Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon shows no signs of slowing down, according to his longtime trainer
Photo credit: Mile High Hockey
Would you believe that when Nathan MacKinnon suits up next season in an Avs' jersey, we'll be 30-years-old! Time flies when you're tearing up the NHL I guess.
Colorado's superstar is no longer the youthful 18-year-old who entered the NHL shortly after being selected first overall in the 2013 entry draft. Now, he's a seasoned veteran with close to 900 games under his belt, along with a Stanley Cup ring to go with it.
At 30 years-old, Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon shows no sings of slowing down.
Evan Rawal from the Denver Gazette writes that some concerns have emerged that Colorado's championship window could be narrowing, particularly with MacKinnon nearing the end of his 20s.
However, turning 30 no longer signals the decline it once did for NHL players. Today's athletes prioritize their physical conditioning more than ever, and few in the league appear better equipped to excel into their 30's than MacKinnon.
The end isn't anywhere in sight, if anything, he has so much more to offer. Those are the words of his longtime trainer Andy O'Brien, Chief Performance Officer, Cizzle Brands, NHL Health & Performance Expert.
"The natural thing for us to do when we're looking at players is, once they get over the age of 30, we look at their previous season and we subtract 5%, 10%, whatever that might be, then you just predict this steady downward decline." -O'Brien
O'Brien says MacKinnon doesn't fall under that category of players.
"If there's ways for him to add something to his game or learn something or exploit some area of opportunity, he'll do it. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he has his best years ahead of him." -O'Brien
O'Brien, who has trained several NHL stars including Sidney Crosby and Matthew Tkachuk and now serves as a consultant for the Florida Panthers, began working with MacKinnon when he was 15 years-old.
MacKinnon has been outspoken in his belief that NHL players will enjoy longer primes thanks to modern training and self-care. Perhaps the best example of this is Crosby, who turns 38 this summer and continues to average well over a point per game. And MacKinnon isn't alone in thinking the typical NHL career could begin to evolve in the years ahead.
"I think their primes are going to be longer and I think you'll see players playing into their 40's a lot more commonly. The science and the knowledge are increasing a lot with how to recover, how to stay young, how to fuel your body correctly. There's a lot of new technology and innovation that are helping players heal their bodies naturally." -O'Brien
The best part of all this, is that we can be thankful that MacKinnon is an Avalanche and that we have the privilege of having an elite-talent like his in Colorado for more years to come; and hopefully his best.
Source:
The Denver Gazette
Nathan MacKinnon's longtime trainer Andy O'Brien doesn't see Avalanche star slowing down | NHL Insider
The Denver Gazette
Nathan MacKinnon's longtime trainer Andy O'Brien doesn't see Avalanche star slowing down | NHL Insider
Previously on Avalanche Insider
| POLL | ||
MAI 21 | 23 ANSWERS Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon shows no signs of slowing down, according to his longtime trainer Do you think Nathan MacKinnon will start to slow down next season with the Avalanche? | ||
| yes | 5 | 21.7 % |
| no | 18 | 78.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
