GDI's First Prospect Camp in Sweden

GDI President Dan Blackburn traveled to Skara, Sweden to help new RM Torleif Lundstein and Martin Desner put on their first GDI week-long camp. Germany RM Ben Weichart met up with the fellow Euros to help out and lend his own personal expertise in how to best run the rigorous schedule a GDI camp demands.

Among the attendees were four DEL goalies from Germany and 2 German National team goalies, who helped to make this camp a success. Perhaps, though, the Swedes/Germans were not as devoted to their training in the off-season as they would be ideally, as Blackburn joked they had to take "a spa day" in the middle of the week to recuperate from the intense level of physical activity.

An interesting thing to note is that the Goalie Monkey has a store in Sweden that will soon be featuring GDI gear. You can see the new GDI pads in the picture above, featuring Jimmy Blomqvist, who was certainly the best-equipped goalie in the camp (and we think his choice of fiery red, silver and white was pretty spectacular too!) Additionally, the new gear sizing suite is up on the GDI website. Changes to the previous sizing suite mean that you can customize your EVO2 gear as well as send your order directly to your local dealer via email or fax. Check it out!

Interview with Ryan Cyr

Since posting pictures of the Prairies future satellite center, GDI Hockey Blog wanted to catch up with RM Ryan Cyr and see how things are going in The Peg. Here's what he had to say...

GDI Hockey Blog: Since the pictures we saw a couple weeks ago, how is the construction coming on the training center?

Ryan Cyr: The construction is coming along great. The arena boards are all installed and that sure gives you a sense of completion. Now that you can see the ice sheets size, you can really start to visualize how the lessons will run. We pretty much just have cosmetic stuff to finish up and then its time to make the ice. For those of you in the Winnipeg area, we will be holding an open house on Monday June 22nd and Tuesday June 23rd from 7-9 PM. Come check it out!

GDI: Have you been involved in the construction at all? Gotten your hands dirty?

RC: Well this is a bit of a soft spot for me. For those of you who don’t know me, I am not what you would call a handy man. So I figured in order to get this project off the ground with minimal complications, it would be best if I sat on the side lines and stayed clear. I found out in a hurry I do more harm than good in the construction industry. But Prairies Assistant RM Dan Ferguson had the luxury of getting his hands dirty this afternoon, balancing on a ladder, scraping old paint off the roof..... Let’s just say Mr. Ferguson was in bed mighty early this evening and is looking forward to his role on the ice instructing.

GDI: What are you looking forward to most about having a training center?

RC: For me, the most exciting thing about getting the satellite center up and running is establishing a home for GDI-Prairies and our clientele. Giving us a top notch facility to train in year-round with all the luxuries. I think it is something the Winnipeg area will really benefit from and is well over due. We look forward to our partnership with The Rink and Pro Fitness, as well as giving the athletes in this region a facility where they can get every aspect of training they need to maximize their potential.

GDI: When do you expect the training center to be open to students for lessons?

RC: Right now we are targeting mid-July. As long as there are no major delays in construction, we feel this is a very achievable goal.

GDI: How will your students benefit from the training center?

RC: Well, we are giving our students everything they need to succeed, all under one roof. We will be offering the 1-on-1 private lessons to fine tune and polish their technical game on our 30 by 30 foot goalie sheet. There is also a 110 by 50 foot sheet where there will be opportunities for 3v3 games. Lastly, there is the 4000 square foot weight room and indoor dryland area that was shown in your pictures, where they will have access, to professional trainers to enhance their conditioning, strength and athleticism.

GDI: Will the weight room be open for use when students don't have a lesson scheduled?

RC: Yes, the gym will be available for GDI clients and we will have packages set up for on and off ice training. Continue to check the GDI Prairies site and The Rink site for more information regarding the weight room and dryland facility.

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Special thanks to Ryan Cyr for this interview. And don't worry, Ryan, we won't count on you for any future construction projects. ;)

Long Days and Cold Ice

Summer is here, which means a break from school and a chance to improve your game at one of GDI's summer camps. While nearly all national camp spots are full, GDI is looking to expand its offerings next summer by hosting an exchange student program through their international camps in Europe. That means that next year, you could spend your time training in Germany or Sweden, which is a unique opportunity that GDI is pleased to present to its students. The camps in Europe will be of the same quality and vigor as those in the US and Canada, and GDI President Dan Blackburn is currently in Sweden to oversee the development of those camps and ensure the integrity of the training. We will certainly keep you updated on this and be sure to notify you next year when you should be signing up for those camps to secure your reservation.

Until then, we are wishing you luck during your summer months of training, training and more training. We look forward to receiving all of your workout journals prior to attending camp, and hope that you will give yourself the best chance for significantly improving your game.

Coming up next... Hear what Ryan Cyr has to say about his new training center and how the construction is going!

GDI Prairies Satellite Center-- Exclusive Pictures

GDI Prairies is in the process of constructing a satellite training center! Prairies RM Ryan Cyr will be basing his training out of this new location, which will provide many benefits to his clients in terms of convenience, complete and thorough workouts, and a consistent place where they can consult with Cyr.

The location and building of the training center already exists, but is undergoing massive construction to make it into an ice arena and high level training facility. Cyr has sent us some great pictures of the beginning stages of construction, which are posted below. Hopefully we will get some progress shots in the near future so we can really see the center develop.

The outside of the building.

This area will be transformed into an ice rink, and goalie-specific training creases have a separate space (not pictured). Hard to imagine, but we promise all the debris will be gone! The weight room will overlook the ice level from the windows on the top of the back wall.

Lastly, this is the lounge area for the goalies to relax before and after a hard work out!

Coming up this week...
GDI President Dan Blackburn will be a guest on TSN's Off the Record with Michael Landsberg on Thursday at 6pm ET.

GDI Minnkota... the Revolution Begins.

As reported in the recent GDI Highlights, GDI Minntoka's coach Matt Millar will be based out of a new ice rink that will serve as a GDI Satellite Training Center. This is a great accomplishment for Millar, who will have access to more ice time and thus freedom in scheduling more private lessons, clinics and camps.

GDI's newest satellite center will be in Minnesota. Here's what he had to say when GDI Hockey Blog asked a few questions...

GDI Hockey Blog: What will you be able to do now that you have a satellite training center that you couldn't do before?

Matt Millar: I think that the best part of the new training center in Lakeville, MN would have to be the partnership between GDI and the program called the Players Club. This is a program where players can attend certain sessions during the week for skill development. GDI has been allowed to become an addition to this program, which now provides the goaltenders an opportunity for skill development as well. The hour skate is going to involve individual skill development in the beginning of the practice for the goaltenders, much like a 1-1 training session. After the curriculum is completed, the players and the goalies then join to have a structured time of development in which both the players and the goalies will benefit from mutually challenging drills.

GDI: What's the best part about having a satellite center?

MM: For me, the best part about having a training center would have to be the fact that we partnered with an existing player development company. The Hockey Development Company is like-minded in its approach towards player development as we are towards the development of goaltenders. It's great having conversations on development with similarly minded coaches, even if they happen to be player coaches. This transfers onto the ice as well, when coaching mutually understood as essential for development. So if the players or goaltenders start to cut corners, the coaches are on the same page with discipline and/or praise. The ease and flexibility that comes with having set ice times for 1-1 training, clinics, and the Players Club makes scheduling much easier.

GDI: How will your students benefit from the satellite center?

MM: As I stated earlier, the ease and flexibility that comes with having set ice times for 1-1 training, clinics, and the Players Club makes scheduling much easier. For any goaltender, mite to pro, consistent training is the key for continued development and breaking though training plateaus. It also is nice for the parents to have a plan for what will be happening during the season or summer and can plan for it financially and allow for the proper amount of work or rest for their athlete during the hockey season or the off-season. Events can tend to be overwhelming in the season, with practices, games and other sport conflicts. With the new training center, it will be reassuring to know that no matter what season or how crowded the schedule, there will be consistent training available.

Additionally, Millar recommended a new blog to keep up with, Coming Down The Pipe! This blog is written by GDI goaltender Mike Lee to chronicle his experiences leading up to the Draft as well as during it. Lee is currently ranked #4 in North America for the NHL Draft. Should be an exciting read!

Mike Lee is 6'1 and 185 pounds. He ended last season with 26 wins, a .918 save percentage and 2.40 goals against average in Fargo. He played in the USHL All-Star game and the 2008 WJAC Challenge in Camrose, AB where he represented the United States and backstopped them to a gold medal finish. Lee will attend St. Cloud State University next season.

Dallas Stars and Summer Camps

As previously mentioned, GDI has partnered with the Dallas Stars and is now the Dallas Star's official provider of everything goaltender, and will be hosting a special camp series sponsored by the Stars. If you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, make sure to check out the camp listings, which will be hosted at a Dr. Pepper Stars Center.

For those of you not in the DFW area, make sure you've signed up for a summer camp to take your game to the next level. National camps are almost all full, so reserve your spot now.

Coming up, GDI RM Matt Millar gets his own GDI Satellite Training Center.

Blackburn, Round 2

GDI President Dan Blackburn appeared on Off the Record with Michael Landsberg again this evening. Today, they discussed the Capitals and Penguins in terms of rushing the goalie (Blackburn had an unexpected opinion on this one... be sure to check it out). Sharing the spotlight on the panel were Keith Primeau, Brad Dalgarno and Kerry Goulet.

What do you think of Blackburn on OTR? Do you agree with what he said?

Dan Blackburn on Off The Record

GDI President and former New York Rangers goaltender, Dan Blackburn, was part of the panel on Off the Record today. Blackburn, along with other panel members and host Michael Landsberg, discussed the possibility of the Phoenix Coyotes moving to Hamilton, as well as the referee's controversial call in Game 3 against the Detroit Red Wings. Click the links to see what Blackburn had to say! What do you think about these two issues? (And do you own a tuxedo?)

Blackburn will be on the show again tomorrow, so stayed tuned!

Convention Comes to a Close, and Dan Blackburn on Off The Record

Saturday was the last day of RM Convention, which was spent at GDI Headquarters. The RMs talked about the newly updated style of gear, which will be at retailers by the end of the month. GDI is able to stay current with all new gear trends and has been a leader in creating new techniques to help stop more pucks, thanks to Vice President and gear designer, Dave Agatone.

Here is a sneak peak of the new gear design:


GDI Apparel is also up for a face lift, and we would love any of your suggestions for specific products you need and would like to have GDI supply. Current options include workout apparel, and if you would be interested in using GDI branded clothing during your gym workouts, let us know.

The RMs spent their last night in Dallas dining at the Brazilian Steakhouse, Texas de Brazil, where waitors bring around endless slabs of meat and you simply flip a card next to your plate to red (stop serving) or green (more meat please!). It's unclear whether the GDI guys ever used the red side.

Lastly, GDI President Dan Blackburn flies to Toronto later today and will be appearing on TSN's Off the Record with Michael Landsberg both Thursday and Friday evenings. Check your local listing for confirmation, but Off the Record generally is broadcasted Monday-Friday at 6pmET. For those of you in the US who do not have access to TSN, a video will be posted after the show so you can still be up on your current hockey news.

GDI Convention, Day 2--RMs Go Country

The RMs met at Dallas's Asian fusion restaurant, Bengal Coast

After a day spent at GDI Headquarters and on ice, the RMs made progress in developing key new techniques that will be debuted at this summer’s camps. They even tested out a new puck-shooting machine, which was crafted by GDI Scandinavia’s Torleif Lundsten.

A long day of business left the RMs hungry and in need of entertainment, so after having dinner at Bengal Coast, the group headed out to Dallas’s country dance saloon, Cowboys Red River. Several RMs were spotted two-stepping around Cowboys’ circular, race-track style dance floor. Other brave souls tried their luck at the mechanical bull:

RM Torleif Lundsten of GDI Scandinavia stayed on for an impressive 35 seconds... then crumbled to the ground

As anyone in the hockey world knows, everything is a competition, and this was no different. RMs competed to see who could flail around on the bull longest… and there are whispers that Torlief won the competition (prize is yet to be determined).

The convention continues today at GDI Headquarters, where gear and apparel will be among the topics of conversation.

GDI Regional Managers Convention

W Hotel in Dallas, where the RMs stayed

Currently, most of your Regional Managers are congregating in Dallas, Texas for the annual convention. As you know, this is where GDI Headquarters is located, and the annual conventions are key in crafting new ways to expand the GDI brand and give our customers what they really want and need. Certainly, if you have issues that you would like the RMs to discuss during this convention, leave it in a comment and we’ll see what can be done.

Today, the RMs are hitting the ice for some practice drills and trying new techniques that we can pass along at our camps. Summer camps are almost all completely booked, but if you have not reserved your place yet, you can do so here.

In recent news, GDI has signed a contract with the Dallas Stars who will now be sponsoring all Dallas regional camps. This year’s summer camps have been moved to a Dr. Pepper Stars Center arena, where RM Cam MacDonald will head the ice times.

Stay tuned for more info on what the RMs are up to in Dallas.

Welcome to the Official GDI Blog

GDI Corporate is entering the blogging world. There will be updates on everything new that is going on with the company, up and coming camps, camp reviews, new products, and where you can see anything and everything GDI. Just another way to Join the Revolution.