As the Kelly Cup Champions slowly come off a long offseason, returning Florida Everblades forward, Ben Brar intends on using his established experience of being in and out of last season’s lineup to help bring the Blades’ blueprint to life.
After agreeing to terms at the beginning of July, Brar’s offseason so far has revolved around physical and mental preparation.
Physically, Brar has prioritized the gym and his on-ice training with teammate Jesse Lansdell, who shares a similar goal of laying the foundation for another successful season with the Everblades.
“It’s always nice to have a familiar face out there on the ice,” said Brar. “Especially a guy that you know you can go to battle with every day.”
Aside from staying in peak condition and building necessary team chemistry, Brar aims to maintain a resilient mindset after drawing from last season’s challenges.
“Those days when you’re not in the lineup, you can’t really get down on yourself,” said Brar.
This was the very mindset that carried him through a playoff run that demanded perseverance.
“You kind of just have to put your nose to the grindstone and keep working because at some point your opportunity is going to come, and you have to be ready for it.”
Brar’s offseason efforts also include recovery and overall maintenance to pick up where he left off last season.
“There’s a lot more maintenance that we have to do for our body in terms of how we recover, what we eat [in that sense] for that long of a season.”
This approach is one that is heavily endorsed in Everblades hockey and will continue to be the backbone of Brar’s training looking ahead to the regular season.
On that note, the entirety of his training is fueled by the drive to “contribute any way I can, on and off the ice,” with the intent to play his role in the blueprint to bringing the cup back to the swamp.
“Hopefully, we can come back and win another championship,” said Brar.
Adirondack Thunder
Allen Americans
Atlanta Gladiators
Bloomington Bison
Cincinnati Cyclones
Florida Everblades
Fort Wayne Komets
Greensboro Gargoyles
Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Idaho Steelheads
Indy Fuel
Iowa Heartlanders
Jacksonville Icemen
Kalamazoo Wings
Kansas City Mavericks
Maine Mariners
Norfolk Admirals
Orlando Solar Bears
Rapid City Rush
Reading Royals
Savannah Ghost Pirates
South Carolina Stingrays
Tahoe Knight Monsters
Toledo Walleye
Trois-Rivières Lions
Tulsa Oilers
Utah Grizzlies
Wheeling Nailers
Wichita Thunder
Worcester Railers