San Jose Sharks assistant captain Mario Ferraro says the team is closer and more competitive than he's ever seen.
San Jose Sharks assistant captain Mario Ferraro says the team is closer and more competitive than he's ever seen.
San Jose Sharks assistant captain Mario Ferraro says the team is closer and more competitive than he's ever seen.
In five seasons with the Sharks, Ferraro has seen many players come through and back out of the locker room. The defenseman says the organization's standard has gone up.
"I think the more important thing in the last five years that I've been here, it felt like there was not as much bond that transferred from the locker room or outside the rink to on the ice," Ferraro told THN. "I feel like every year that goes by, especially this summer and this offseason in this camp, it does feel like we're starting to connect a little more. I mean not just on the ice, like transferring from in the locker room, the treatment room, and the weight room. It feels like guys are on the same page here in camp."
Head coach Ryan Warsofsky skated his players heavily during his first camp to build a competitive culture and bond within the team. Ferraro says it is working.
"What I think has really brought us together isn't necessarily who's here and the same guys being here and knowing each other. I think it's just the standard that the organization is putting on this group, and that's really important," Ferraro explained. "Carrying ourselves with a certain standard, being respectful with the people around us, within each other, teammates, people around the rink, the staff. I just feel like it's the overall standard of this organization in general that's raising the bar."
When asked about Ferraro's words, Warsofsky was happy to hear that his message resonated with one of the Sharks' leaders.
"We still have a ways to go. We still [have to] continue to build our habits," Warsofsky said. "I hope that's the case. I hope Mario's saying that, at some point, we've got to be sick and tired of what's going on. We've got to be sick and tired of losing and doing the same thing over and over. Things have to change. [That's] kind of been the message."
Ferraro emphasized that nobody wants to skate after drills. He enjoys that feeling and says hating to lose is all about who wants to win more.
"The loser is skating right now. So I think that's really getting us in that mentality of, whether it's a practice, a game, or even stuff outside the rink, to have that competitive nature," Ferraro said."It seems like a weird thing to say to work on your competitiveness. Like we're in the NHL, everybody here is already competitive, but at the end of the day, it's wants it more. I think we're working on that."
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