Back on the ice in Orono

ORONO - Brian Flynn put it in simple terms.

"The most conditioned team is probably going to win the majority of the games," said Flynn, a forward on the University of Maine men's hockey team.

During the offseason, that's one of the things Flynn focused on, in order to return to Maine for his sophomore season. Practices began Thursday in Orono, after the team's media day at Alfond Arena.

Flynn trained four days a week with Boston University conditioning coach Mike Boyle, who runs his own strength and conditioning company and who has worked with professional and Olympic athletes.

In addition, Flynn focused on strength training and put on 10 pounds of muscle.

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Gustav Nyquist learned a little about the NHL life this summer, as he attended the Detroit Red Wings' prospect development camp this summer.

"I found out how much you have to work in order to get to the NHL, and being able to go to Red Wings camp was a good experience."

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Klas Leidermark got a unique welcome on media day. While the freshman from Sweden was being interviewed by one of the Bangor-area television stations, defenseman Mike Banwell came from behind and pied Leidermark with a plate full of shaving cream (some of which ended up on the sleeve of my jacket). Leidermark was a good sport about it, and continued the interview.

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Summer meant offseason training, but also meant some travel for several of the Black Bears.

Sophomore goalie Scott Darling drove more than 1,400 miles, from Maine to Minnesota with stops in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan and Iowa ... then turned around and drove back to New England.

"I kind of made a figure-eight across half of the United States," Darling said of the trip, which cost him nearly $500 in gas money.

Darling lived in North Andover, Mass., over the summer, in a house with seven other Division I goalies, and worked at Brian Daccord's Stop It Goaltending Schools.

Flynn played a lot of golf in suburban Boston, and Tanner House took in the Calgary Stampede, one of Canada's largest rodeo events.

Robby Dee and Jeff Dimmen each visited California - Dee to San Francisco and Dimmen to Los Angeles.

"I went to Rodeo Drive," Dimmen said. "I only bought a cheeseburger there. Everything else was too expensive."

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