Roman Jossi, 34, admits that his off-season training hasn’t changed much over the years.
The Nashville Predators captain has over 900 games of NHL experience and knows what his body needs during a long summer.
“I’m not going to build muscle like I did when I was 26 or 27,” Joshi said of his training. “As you get older, you move away from strength training and building muscle.”
So what does the offseason training look like for the 13-year veteran who was a Norris Trophy finalist for the third time in his career this season?
“For me, the mental side of the game has become more important these days,” Joshi said.
Roman Josi has made meditation his main training regimen during the off-season
Joshi continues to train five days a week over the summer, but says his main focus is on mental training and meditation.
“The more I take care of the mental side of things, the better I’ll be as a person and a hockey player,” he said.
Joshi says he was encouraged to start meditating after a conversation with former team psychiatrist Dr. Aaron Jeckel, and since meditation is practiced by many professional athletes, including LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Novak Djokovic, Joshi decided to add it to his routine.
“I wanted to be more mentally focused and more mentally sharp, so (Jeckel) gave me the app to try out,” he said.
Now, meditation is as much a part of Joshi’s training as cardio and core exercises, and he brings in a mental coach to keep him in shape.
“At first, I only did it for 10 minutes a day,” Joshi says, “but gradually I started meditating more and now I sometimes do it twice a day.”
Why Roman Jossi didn’t get much ice time this offseason
After the Predators’ season ended with a 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of a playoff series in early May, Josi was back on the ice less than a week later, representing Team Switzerland at the IIHF World Championship.
Jossi played 10 times for Switzerland, scoring three goals and providing nine assists, but the team lost 2-0 to the Czech Republic in the gold medal match.
After an 82-game NHL season, playoffs and an extended tour of Switzerland that concluded on May 26, Jossi said he’s ready to hang up his skates.
“I’m not going to do anything for a while,” he said.
When will he be back on the ice to prepare for next season?
“To be honest with you, it probably won’t be before the end of July,” Joshi said.
Two full months away from the ice may seem like a long time for a professional hockey player, but Josi says it’s necessary to protect his body and mind. Along with meditation, a month or two without structured training gives his body a chance to rest before the rigors of practice begin again in the fall.
“I’m still working on my explosiveness, conditioning and speed,” he said, “but the most important thing for me is to come into the season feeling fresh both physically and mentally.”
More information from JOSI:What the Nashville Predators want to improve this summer, from Roman Josi to Juuse Saros
Yoshi has a small home gym that he added during the COVID-19 pandemic, and like all players, he has access to the Predators’ gym at Bridgestone Arena. When he returns home to Switzerland, where he and his family have a second home, he has access to top-notch gym facilities to keep him in shape.
By the time the Predators return to Nashville for training camp in September, Josi should be ready for his 14th NHL season, and being mentally prepared in the offseason will go a long way in helping him handle the rigors of leading a team on and off the ice.
“There are a lot of emotions going on during the season and sometimes you get carried away and say or do things,” Joshi said. “I still get emotional easily and I still do or say things that I regret or say things that were not appropriate in the moment. But (meditation) has helped me grow a little bit and put things into perspective.”
