Wild horses will drag Leafs away from the ice at development camp

Article content

After all the horse analogies we’ve heard in the world of hockey, Maple Leaf prospects are about to experience the real thing.

The club is arranging a demonstration with a wild colt and an elite trainer on Friday for the 48 prospects at its development camp.

“It’s to talk about how you handle emotions and go through handling pressure in tricky situations,” said Hayley Wickenheiser, the club’s assistant general manager, player development.

“It’s going to be interesting,” she added with a laugh, assuring “the horse won’t be on the ice and no one is getting on the horse.”

Wickenheiser said she and player development director Danielle Goyette came up with the idea when discussing how to make the off-ice portion of the five-day camp more interesting and educational. Jeff Davis a clinician based in Farmington, Ark., will conduct the session.

“Of course, Shane Doan (special advisor to GM Brad Treliving) thought it was a great idea, too, being from the farm,” Wickenheiser said.

Wickenheiser already hosted a group discussion of managing pressure and performance, which she saw as vital given the Toronto spotlight on players and challenges such as social media and the jump to pro. Guest speakers from the Leafs’ family this week include head coach Craig Berube, former captain Wendel Clark and recently retired defenceman Mark Giordano.

Giordano has been taking an active role at the camp, though Wickenheiser deferred to Treliving as to whether he eventually joins the hockey office.

Lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby