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. ;)