Sean Shapiro discusses Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman’s offseason training regimen on his Substack today:
Matt Nichol started to notice Jake Walman’s NHL potential in the summer of 2014.
Walman had been recently drafted by the St. Louis Blues, 82nd overall in the third round, and he was prepping for his freshman season at Providence College when he started offseason training with Nichol in Toronto.
“I remember specifically, Hal Gil was a client of mine for a while and that summer he had retired and was working with me as a coach that summer,” Nichol said. “He pulled me aside and said, ‘Watch this kid. Watch how he walks the line out there, watch his poise, watch how he skates, watch his ability. This guy is going to be a really good NHL player.’”
Like most prophecies, it took some time.
