PHILADELPHIA – It’s a given hockey players are in top physical shape. If someone isn’t, chances are they won’t be around the NHL long.
Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler, 33, has been around the game since 2011 when the Minnesota native was drafted by the Wild but even after 466 games he can still skate with the best of the league’s backliners.
And exchange a few skirmish punches, too, when the situation calls for it.
All this just didn’t happen by accident.
In the offseason, Seeler trains with L.A. Kings fitness and development coach Jeremy Clark.
Clark doesn’t just show Seeler how to lift weights or stretch on a floormat. He’s got a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and teaching those kinds of moves can come in handy when players drop their gloves. Clark is the owner of a crossfit and combat-training gym in Minnesota.
And Minnesota is the connection for Seeler and Clark.
“He (Clarke) has been into boxing and jiu-jitsu now for 20 years,” Seeler explained. “He does stuff on-ice and off-ice. He’s great to learn from. Just getting those reps in.”
When Seeler does get into confrontation, it’s good to have a blueprint to work from.
“If everyone has a plan and you get into a fight, experience is where you’re going to benefit from the most,” Seeler said.
Seeler grinned when asked if some of the older Flyers were aware that coach Rick Tocchet was quite the fighter in his day.
“For sure,” Seeler said. “He definitely appreciated ‘Mac’ (Hunter McDonald) sticking up for himself (vs. Anaheim), that physical brand. I’m sure he was chuckin’ ‘em back in the day.”
>York returns
Defenseman Cam York, who missed eight games with an upper-body injury, was activated for Tuesday night’s game.
York took part in the morning skate at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, N.J. However, due to a new team policy, he was not allowed to speak with the media.
The 25-year-old York, a native of Anaheim, Calif., was selected by the Flyers in the first round (14th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft. Prior to Tuesday night’s game, he had appeared in 314 games for Philadelphia with 23 goals/80 points.
Tocchet said that despite York returning to the lineup, he didn’t have to make any personnel decisions because Rasmus Ristolainen went back on IR Monday with an aggravation of his hand injury.
“We have eight ‘D’ now,” Tocchet pointed out. “It’s competition-based now. I think with the way ‘Mac’ (McDonald) has come in now, he’s done a pretty good job. So it’s hard to take him out. So if you get in there, try to hold your job.”
York was not quite at the top of his game when he got injured so Tocchet did have some advice for him upon his return.
“I would say like stay consistent,” the coach said. “Simplify early. I think that’s the hardest thing when you come back. The game might be a little faster at the start. But I think if you stay consistent, it gets you into the game quicker.”
>More players on board
Tocchet said when the season began, only a handful of players were competing up to their numbers. Now it’s more like a dozen.
“What’s encouraging is the sections of the game,” he said. “We weren’t scoring, obviously the power play wasn’t good. The neutral zone game wasn’t good.
“But (now) our reads have been better. We’re scoring some more goals. The power play has been better. If you analyze it that way it’s been good. Still have to work on game management.”
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