In the old days, taking a month or so off and just cruising into Western Hockey League training camp would be a normal occasion for the vast majority of players. Camp was for getting into shape for the season, right? So why bother with the extra work?
No longer. And Warriors defenceman Max Wanner can tell you all about it.
The 19-year-old Estevan product and current Moose Jaw resident was among a host of elite players who took the ice in Caronport at Prairie Hockey Academy throughout the summer, putting in a ton of training and ice time in order to prepare for the upcoming campaign.
All that effort has paid dividends, as Wanner was one of several veterans who caught general manager Jason Ripplinger’s eye as showing wholesale improvement. That was all part of Wanner’s off-season goals as he looked to take his game to the next level.
“I obviously wanted to put on a couple of pounds because I felt it would compliment my game if I could be more of a physical defenceman,” Wanner said shortly after a pre-season practice. “But other than that, getting faster and quicker is a big thing for me, because if you have a big guy who can move quick, he’s pretty dangerous out there. So if I can keep working on that it’ll be beneficial.”
The work began not long after the Warriors’ season ended. After a few weeks off to recover from the rigours of a 68-game WHL season, Wanner was back at it five days a week in the gym and on the ice.
“It’s a full-time gig, there’s a bit of time off but when you get to training it has to be 100 per cent,” Wanner said. “Then just coming back, you feel bigger and stronger and that naturally comes with age, but I feel like I’ve improved and I’m looking forward to a good season.”
Of course, Wanner has something other than the Warriors on his mind. A seventh-round selection by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, he was also preparing for his second NHL training camp while aiming to turn some heads this time around.
“I made an impression last year, now I’m huntin’,” Wanner said with a grin. “I’m trying to go out there and make a name for myself, so I’m just hoping to have a good camp, see where it takes me into the season and hopefully have a good year.”
The experience at main camp against the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl last fall was an eye-opener for Wanner, and left him clamouring for more at the highest level of the game.
“They say you learn at twice the rate when you’re at NHL camp compared to junior and that’s true,” he said. “ You have to become a sponge and absorb as much as you can and learn what you can when you’re there and that’s what I’m planning to do.”
Odds are Wanner will be back in Moose Jaw once the NHL situation has been settled, and he’ll be a major cog in one of the most promising Warrior teams in recent history.
“It’s kind of crazy, obviously,” Wanner said. “I remember being a 15-year-old kid just out of PHA looking up to Jett Woo and [Josh] Brook and all those guys and now I am one of those guys. It’s very exciting, but at the end of the day you have to go out and perform and do your best to be a leader.”
Putting together a winning campaign and ideally a deep playoff run with naturally be one of the main goals this season, and Wanner feels the team has the horses to do it.
“Last year, nobody really knew what to expect from us and the year before we were rebuilding still, but this is a year where it’s fun and you’re going to be on a winning hockey team,” he said. “Everyone has high hopes for this season, everyone in Moose Jaw wants us to do well and I think we should do that, give everyone something to rally around.”
Wanner is coming off a campaign where he put up six goals and 23 points in 55 games and will be looking to increase those numbers this time around.
“I’m just going to play to my strengths, which is not getting scored on, being hard to play against, play the PK, play the power play, do a bit of everything,” he said. “I’m just looking to play a consistent game and hopefully have a good season, and I’ll fill in whatever role they need me to fill and hopefully we go deep this year.”
The Warriors open their 2022-23 WHL pre-season on Friday night when they host the Swift Current Broncos. Game time is 7 p.m.
