Godlewski Attends Blackhawks' Prospects Camp

Princeton sophomore defenseman Matt Godlewski is completing a week at the Chicago Blackhawks 2008 Prospect Camp. Godlewski is one of 44 players at the camp and the week has included on-ice instruction, scrimmaging, off-ice training and some fun in the Chicago area.

Godlewski is one of 17 Free Agent invitees to the camp, while the other players were all either Chicago draft picks over the past few seasons, or players currently under contract with the team. There are 16 current college players at the camp and Godlewski was the lone representative from an ECAC school.

We caught up with Godlewski for a Q&A last night on the second-to-last day of the camp.

When and how did you find out that you had received an invitation to the camp?

I heard about the invite about a month and a half ago, on the day I left campus for summer vacation. I got a call from Coach Fisher inquiring if I would be interested in attending the Blackhawks prospect camp, and needless to say, besides checking for scheduling issues, i didn't need to think twice about going. I got a call about a week later from the team's G.M., with the official invite, and the rest took care of itself.

What was the daily schedule over the course of the week?

The schedule for the week started off really intense. We had an orientation meeting on Sunday night when we all arrived, and Monday consisted of all off-ice physical and fitness testing. They started the morning off by conducting a series of individual physical tests that consisted of bloodwork, psychological testing, pulmonary function testing, optical evaluation, a head-to-toe evaluation with an orthopedic surgeon, and a standard physical with a physician. The fitness testing was extremely intense. The bulk of it consisted of two different tests. The first is the ‘wingate' bike test that is also used at the NHL draft combine. You bike as hard as you can at a high level of difficulty for 30 seconds, and then immediately get off the bike. You then have blood drawn to evaluate the level of lactic acid in your system. This is used to determine if you are a naturally ‘elite' athlete. The second test was the ‘VO2' bike test, where you bike until fatigue, with a mask over your face measuring your oxygen intake. The test can take anywhere from 8-13 minutes, and it is designed to measure your muscular output in relation to your oxygen intake and heart rate. After those tests, we tested vertical jump, broad jump, 10-yard sprint, plyometrics, bench press and pull-ups. The rest of the week consisted of one standard scrimmage each day from 11-2 p.m., followed by nightly activities such as going to a Cubs game and touring downtown Chicago on the river on the team owner's yacht. It was absolutely fantastic.

What was the tone of the camp? What were they looking for?

The tone of the camp was extremely intense. A lot of the guys there were competing for spots on either the Blackhawks roster or their American Hockey League affiliate, so it was a very fast paced and intense week. During the orientation, the G.M. told us all that they weren't only looking to evaluate our on-ice capabilities, but also our off-ice character and demeanor. So for the entire week, we were evaluated 24 hours a day.

Were there any old friends and/or enemies that you ran into?

Surprisingly enough, I didn't know anybody else at the camp. It was a bit awkward coming in and meeting all of the professional hockey players, but everyone was really helpful at making the transition for the week. By the second day I felt right at home.

Talk about the mix of guys at the camp, some like yourself are younger and undrafted while others are older players, already in the Minors?

There was a large mix of hockey players at the camp, consisting mostly of players from their AHL affiliate, draft picks, and Canadian major junior players looking to sign a contract. Hockey is a sport that is getting younger and younger, so there were a lot of 18-21 year olds, and probably 10-15 guys who were a bit older. Of the 18 defensemen at the camp, only four were unsigned by the Blackhawks organization, so it was a great experience to get to play along side elite athletes.

Talk about putting on an NHL team's jersey for the first time at the camp?

When we were getting ready for our first scrimmage, I had put all of my equipment on, and I put on my jersey just as routinely as I always have. It actually didn't hit me until I stood up to go out onto the ice and I looked down and saw the Blackhawks logo on the front of the jersey, which definitely gave me the chills! The feeling was awesome, but definitely bittersweet. It was a privilege to be able to be playing at an NHL camp and wearing the uniform, but at the same point in time, there is the realization of the long road ahead to actually get there. Nonetheless, I feel extremely fortunate to have the experience that I did that first day.

Was there anything that you picked up in the week that you would bring back to your teammates here at Princeton?

Any time you step on the ice, there is always something that you can learn from your teammates that you can use to better your game. It happened all year at Princeton, and it was the same in Chicago. It was especially nice for me to be able to watch some of the older defensemen who are signed by the Blackhawks, to be able to evaluate them, see what I can learn from them and incorporate it into my game.

Overall, how do you think you did over the week?

Overall, I think I had a great week at camp, and I'm really happy with the way I played. It is always nice to be a player and get a compliment from a coach, but to be at an NHL camp and receive compliments from coaches and G.M.'s is something that is really special. It was a privilege to be able to attend, and I'm really grateful that the coaching staff here at Princeton could help me get there. I was extremely proud to represent the Princeton hockey program.