SoCalcaniac
01-05-2007, 09:19 PM
I thought we had Everblades & River Rats threads? Anyway, here's a great article on Kowlalski:
Off-Season Workouts Paying Off For Florida's Kowalski January 5, 2007
By Chris Umpierre
The News-Press (http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?CATEGORY=SPORTS)
ESTERO, Fla. - Craig Kowalski (http://echl.leaguestat.com/stats/player.php?lang_id=en&id=415) used to view the offseason as a vacation from hockey, a time to unwind from the rigorous 72-game schedule. The goalie rarely hit a gym, rarely visited a rink and rarely thought about hockey.
"The last couple summers, hockey has been the furthest thing on my mind," Kowalski said. "I just like to kick back and enjoy the summer."
A stint as a practice player with the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes at the end of the 2005-06 season changed everything. After seeing how hard the NHLers worked, Kowalski opted to "get more serious about hockey" in the offseason with daily workouts.
The 5-foot-8, 190-pound Kowalski, who has battled weight issues in the past, entered 2006-07 in what he described as the best shape of his career. The work has paid off as the third-year Florida Everblades goalie is in the midst of a career season. He's 11-6-0 with a 2.17 goals-against average. He ranks second and first, respectively, in goals-against average and save percentage (.931) in the 25-team ECHL.
Kowalski, who is on a one-year deal with the Hurricanes, said he worked out for one to two hours every morning in the summer. The 24-year-old, who has been overweight for previous training camps, also watched what he ate.
"Working out is not something I enjoy," Kowalski said. "I don't think too many people enjoy working out. But getting up and getting it over with and acting like I have a job in the summer, which I really don't, was what worked best for me. I made that my job, my priority, in the morning."
The ECHL is seeing the difference in a fitter, sleeker Kowalski. He was named the ECHL Goalie of the Week for Dec. 18-24. He has two shutouts this season, equaling the number of shutouts he had in his first two seasons with Florida.
"The big thing with K-Wal is his confidence. I don't want to say cockiness, but I want to say confidence," Blades assistant captain Ernie Hartlieb (http://echl.leaguestat.com/stats/player.php?lang_id=en&id=386) said. "When he knows he's going to be playing, he's like, 'Boys, all right, we're going to win tonight.' I think his stint with Carolina contributed 100 percent to the way he is now."
Kowalski was Carolina's emergency third goalie during the 2005-06 NHL playoffs. He didn't play in any games but he practiced with the club. He was there when the Hurricanes beat Edmonton 3-1 in Game 7 to capture the Stanley Cup. He was one of the players that held up Lord Stanley's Mug in front of the sold out Raleigh, N.C., crowd.
"Just watching how guys up there did it, how hard they work during the year, opened my eyes. It made me work harder," said Kowalski, who received a Stanley Cup ring from Carolina. "Hopefully, (the NHL) happens for me. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I want it to not happen because I'm not good enough. Not because I didn't work hard enough."
Kowalski, listed as Carolina's 11th-best prospect according to hockeysfuture.com, hoped to start this season with the American Hockey League's Albany River Rats but Carolina rookie Justin Peters beat him for the job.
With Peters (6-12-0, 2.98 goals-against average) struggling, Kowalski could be looking at a promotion soon.
Until then, Kowalski and rookie David Shantz (http://echl.leaguestat.com/stats/player.php?lang_id=en&id=700) have proved to be a strong goalie duo with Florida. Shantz (9-4, 2.97 goals-against average) will represent the Blades at the ECHL All-Star Game on Wednesday, Jan. 17.
Off-Season Workouts Paying Off For Florida's Kowalski January 5, 2007
By Chris Umpierre
The News-Press (http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?CATEGORY=SPORTS)
ESTERO, Fla. - Craig Kowalski (http://echl.leaguestat.com/stats/player.php?lang_id=en&id=415) used to view the offseason as a vacation from hockey, a time to unwind from the rigorous 72-game schedule. The goalie rarely hit a gym, rarely visited a rink and rarely thought about hockey.
"The last couple summers, hockey has been the furthest thing on my mind," Kowalski said. "I just like to kick back and enjoy the summer."
A stint as a practice player with the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes at the end of the 2005-06 season changed everything. After seeing how hard the NHLers worked, Kowalski opted to "get more serious about hockey" in the offseason with daily workouts.
The 5-foot-8, 190-pound Kowalski, who has battled weight issues in the past, entered 2006-07 in what he described as the best shape of his career. The work has paid off as the third-year Florida Everblades goalie is in the midst of a career season. He's 11-6-0 with a 2.17 goals-against average. He ranks second and first, respectively, in goals-against average and save percentage (.931) in the 25-team ECHL.
Kowalski, who is on a one-year deal with the Hurricanes, said he worked out for one to two hours every morning in the summer. The 24-year-old, who has been overweight for previous training camps, also watched what he ate.
"Working out is not something I enjoy," Kowalski said. "I don't think too many people enjoy working out. But getting up and getting it over with and acting like I have a job in the summer, which I really don't, was what worked best for me. I made that my job, my priority, in the morning."
The ECHL is seeing the difference in a fitter, sleeker Kowalski. He was named the ECHL Goalie of the Week for Dec. 18-24. He has two shutouts this season, equaling the number of shutouts he had in his first two seasons with Florida.
"The big thing with K-Wal is his confidence. I don't want to say cockiness, but I want to say confidence," Blades assistant captain Ernie Hartlieb (http://echl.leaguestat.com/stats/player.php?lang_id=en&id=386) said. "When he knows he's going to be playing, he's like, 'Boys, all right, we're going to win tonight.' I think his stint with Carolina contributed 100 percent to the way he is now."
Kowalski was Carolina's emergency third goalie during the 2005-06 NHL playoffs. He didn't play in any games but he practiced with the club. He was there when the Hurricanes beat Edmonton 3-1 in Game 7 to capture the Stanley Cup. He was one of the players that held up Lord Stanley's Mug in front of the sold out Raleigh, N.C., crowd.
"Just watching how guys up there did it, how hard they work during the year, opened my eyes. It made me work harder," said Kowalski, who received a Stanley Cup ring from Carolina. "Hopefully, (the NHL) happens for me. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I want it to not happen because I'm not good enough. Not because I didn't work hard enough."
Kowalski, listed as Carolina's 11th-best prospect according to hockeysfuture.com, hoped to start this season with the American Hockey League's Albany River Rats but Carolina rookie Justin Peters beat him for the job.
With Peters (6-12-0, 2.98 goals-against average) struggling, Kowalski could be looking at a promotion soon.
Until then, Kowalski and rookie David Shantz (http://echl.leaguestat.com/stats/player.php?lang_id=en&id=700) have proved to be a strong goalie duo with Florida. Shantz (9-4, 2.97 goals-against average) will represent the Blades at the ECHL All-Star Game on Wednesday, Jan. 17.