in different groups and contact with them has always been pleasant. I also remember watching a mixed martial arts fighter who was replicating his moves. In short, there are athletes of several personality types,” described Struble.
“It’s great that he worked with the Patriots. He is very intelligent and all the guys who train with him have noticed it,” added the CH’s second round pick (46th) in 2019.
Van Allen got to know Struble in an unusual way, he was going to a game of his son who is the teammate of Struble’s half-brother.
“Coming from the NFL world, I didn’t realize we had such a great NHL prospect in our corner of Rhode Island,” explained Van Allen, who quickly understood that he was going to work with a more talented hockey player. powerful than standard.
“When I first saw Jayden, I might have imagined him at a tryout with the Patriots because he was so physically powerful. His results were far ahead of other hockey players his age,” he continued.
Unlike many young prospects heading to the NHL, the plan was not to develop his strength this summer.
“In my eyes, he already has a surplus in this area compared to 21-22 year old players. Instead, we wanted to work on its mobility and flexibility. In recent years, he has unfortunately missed matches due to injuries. The time invested in his flexibility and mobility will help him,” said Van Allen, who praised the work done by the Laval Rocket specialists since Struble has returned in great shape.
The American defender says he feels a difference even though he has only played one match.
“Usually, when I started working on the ice once more, I felt my body stiffer,” said the 22-year-old left-hander.
This full-time jump to the American League will give a good idea of the value of this job. After playing 11 games at the end of the season and in the playoffs with the Rocket in 2022-2023, Struble will be a regular member of the farm club. He might thus play twice as many matches compared to what he experienced during four years in the NCAA.
More mature thanks to this professional experience
Jayden StrubleThere is no doubt that this stop in Laval was educational in terms of his game. That said, it seems that the greatest benefit is on the mental side.
“His maturity has gone up a notch having reached the professional level, we see that he is very dedicated to his work outside the ice rink. He arrived with an excellent attitude and we notice this with several of our athletes who take this step, it’s great to see,” said Van Allen.
Struble willingly supports this perception.
“Absolutely, I think so. I learned a lot in four years in the NCAA. With the forty days that I was able to spend in the organization at the end of the season, I was able to validate what I had to do, it will be very useful for my development as a player,” judged the six-foot defender and 202 pounds.
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