Greg McKegg on off-season training and development

McKegg warms up for Team Irish wearing number 74. 

Saturday afternoon, I caught up with Greg McKegg in Lucan, Ontario, where he was playing in a charity game for Lucan Minor Hockey. The event was spearheaded by Logan Couture, and brought together a mix of hockey players from across North America.

This isn’t the first year that Couture has held this tournament in support of his hometown hockey organization, and he also donated the money he won for being selected last in the All-Star Fantasy Draft. I think it speaks volumes about a player’s character if they go to these types of events, not occasionally, but regularly. Of course, my hat is off to all the players that spent hours signing autographs for small-town hockey fans, and of course, played the game. Well done, boys.

JPN: Jim Hughes, the Leafs director of player development, recently said that you have a great hockey IQ, great hockey smarts, but that one thing you’re working on is adding an explosiveness to your skating. What are you doing this off-season to focus on that?

So with Barb Underhill, what kind of things are you doing, specifically?

So you’re looking at a lot of video footage?

Has she given you any specific exercises?

So a lot of the actual conditioning stuff is still coming from the Knights or Leafs?

On that note, are all the Leafs picks working with Underhill?

Ah, so you’re working in pretty small groups, then?

For sure. Have you talked to Dallas Eakins (or any other front office people) about the possibility of starting with the Marlies next year?

You had an injury to your shoulder towards the end of the season, is that all healed up?

Right on. You played a much longer season last year than you have so far in your career – did you find the grind difficult?

Dave Poulin said recently that those longer seasons make for a whole different kind of development, learning to play through the grind of the playoffs with an injury. Do you feel this was important for your development?

I know that Brian Burke is big on community service work being done by players. Do you keep that kind of thing in mind [in choosing to come to something like the Logan Couture All-Star Hockey Game]?

How did you get involved in this?

Last question: have you ever gotten into advanced hockey stats? Ever heard of ‘Behind the Net?"

 

 

 

It was obviously going to be a laid back game. A few buddies playing 4-on-4 for charity is no time for body contact or real competition. That said, it was interesting to see players’ skill being isolated for viewing by the lack of physical contact.

Even in what was basically a low-level scrimmage, lazy wrist shots seemed to rocket around the ice. Players seemed to be able to thread the puck through any skates, sticks, or bodies at will. No matter how impossible the angle, a tip was perfectly placed. Saucer passes that came up to waist level settled perfectly on the blade of their recipients. In short, even though these players were just fooling around, it was pretty cool to witness.

It was also interesting to see the difference between an NHLer and OHLer side by side. OHL players seemed to take the competition a little more seriously (probably wanting to make an impression on the big kids), but if an NHL player – any of them – ever even briefly switched from "this is fun" to "no, seriously, you’re not going to take the puck from me", things inevitably went in their favour. They looked stronger (just plain bigger), and a lot more relaxed.

For his part, McKegg’s hands look good, but not stellar. He scored a few nice goals on a wrist shot, a tip, and a backhand in what was a 14-13 shootout win for the other side. Much better is his passing ability, and creativity on the rush. When Jim Hughes commented on his hockey I.Q., he wasn’t kidding.

Hope to see you do well playing for the Marlies next year, Greg.