Preparing for your first professional season can be scary, but Flyers prospects Ben Holmstrom, Andrew Rowe, Mike Testwuide and Eric Wellwood are taking safety in numbers.
It all started when UMass-Lowell lost their best of three series against Maine in the Hockey East Quarterfinals to end the season. The next day, Holmstrom, the three-time captain of the River Hawks signed with Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent and was on his way to Glens Falls to meet up with the Phantoms.
"I was at the end of my college career and I had some looks by some other teams and Philly was one that was seriously interested and it just all came together right away at the end of the season and I was excited to get going," he said.
Known as a defensive forward, he got his professional career off to a good start playing 13 games and scoring three goals in the process.
Adirondack failed to make the playoffs, but Holmstrom went on to Philadelphia as a member of the Black Aces at the start of their playoff run.
"It wasn't exactly fun going out to practice with only half a dozen guys," he said. "But it was great to see how close they were and you never know what could happen. Some of those guys even got to play in the later rounds. One day your a Black Ace and the next you're in the NHL playoffs."
In May, Rowe, a Michigan native, decided to forgo his senior year at Michigan State and make the jump to the professional ranks.
"It was tough. If I had stayed, I would have been playing my senior year to get what I could already have," he explained. "To me, I felt that it wasn't worth the risk of maybe getting hurt or not having as productive a year and [the Flyers] also couldn't promise they would have a spot for me next year and I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to play here."
They arrived in Philadelphia in early July for their first Development Camp and realized exactly what they were sinking their teeth into.
"I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but they gave us a ton of information with nutritionists and psychologists and that kind of stuff," said Holmstrom. "It was good to get a quick look at what it takes to be a pro player off the ice."
They decided they didn't want to miss an opportunity and with the help of their agent, Scott Norton of Norton Sports, arranged to move to Philadelphia to train over the summer with the Flyers strength and conditioning coach, Jim McCrossin.
"It was a pretty easy move," said Holmstrom. "When I was finishing up the season with Adirondack, some of the upper management guys suggested I think about working out here over the summer and I thought it was a great idea especially when I could come out with other guys that were in the same situation."
Testwuide, former captain of Colorado College and native of Vail, had also signed as an undrafted free agent with Philadelphia in the spring.
"I signed with Philadelphia because of their amazing history, unbelieveable fan support, their commitment to me as a player during the signing process and I think the style of play that I bring to the ice is what they're looking for and what the city of Philadelphia is looking for," he said.
Holmstrom, who grew up in Colorado Springs, knew Testwuide from the youth hockey programs in Colorado and the two had talked about training together over the summer.
"When it came time to work out the details he got thrown into the mix and it fell into place," Holmstrom said.
So in late July, the three of them made the trek to Voorhees, NJ where the Flyers practice facility is located and set up shop.
"It's a lot of hard work and I think we expected that coming in, but the biggest thing is just being around the veteran guys," said Holmstrom. "You see guys like Laperriere and Betts in there every day and Pronger and seeing those guys putting in the work makes you realize that just because you're here, it doesn't mean anything. The work's not over and we have to keep at it so we can get to where they are and stay there as long as they have. It's a huge advantage to be around those guys every day."
"It's really hard and lots of work. They run us into the ground pretty good," said Rowe. "It's a lot more track stuff and agility and legs than I'm used to, but a lot of the game these days is played along the boards and in the corners and positioning is so important and you need leg strength to maintain that positioning and posession of the puck."
Not long after they arrived, the phone rang and Wellwood was on his way to town and looking for a place to stay. With a bag of clothes and an inflatable mattress, the two time Memorial Cup Champion from the Windsor Spitfires moved in.
"Training in Windosr was great and I learned a lot from DJ Smith my assistant coach there," said the Flyers 2009 draft pick. "But to come here and train in the summer, it's more about getting to know the city and the people and just get familiar and be around the organization, for them to get to know me and me to get to know the organization. Plus, living on my own is a big step for me and I think it's important to get used to it before things start getting serious."
While the work starts with the 7am alarm clock, the fun starts at noon when they head home from the rink.
"Sometimes we go to the pool, sometimes we take a nap and some days we'll play some RockBand," explained Holmstrom. "There's a lot of time to kill and even that's different for us. At school, we were always busy. So we have to learn how to be productive with our time."
"We do absolutely everything together - we sleep in the same room, cut the same food - I don't know that I've been apart from these guys for more than 10 minutes over the past month," said Testwuide. "We've gotten really close and it's a lot of fun getting to know someone that well and they're just unbelievable guys."
While there's a 5000 piece puzzle of Times Square half-completed on their dining room table, it's RockBand that dominates their free time.
"We're a great band. Mike's the best on the guitar. He plays expert. Rowe's the bassist and he's ehh...he's subpar I think ...he brings the band down - but don't tell anyone that - and I've been bringing it on the drums and Holmstrom does the singing...if you want to call it that," smiled Wellwood.
While the jokes flow freely between them, it's Holmstrom who has the sharp wit and the quick one-liners.
"Homer always throws little jabs...on the sideline trying to stir the pot," explains Wellwood
Testwuide brings the laughter to the group.
"He doesn't always make the jokes, but he will definitely laugh at them."
While Wellwood is the resident chef.
"Cooking's one of my favorite things to do, I've always cooked ever since I was young and they know that the kitchen is my domain and they stay clear when I start cooking!" he said. "But I only know how to grill and use the stovetop...this oven thing is new to me...
"And Rowe...he likes to think he's a good gamer, but he really stinks at every game he plays," laughed Wellwood. "He was the smart one to bring a console, but he still stinks at it. I'm the best...I'm the geek of the guys."
Just like they all bring different things to the dynamic of their apartment, they each bring different skills to the ice.
Rowe, 22, struggled to find his playing style upon arrival at Michigan State, but eventually discovered what sets him apart - his speed.
"My freshman year, I only played about half the games and had to learn how to keep my head up and stay positive. It also made me the type of player to just go out there and have fun and not worry about ice time. It was a good growing experience for the next year where I was able to have more confidence in what I had to offer the team and led into a bit of a breakout year for myself," said the 6'2", 185 pound winger. "It allowed me to develop into the type of player I am instead of trying to be someone I'm not. I like to use my speed to make things happen and create turnovers and make unexpected things happen. So, we''ll see how that carries over to the next level."
Holmstrom, 23, credits his four years in college for helping him develop his gritty style as a strong two-way player but also as a person.
"Coming out of juniors, I wasn't ready for the pro game, but going to college, I got to play in all situations and was able to work on my development and get bigger and stronger and build my confidence while getting more mature," said the 6'1", 197 pound forward and three-time captain. "It wasn't easy being a younger guy trying to lead guys that were older than me, but the team did really well and it benefitted me because there was a lot thrown on me - which I love - and gave me a thicker skin and helped build my character."
Testwuide, 23, likes to battle in the corners and down low and plays a very physical game in part due to the time he had to get bigger and stronger in college.
"I think I matured a lot physically thanks to the great training coaches at CC and I ended up being captain of the team and it was a great experience to learn what it takes to be a leader," explained the 6'3", 210 pound winger. "I just tried to lead by example - always get to the rink early and try to be the hardest worker out there - which made me a better player."
For Wellwood, 20, it's all about the energy he brings to the ice.
"I'm like a spark plug out there. Just recently, I've learned how to score," he laughed. "Just this past season, so that's a good thing for my game.
"My main focus now is defense or really whatever the team needs," explained the 5'11", 180 pound winger. "I used to be all offense, but going to Windsor they made me learn about my defense and become a more all around player."
While they are training and living together, the fact remains that they're all competing for a spot on the Flyers roster next month. Having played various parts of the same line in development camp, the chances of that carrying over are slimmer than slim, but it does bring the right mix of competition to the group.
"It's a good competition, it's healthy," said Wellwood. "We all want each other to do the best that they can and I'm sure one person's going to get a better situation than another, but I think we're all going to be encouraging towards one another."
"You gotta go to work every day and you put in your hours and if he gets the call I'll be happy for him, but I'm still going to wish it was me!" explained Holmstrom. "We're friends so we can't be jealous, but I'm going to compete as hard as I can to be the one that gets the call."
"It's going to be bittersweet," said Testwuide. "I love them and I want them to do extremely well and all the hard work we've put in together is great, but when it comes down to it it's about your performance and how well you do to make the Flyers roster. So we'll see what happens."
The good news is that the four of them now have a built in support system.
"It's always nice to work out with someone and have someone there to help you when you're struggling in a certain workout and it also keeps it light when it gets too serious by cracking a joke. We're all friends now so it makes it fun and very supportive at the same time," said Rowe. "Everyone has those days when you're just not feeling it in the weight room or not feeling it on the ice and you're just like 'Get me outta here', but then you've got your buddies there to help you make the best of it and just get through it."
"It's hard to train by yourself and be motivated to do it solo so having those guys around is great," Wellwood said. "I'm always pushing them, they're pushing me and it's important to have guys around you who are motivated."
"Training together has been beneficial for all of us and I couldn't ask for a better two or three roommates," said Testwuide. "They work just as hard as anyone else and that's what you want to do. You want to surround yourself with people who are going to work as hard as you, if not harder, to keep you motivated and push you to go further and the group we have now is just a bunch of hard workers who are aimed at the same goal."
They are also getting a lot of support from the fans as training camp creeps closer.
"There are some pretty avid fans here in Philadelphia. It's insane the amount of support they have here and that's always a great thing to see," said Testwuide. "Just during our scrimmages at development camp, you could tell that they were real hockey people, they knew about the game and a lot about the players and they really respect the game and want to see it played as hard as it can be. They can be ruthless when you're not working hard, but they can be the best fans in the world when they know you are."
"The fans are great! They always support us around here," said Wellwood. "All I see are Philly stickers on cars and everyone seems to be a Flyers fan which is great to be around because in Windsor it's the same thing."
With the opening of rookie camp just two weeks away, these guys are ready to get going.
"I'm excited for it - starting to get antsy," said Holmstrom. "We've put in a lot of work over the summer and I'm ready to show it off and see what happens. We know where we stood after development camp and now it's time to strap up with the big boys and see where we stand. I'm excited for it. It's gonna be a lot of fun."
"I'm excited just to get back on the ice," said Rowe. "I'm used to skating once or twice a week even in the off season. Now that more guys are arriving, we can do more on the ice and start playing hockey and not just training."
"I can't even tell you how much I've been waiting for it. To step on that ice with that jersey for the first time with those guys on the ice," Testwuide said. "It's going to be the culmination of a lot of hard work and I can't wait."
"I wish it started tomorrow because I'm starting to get antsy now that the date's coming!" said Wellwood. "I can't wait for it to start, but I know once it does I'm buckled in for the next 8-10 months."
While they're prepared for a bumpy ride, filled with highs and lows, they also know they're in it together and have each other's backs going into their first professional season and that...makes it a bit less scary.
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