Elementor #5111

At 30 years old, I was forced to retire from the game I loved. My body was broken, and mentally I was struggling to figure out what to do with my life.

I was lost. I couldn’t imagine being done with the game, but I didn’t see how I could keep playing. My body felt so bad; it just didn’t seem possible.

I’d trained during my career, but it was running and bodyweight training. My diet was like everyone in that era, pizza and wings after 18 holes on the course.

I was in pain and out of shape, and I couldn’t imagine living like this, never mind playing hockey .

I was working a job part-time trying to sort out my life after hockey but I wasn’t passionate about it and I couldn’t see myself spending the rest of my life on phone calls.

A friend convinced me to fly to Colorado to try a new therapy method. I was reluctant but I thought about spending the rest of my life in an office and knew I had to go.

I spent 6 hours a day on the treatment table in excruciating pain. Slowly my body improved, and I was ready to start training.

I hired a strength coach who, over the next several months, taught me how to eat and train. I wasn’t sure I could make a comeback, but I had to try.

I can remember dropping off the pull-up bar after finishing a set. My coach looked at me and said, “You’re going to play in the NHL again”.

That was the first time I thought I could actually make a comeback.

I realized that if I ate, trained, and lived right, I could come back and play. Not just play but be an impact player.

I understood the importance of training, nutrition, and lifestyle. I started to refine it.

Over the upcoming years, I refined and developed the FTR Method.

The FTR Method allowed me to play another 13 seasons in the NHL before I decided to retire on my own terms.

I met a driven young man named Steven Stamkos in my last year. He would go on to be one of the greatest captains in NHL history but, at that time, was an 18-year-old kid trying to get strong enough to make the NHL.

He trained with me every day that off-season and showed up the next season as a completely new player. Two Stanley Cups later the rest speaks for itself.

It was at that point that I knew I needed to start working with more players. I could help them to avoid some of the injuries I experienced but also make them unstoppable on the ice.

Over the last 10 years, we’ve helped hundreds of NHL players and thousands of minor hockey players elevate their game. It started in the garage, but we’ve expanded to help players all over the world.

Now you can work with us from anywhere through our Elite Online Off-Season Program.

What is the Elite Online off-season Program?

Our Elite Online Off-Season Program is a chance to work with the GR Team from wherever you call home.

Over the years, we would talk with players around the world that wanted to train with us but couldn’t make it to Toronto. We knew that we could help, and so we decided to invest and set up a system that could offer the same quality training and nutrition that we’ve become known for but from a distance.

We never wanted the location to prevent a player from achieving their goals on and off the ice.

Using modern training technology, we’re able to design custom programs for your city.