The Game - Anaheim Ducks

The GameBeyond the Boards: Hockey is such a mental game,what kind of things do you do off the ice to controlyour emotions and the mental aspect of the game?Bobby Ryan: I just try to stay away from reading about hockey toomuch. Avoid reading about how people think you are playing on amessage board or things like that. I just turn my mind off of the gamewhen I leave the rink.How much do you feel like the mental aspect can impact yourplaying on a game to game basis?Ryan: Quite a bit. Obviously a lot of guys have superstitions or things they doon game days. I have my routine, but if it changes I’m not going to lose my mindover it. We have some guys in here that if they get messed up on game day, evena little bit, it’s going to impact them.Before a game, what measures do you have to go through to try to stayfocused?Ryan: I like to think about our opponent, think about what I did in the last coupleof games to be successful and things like that. Just mental cues or going overhighlight reels in my head, but that is about it.After a game, how do you control yourself fromoveranalyzing a game?Ryan: You observe the three-hour rule. Take threehours, think about it, whether it was a goodone or a bad one, and then flush it rightdown the toilet. That’s the beauty ofthis league, you play 82 gamesso you are going to get achance to go rightback at it most ofthe time.Talk a little bit about the amount of physical preparation that you gothrough to be prepared for every game.Ryan: I wake up, eat a quick breakfast and then head to pre-game skate. I ama big believer that the pre-game skate is a big thing. I skate every optional. Ilike to get out and move around even if it’s for 12 or 13 minutes. So, I getmy body moving and then just prepare like anyone else. I eat chicken andpasta. If I can nap, great, if not, I don’t worry about it. I come back tothe rink at 4:30pm and warm myself up.During the summer how much do you train to stay inshape for the season?Ryan: You generally take three to four weeks off. Last year wemissed the playoffs so I took a month and a half off and just letmy body recover and heal. After that, I work out six days aweek just like a regular season.What does your off-season workout consistof?Ryan: Every day is a different strength componentwhether it is upper body or lower body. Thenevery day obviously you do your agility, powerand cardio.