Wild’s John Hynes Demands Intensity & Change in Training Camp – The Hockey Writers – Season Previews

Now that the Minnesota Wild training camp for the 2024-25 season has gotten underway, we’ve been able to see what type of coach John Hynes is when he’s able to train with his team without the added pressure of a started season and also trying to work with a team who’s previous coach was relieved of his duties. That can be an awkward situation, especially if the prior coach was well-liked by his roster. However, it’s part of the job, and Hynes took it in stride. 

He gave the team the respect they deserved and worked hard to earn their trust before making any big changes. Some may argue that everyone from the coach to the players is a professional and they have to work together, which is true, but a lot of respect has to go both ways for it to work cohesively. So, by Hynes observing the team first and learning the ins and outs, he showed he was willing to put in as much effort as the players do. 

It may be just the start of a very long season filled with early morning practices and late night games, but we’ve gotten a glimpse at what this team can do as well as their coach. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how Hynes has taken the reins and already demanded results before their first game for points. We’ll start with his intensity and move on from there. 

Hynes Runs on Intensity

The first thing someone will notice when attending Wild training camp is the intensity level Hynes runs it with. Practice does not feel relaxed; it’s all go, go, go, as an NHL practice should be. The drills he runs also don’t focus on one area, it’s multilayered to ensure they’re working every area they can because a game never goes to plan. 

Even if players know where they’re slotting in during the regular season, Hynes expects them to act like their spot is on the line. He wants the best out of them in every practice and wants to see the intensity come out in their practice so it translates to gameplay, especially their special teams. In his post-practice press conference, he talked about how they have a specific mindset that everyone is on the same page about.

“It’s something that we’ve talked with the players about, but it’s also what you emphasize gets done, so it’s understanding what we want to implement; we want a really fit and conditioned team, so we’re working on playing a lot of hockey drills that require the second and third effort deep, so a lot of the things we’re doing require those…