Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/447803
on THe coacH… Patrick Roy took the helm of the Avalanche as head coach in 2013. As a player, Roy helped the Avalanche and the Montreal Canadiens win two Stanley Cups each, taking home a record three Conn Smythe trophies (MVP in the Stanley Cup playoffs). While known for a bit of a fiery temper, Roy's passion, his players say, is channeled into dedicated coaching, helping to return them to the playoffs last year. And this year? Who knows? landesKog: "To have a coach who knows what it's like to win and knows what it takes to win is something that our group really needs. A connection is being built between coaches and players that I haven't seen before. It's really special. He's very good at communicating with players and can relate to us since he's been so long in the league and knows what it's like." duchene: "We are almost in awe of him at times because of how much he knows about the game and how he's able to teach it. He treats us as pros. He demands a lot of us, but he helps us get it by being constructive and a kind person to us. He says we're all in this together, and he wants to be our partner. That's exactly what he's been. I can't wait to hopefully win a Stanley Cup with him." A l t h o u g h t h e N H L r o u t i n e o f b e i n g bounced off the boards and slammed onto the ice isn't exactly easy on the body, the Avalanche's strength and conditioning coach, Casey Bond, labels skating a great exercise for any age. Skating is a low-impact, easy-on-the- joints exercise, but it has all the cardiovascular benefits of a higher-impact workout, Bond says. It also helps hone balance, flexibility, quickness and agility. bond's tips for neWbies: Warm up before getting on the ice. Work up a light sweat, so that the joints and muscles are loose and warm, to avoid injury. Before a n d a f t e r w a r d , s t r e t c h , p a y i n g s p e c i a l attention to the hip flexors, groin, lower back and gluteals, he says. iT's neVer Too LaTe To Learn To skaTe several places throughout the denver-metro area offer year-round adult hockey leagues and instruction as well as learn-to-skate programs: • ymca of Boulder Valley 303-664-5455, ext. 2302, hockey@ymcabv.org • university of denver 303-871-3904, skate@du.edu • ice ranch in littleton 303-285-2110, www.theiceranch.com • south suburban ice arena in centennial 303-798-7881, www.ssprd.org • Big Bear ice arena in denver 303-343-1111, www.bigbearice.com aVs Trainer giVes skaTing a THuMBs' uP For BooMers Coach Patrick Roy and the team show their intensity during a regular season home game.