When Steve Yzerman sets you up with a personal trainer, you'd best take full advantage of the opportunity.
That's why Brett Connolly is in Toronto, and will stay there for most of the summer.
Connolly, a 19-year-old homegrown forward for the Prince George Cougars, is working out under the watchful eyes of Pete Renzetti, a former strength and conditioning coach with the Detroit Red Wings. Yzerman, the ex-Red Wings captain who is now general manager of the Tampa Bay Lighting, obviously wants to make sure Connolly -- Tampa's top pick in the 2010 NHL draft -- is in the best possible shape as he looks to make the jump to professional hockey.
"I'm mostly trying to get bigger and stronger," said Connolly, who was chosen sixth overall by the Lightning. "I think a few months with [Renzetti] and the guys here will be very beneficial for me."
With the Lightning one of four teams left in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Connolly has been watching closely. But only on TV. He hasn't been to any games in person.
"I think they're thinking it's more important that I'm training instead of sitting around watching and eating popcorn," he said with a chuckle.
"It's pretty cool to see that they have a chance to win the Stanley Cup in their first year [under Yzerman]. To think what they might be doing when I'm there is pretty cool too. It's definitely exciting."
Connolly, who will be in Tampa in July for a prospects camp, has not yet signed the standard three-year, entry-level contract with the club. That doesn't concern him.
"That's between my agent and them," he said. "It's obviously something I'd like to get out of the way but it's out of my control. All I can do is work hard in the off-season and show up at [training] camp. I'm not too worried about the first contract, I'm working towards improving every day and hopefully getting the second contract done after the third year. That's where my mindset is right now."
The other big item on Connolly's agenda is a Team Canada camp in Edmonton and Calgary in August. Connolly -- coming off an injury-plagued 2009-10 -- wasn't invited to last year's summer camp but made the club anyhow and helped his country to a silver medal at the world juniors.
He's looking forward to being part of the selection process right from the beginning this time.
"It'll be good to go there as a returning guy," he said. "I'll not take anything for granted and really work and we'll see what happens."
One last note -- the shoulder Connolly separated in the first game of the WHL playoffs against the Kelowna Rockets has healed completely.
"It's been good for a while now," he said. "I think if I would have had an extra week, or even a few more days, I think I would have been fine [to play]. It was just something minor."
