Nathan MacKinnon (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/8c258129-1da0-4ea0-b801-d1769b2ff3e7.jpeg] Nathan MacKinnon (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images) “The word high performance gets thrown around a lot.” High performance and Nathan MacKinnon go together like Batman and Robin or Tom Cruise and running. However, high performance is something that the Colorado Avalanche [https://www.nhl.com/avalanche/] superstar takes incredibly seriously. So seriously that, over the past decade, he has had a strength and conditioning coach. Bookmark The Hockey News Colorado Avalanche [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche] team site so you never miss the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/latest-news], game day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/game-day] coverage, and information on the Avalanche players [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/players]. And Andy O’Brien [https://www.eliteprospects.com/staff/23207/andy-o-brien], Chief Performance Officer, Cizzle Brands [https://www.cizzlebrands.com/], NHL Health & Performance Expert, and High-Performance Consultant for the Florida Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers], was the one MacKinnon wanted to partner with. “Sometimes it just gets attached to somebody who's performing at a really high level,” O’Brien told The Hockey News. But for him, high performance means something else entirely. “But to me, the word high performance is the level of detail and commitment you have to every small thing,” O’Brien said. “It really does take a lot of commitment.” TRENDING COLORADO AVALANCHE STORIES Avalanche Superstar Receives Accolade In Career Year [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/1d3c3f63-a858-48df-b145-1339d9b964d3.jpeg] Avalanche Superstar Receives Accolade In Career Year The NHL awards are nigh. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/latest-news/avalanche-superstar-receives-accolade-in-career-year] Ex-Avalanche Coach Offered New NHL Job [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/latest-news/ex-avalanche-coach-offered-new-nhl-job] 'I Didn't Create Anything': Jonathan Drouin Knows He Can Be Better [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/latest-news/i-didnt-create-anything-jonathan-drouin-knows-he-can-be-better] Nathan MacKinnon Breaks Avalanche Franchise Points Record [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/nathan-mackinnon-breaks-avalanche-franchise-record-for-most-points-in-a-season] Former Avalanche Goalie Has Regrettable Performance [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/latest-news/former-avalanche-goalie-has-regrettable-performance] Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon Becomes The 100th Player In NHL History To Score 1,000 Points [https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/deweb-519a7.appspot.com/o/posts%2FTHNHOME%2Fcontent-images%2F033b1074-c67c-4e35-92a5-f11808fd131e.webp?alt=media] Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon Becomes The 100th Player In NHL History To Score 1,000 Points Nathan MacKinnon became the latest NHL player to reach the 1,000-point plateau on Monday against the Chicago Blackhawks. He is the 100th player to have reached that milestone in NHL history. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/colorado-avalanches-nathan-mackinnon-becomes-the-100th-player-in-nhl-history-to-score-1000-points] According to O’Brien [https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/andy-obrien-the-muscle-whisperer//], MacKinnon has that detail and commitment in spades. “I think we've been working together for about 15 years now,” O’Brien revealed. “So it's been a long time, and he is just a phenomenal athlete. He's extremely dedicated to his craft…and his attention to detail in everything he does.” THE ENERGY THAT GOES INTO BEING ELITE There are a lot of details that casual observers don’t see, or even realize. O’Brien broke down some of the details that may not even cross the minds of hockey fans. “I think a lot of fans think the players just throw their skates on and go out there,” O’Brien told The Hockey News. “But, it's actually hours and hours of long, tedious work on things that can give you 1% advantage that compound over time.” “For an athlete, if it gives you a 1% advantage over the course of 365 days – compounded over 10 years – that's a 10% advantage. Which is a massive margin in a sport like hockey.” O’Brien revealed some choices that hockey players make that contribute to that one percent advantage. “(It) can be the type of water that you're drinking,” O’Brien said, “to anything you're putting in your body. From a hydration, nutrition standpoint, supplementation, to how you live, how you recover.” “What's going on with your mind? Some players are into meditation. Some players are using different technology and whatnot to try to calm their nervous system and create recovery. I think that's the part that you don't see behind the scenes.” MACKINNON CONNECTS WITH O'BRIEN ON SUPPLEMENT BRANDS This attention to detail by MacKinnon has resulted in him joining O’Brien in the creation of sports supplements. “He's been involved in some of the supplement brands that I've been involved in,” O’Brien said. “Cwench, being our hydration product, and Spoken being our sports nutrition line.” “And so it was really neat to be able to get involved in that with Nate and get his insight on formulations and experiences and the types of supplements that you know are needed to be to compete at a high level in hockey.” For O’Brien and MacKinnon, high performance isn’t a one time thing, it’s an everyday thing. And in O’Brien’s eyes, that’s what separates MacKinnon from everyone else. “I think it's just the continued everyday dedication and effort to your craft that's something that really makes Nate stand out.” Add us to your Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqLQgKIidDQklTRndnTWFoTUtFWFJvWldodlkydGxlVzVsZDNNdVkyOXRLQUFQAQ?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] favorites and never miss a story.
