You don't want to look bad right off the bat. Montgomery says the testing can be quite competitive certain players show up at training camp knowing they have to make a good impression if they want to crack the team's NHL roster. They know who they have to beat for their jobs. Vincent Damphousse was always the highest in aerobic fitness. His goal was always to be number one.
Players sometimes return for more testing during the season.
If a player is recovering from an injury, Montgomery and his team can help pinpoint the areas the player needs to concentrate on to get back to peak condition. It's a good psychological ploy by management. When players know they'll have to undergo another assessment, they tend not to take it too easy during the break. Canadiens players also undergo roughly 100 treatments each year in the centre's hyperbaric oxygen chamber, which helps speed the healing process by increasing tissue oxygenation. Kinnear says team doctors establish close relationships with the players over the years.