After every away game, one Spruce Kings team member always has a light on his face for the bus ride.
While most players relax after the long game they've just endured, assistant coach Adam Maglio keeps on chugging along.
There is game film to watch, and he will go through the game a number of times. First it is to mark the events of the game so he can go back and quickly find plays later on in the night. Then he will watch through the game again, and pull out the good, the bad, and the ugly.
With the videos, he makes presentations for the players so they can go through and see what they did well or need to work on. Maglio will spend hours on each game, sorting through every play.
Not only his own team's game, but when the Spruce Kings are taking on another team he will go through that club's video on FASTHockey, where the games are broadcast, and make notes on what the other team's tendencies are. Then he will make videos of those clips, so the Kings can see firsthand what the opposition does.
This means that while out on the road, the Spruce Kings players may get back to the hotel at 10 p.m., but their assistant coach stays up for another few hours working away on the video, and making sure his team is as prepared for the next game as possible.
The Kings are therefore able to head into every game with a scope on what they need to work on individually, as a team, and what to expect from the team on the other side of the ice.
The presentations are generally in PowerPoint form, so prior to games the team can see a slide, and the coaches can break down what they're about to talk about.
Then they'll play the video clips that coincide with the slide and talk more about where players need to be on the ice to either take advantage of offensive or defensive situations.
With the time Maglio spends on video and other formats preparing the team, there is plenty of information the Spruce Kings know about the other team before they even step on the ice.
This weekend, the Kings are at home with games in the Coliseum tonight against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and Sunday afternoon when they take on the Powell River Kings.
Ryan Lepper is Communications Director/Broadcaster with the Prince George Spruce Kings
