MONTREAL — Jake Evans will be back in town soon.
SHOP: Fanatics T-Shirt Jake Evans
The Toronto native plans to return next weekend to further prepare for training camp at the Bell Sports Complex.
Evans spent summer training in his hometown with a group led by Bryan Marshall, who serves as the Vancouver Canucks’ director of applied sports science.
The newly minted striker is one of the 26-year-old’s training partners Sean MonahanNazem Kadri (Calgary Flames), Connor Brown (Washington Capitals), Scott Laughton (Philadelphia Flyers) and Jamie Drysdale (Anaheim Ducks).
Here are some excerpts from our conversation with Jake:
Evans on training with Monahan:
I’ve been on his training team for the past three summers. We see each other every day for at least a couple of hours in the gym and also skate a lot together. Sean is a good guy. It’s nice to be with her and she’s a very good player with a lot of experience in the league. He always does his best in the gym and gives it his all. When you chat with him, you immediately notice that he is constantly bringing something new into his routine, he has two or three more things on the agenda every day. It could be another rehabilitation exercise or training. He’s always doing things to improve and it’s cool to see. I remember our first training session after he took over, we just laughed when we saw each other because we couldn’t believe what had just happened. I’m used to not seeing him for six or seven months and now we’re going to spend the season together. I know he can’t wait to come to Montreal and enjoy the city. It’s nice to have a close friend on the team too.
Evans on how he’s approaching his offseason schedule after a productive offensive campaign:
I don’t know if my goals will change, but I’m always trying to improve on everything I’ve been working on over the past few years. The only thing that changes is gaining experience in the league and having more games under your belt. We’re starting to know what we need to work on and what’s really going to work and what’s not going to work in the NHL. It really reflects in your summer training and skating sessions. There are some things you don’t try because you know they probably won’t work for you. At the same time, you might want to work on some important things because you see how other guys make them successful during the games. I’ve been focused on little things on the ice like hitting the puck faster and harder and getting better at small plays, which I think will work well in the NHL.
Video: LAK@MTL: Evans scores a great goal in the 3rd period
Evans on trying to gain mass by focusing on nutrition:
I’m really trying to bulk up and be a little bit fatter, so I really eat a lot. It is my goal. I spent my entire summer working out, ice skating, and meal planning. I’ve tried to gain weight in the past but it hasn’t been that rigorous. I spoke to our nutritionist, Renée Racine, and for me, the only way to gain weight is to eat every three hours. I just tried to eat as much as possible. These are of course healthy things. I only cook what I feel. My friend Emily helped me a lot. We discuss that and plan the week. I go shopping and we cook something. I wouldn’t say it’s 5 star food but it’s still good. Our favorite dish is the wok. She’s a vegetarian so it’s tofu for her and chicken for me. We change up the sauce every now and then to keep things interesting, but we’re getting pretty good at making this dish.
Video: Jake Evans cooks a HelloFresh meal from home
Evans is about to visit Brendan Gallagher in British Columbia earlier this summer:
I was at CB’s with Emily for a wedding so I stopped by and stayed at his place in Tsawwassen. I got to live Gally’s life for a day, it was nice to see. While I was there I worked out with him and his dad Ian at their gym and then we went to Gally’s favorite restaurant for breakfast and hung out and watched the Blue Jays game. We just relaxed and made up for lost time. The training was fun. Ian is very serious and good at what he does. He likes to joke. I’ve had dinner with him before, so I got to know him. It made things a little easier when we were in the practice room. He likes to joke with me, so you can see where Gally got that from. I think the spikes you get make you want to work harder. Both like to throw spikes at everyone and turn up the heat.
Video: Brendan Gallagher shows off his workout in BC
Evans on the joys of being a dog dad:
We had our dog Winnie in July last year but it was really the first time I lived with her and had a lot more free time. I was sort of full-time on dog duty this summer, which was kind of fun. Emily worked in our upstairs apartment and I sat with Winnie all day and she tried to get my attention almost every hour. I really like going for walks with her. He’s a rescue dog. We don’t know for sure, but we think she’s a German Shepherd/Husky mix. Honestly, she just comes home every day, she’s so happy to see you. It is great. When we come back from a tough game, she waits at the door and jumps at us. She doesn’t care about the end result, she just wants to have fun, cuddle and play. It always helps.
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