CATCHING UP WITH THE 'CUDA: MIKE BRODZINSKI
Jul 24, 2018Once the 2017-18 season concluded, each Barracuda player returned to his hometown or offseason hangout. Moving forward, each week sjbarracuda.com will check in with a different Barracuda player and see what he is up to this summer. This week we catch up with defenseman Mike Brodzinski.
Where do you spend your offseason?
I live in Blaine, Minnesota and I train in Eagan, Minnesota.
What’s the best thing about being back home for the summer?
It’s always nice to see the family and get back together with everyone. My brother has a wedding this summer, so it’s going to be fun going to that too.
What’s a day in the life of Mike Brodzinski during the offseason?
We usually wake up around 7 a.m., go work out ‘till about 11:30ish, and then Monday, Wednesday, Friday I skate at 11:30 and relax the rest of the day.
Do you skate and train with your brother Jonny?
Yes, I do.
Your brother is getting married this summer, are you feeling any pressure yourself to tie the knot with your girlfriend soon?
Michael Brodzinski's OT buzzer-beater on October 22, 2017 comes in at #4 on our countdown of the top 5 goals of 2017-18. pic.twitter.com/CI5xRx0Low
— San Jose Barracuda (@sjbarracuda) June 19, 2018
(Laughs) No, no I’ve got a couple more years left before I start thinking about that. He’s two years older so I’ve got some time.
What’s your favorite summer activity away from hockey and training?
Golf for sure! My brothers, dad and I are really competitive when it comes to golf.
Do you fish too?
Yep, we hunt and fish too in the summers. We try and go up north as much as possible to try and fish up there.
What’s your summer training regime look like?
Potzy (Mike Potenza) emails us the workouts so I’ll do those in the morning before getting on the ice and then we can do the fun stuff in the afternoons.
Using this offseason to prep for next year, what are your goals going into next season?
The main goal is always to be on the big club with the Sharks, but I want to establish myself as a reliable defenseman this year.
What was your fondest memory from last season?
From a personal standpoint, I liked how my defensive game really began to grow last year. People always say the offense will come but you’ve got to take care of the d-zone first, you’ve got to get it out of your own end before you can create offense.
When are you planning on getting back to San Jose?
I’m planning on getting out to San Jose in late August early September. I’ll arrive a week or so before training camp begins.