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Prince George, B.C. – It was exhausting just watching them.

That’s this reporters’ take on the exercise regimen facing returning Prince George Cougars players and prospects today at the Charles Jago Northern Sports Centre.

Prince George Cougars General Manager Todd Harkins

Today through the end of tomorrow, the players are undergoing extensive off-ice training.

“We’ve brought the players in a couple of days early prior to the start of camp Friday just to do some physical testing to see how they’ve trained throughout the summer,” says Cougars general manager Todd Harkins.

“We have a tough job as a Western league franchise to monitor their development over the course of the summer so this is how we do it, we test them when they come back and see how much work they put in.”

And so far he likes what he sees. “This is our second year doing it so all the guys who returned knew that this was going to happen so they’ve really put the time and the effort in and they’ve made some real strides.”

Harkins says the big challenge for players today is the Wingate Test.

“It’s basically a 30 second test and they do a percentage of their body weight and that’s the poundage that goes onto the resistance of the bike,” he says. “It basically shows your ability to get through a shift. A shift is usually between 30 and 45 seconds long. It’s a good measuring stick.”

Once the off-ice training is done, he can’t wait for the season to start.

“We’re really excited. It’s like the season never ended last year, the summer months you go through them but you’re always working, always trying to make your team better,” says Harkins.

“We’ve been doing that ever since we ended versus Victoria. Now the kids are here, the city seems excited, so we just want to hit the ground running.”