Newfie John
8-23-05, 8:40 AM
Carlo Colaiacovo has gone from playing the waiting game to the weight-lifting game.
Convinced that this finally will be the season he cracks the Maple Leafs' lineup as a regular, Colaiacovo, Toronto's first-round pick in the 2001 entry draft, has been spending at least five days a week in the weight room pumping iron under the watchful eye of team strength and conditioning guru Matt Nichol.
No one need remind Colaiacovo that only one job appears available on the Toronto blue line after the Leafs brought back four members of their 2003-04 defence corps -- Bryan McCabe, Ken Klee, Tomas Kaberle and Aki Berg -- then signed former St. Louis Blues rearguard Alexander Khavanov as a free agent.
But it is a opening he feels he can fill. And he is doing everything in his power to make certain it happens, even if it means shedding some sweat while working out alongside former Marlies' teammates Matt Stajan, Marc Moro and Nathan Perrott under the guidance of Nichol.
"We've all been working with (Nichol) since May and it has been great," Colaiacovo said. "I'm still at 205 (pounds) but the biggest thing I've gained is strength.
"I'm optimistic there is a spot open. There are no guarantees, but I am confident in my abilities."
By improving his conditioning, Colaiacovo hopes he can better avoid spending so much time in the training room.
The young defenceman missed a significant portion of the 2004-'05 American Hockey League season with an ear injury, suffered when he took a shot off his melon. Later, he suffered a torn oblique muscle.
"To be honest, I hate the term 'injury prone' when it is associated with my name," he said. "I just look at the past couple of years as a sign of bad luck and bad bounces."
At least the new rules being adopted by the NHL to speed up the game appear to favour players like the slick-skating Colaiacovo.
"Given the talents I've been blessed with, I can agree with that," he said. "There will be an adjustment period. The only time I played without a centre red line was at the world juniors, and I thought I excelled there."
No doubt the Leafs would love to see him excel in the same manner come training camp.
Hopefully Coli will have a great rookie year.
Convinced that this finally will be the season he cracks the Maple Leafs' lineup as a regular, Colaiacovo, Toronto's first-round pick in the 2001 entry draft, has been spending at least five days a week in the weight room pumping iron under the watchful eye of team strength and conditioning guru Matt Nichol.
No one need remind Colaiacovo that only one job appears available on the Toronto blue line after the Leafs brought back four members of their 2003-04 defence corps -- Bryan McCabe, Ken Klee, Tomas Kaberle and Aki Berg -- then signed former St. Louis Blues rearguard Alexander Khavanov as a free agent.
But it is a opening he feels he can fill. And he is doing everything in his power to make certain it happens, even if it means shedding some sweat while working out alongside former Marlies' teammates Matt Stajan, Marc Moro and Nathan Perrott under the guidance of Nichol.
"We've all been working with (Nichol) since May and it has been great," Colaiacovo said. "I'm still at 205 (pounds) but the biggest thing I've gained is strength.
"I'm optimistic there is a spot open. There are no guarantees, but I am confident in my abilities."
By improving his conditioning, Colaiacovo hopes he can better avoid spending so much time in the training room.
The young defenceman missed a significant portion of the 2004-'05 American Hockey League season with an ear injury, suffered when he took a shot off his melon. Later, he suffered a torn oblique muscle.
"To be honest, I hate the term 'injury prone' when it is associated with my name," he said. "I just look at the past couple of years as a sign of bad luck and bad bounces."
At least the new rules being adopted by the NHL to speed up the game appear to favour players like the slick-skating Colaiacovo.
"Given the talents I've been blessed with, I can agree with that," he said. "There will be an adjustment period. The only time I played without a centre red line was at the world juniors, and I thought I excelled there."
No doubt the Leafs would love to see him excel in the same manner come training camp.
Hopefully Coli will have a great rookie year.