I suppose you would like to know what a hockey player does with his downtime. You will be surprised to know that we are pretty normal and most days are pretty standard. Workout, lunch, errands, chores, dinner... Summer does present me with a chance to relax and try to reenact my college days of sleeping in for a few weeks and going to the bar with my buddies… things that don’t happen all that often during a hockey season. But for the most part it is another routine that I create to make sure I am in the best shape possible to start another season. Don’t get me wrong we have some fun but I try and make sure I am being a productive member of society… not just a guy who sleeps in and wastes a summer day.
So far I have spent most of my time at home in Michigan with a couple trips to Chicago and a short trip to Denver. I am taking the time to see people that I don’t get to see during the season. It is always good to catch up with friends and since most of my buddies were hockey players it is easy to pick up where we left off. It is kind of the code for guys in general but definitely in sports; no drama, just grab a beer and catch up. By the end of the night everything is back to normal and maybe, if the night gets a little crazy, we have a new story to tell.
No matter if it is amateur or professional, sport takes people in different directions. To keep the relationships that I have takes a lot of understanding from my friends and family. They know that I am not going to be in contact all the time or that if I get some downtime I may not be able to hang out. We just try and make it as fun as possible when we get time and that is usually during the summer months which works out great. Barbecues, dinner on the patios around town, casual drinks or head up to the lakes around Michigan.
I have also been putting in some time in some of my business interests. I opened a men’s and women’s clothing store in East Lansing last year called The Refinery. It was something a friend of mine had his family involved in and I thought it would be a good opportunity to test my business degree and involve my own family in a business venture. We carry high-end denim and other pieces to complement that look. It has been fun to market and establish a brand around the Michigan State campus. We even opened an online version of our store. You can check it out at ShopTheRefinery.com. And since all of you have taken the time to read my blog if you see anything you like enter the code MAXIMUS at checkout for 25% off your purchase. (I know… shamelessly plugging my store. Well, that is how you run a business when it is your own investment. Plug it whenever you can and then plug it some more.)
More on the finals to come… just thought you would like to know what it is a hockey player does with his days off.
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