Successes of the Skills Academy

Over the last year, our small group has had the opportunity to do many interesting things. We've had the chance to bring the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders on the ice with us, as well as the local Junior A team, the Summerside Western Capitals. We've also been training on the synthetic ice surfaces at the University of Prince Edward Island. However, one of the most enjoyable and enriching opportunities that we've had has been our regular off-ice training sessions led by Dan Archibald.

Dan is a professional trainer who is currently working privately with pros such as Dion Phaneuf of the Ottawa Senators and Brett Gallant of the Columbus Blue Jackets, to name a few. He has welcomed us with open arms into his busy schedule more than a dozen times in order to share his expertise on the methods of training used by his professional clients. 

Our students thoroughly enjoy going through the gauntlet of his training circuits, because they are always given proper explanations of the “how and why” of each movement before getting started. Having Dan on the roster is an exciting addition to our program, partly for his knowledge of hockey-specific training, and mainly for his ability to keep it fun for the students. 

-- Marcel Landry, École Évangéline (Wellington, P.E.I.)