Isaac Ratcliffe, Morgan Frost, and Joel Farabee. The one word that comes to mind when you look at that line is ‘talent’. While both Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee take center stage, the 6’6″-big-bodied power forward, Isaac Ratcliffe, is doing his best to impress the Flyers brass. I talked to Isaac 1-on-1 about his offseason, what he believes he brings to the ice and so much more. So without further ado, let’s dive right in.
Boyd: What has life been like following Developmental Camp back in June? Take me through your workout routine that helped keep you in shape.
Ratcliffe: “Pretty much after camp, I took about a week off. It was a long season. I didn’t really get too much rest. Obviously, going into camp you still want to be in shape for that and show them that you’re still ready to go at any time of the year. After that, I pretty much took a week off there and then got right back in the gym, right back on the ice. I started three days a week on the ice, five days a week in the gym and ramped that up to five and five. It was a busy summer for myself just back home in London training with a lot of pro guys back there. We have a great group. It was really exciting to get back home and even more exciting to get down here”.
Boyd: What do you believe you improved on most this offseason?
Ratcliffe: “I think I’ve gotten a lot stronger. I really tried to focus on those low corner battle drills, staying in front of the net and not really getting pushed off the puck. I think I added a little more weight too this summer which is a big help for that. That all came with the same offseason training I was doing over the years but as well as just my growth as a person. I focused on my skating a lot more this summer too to try and ramp that up and I think that’s starting to show a little more”.
Boyd: What do you believe you bring to the ice?
Ratcliffe: “I think I look at myself more as a power forward. Obviously, I’m a bigger guy, but I think at the same time I can add that skill game with it too. Getting to the net; using my hands in those tight areas when it comes in front of the net. Those are big parts of the game. Trying to get out of the zone, get in the zone and control the puck as much as you can. I think that’s one part of the game I try to focus on. Controlling the puck a little more, getting it to the net and getting my body to the net as well”.
Boyd: What do you need to improve on most leading up to the regular season?
Ratcliffe: “I think I need to focus more on the pace of the game. Moving out of junior, it’s going to be a lot faster pace. I just have to get used to that coming into camp here and moving into the season as well. I need to show that I can keep up with that and push that even more than I’m doing right now”.
Boyd: How excited are you to be back with the Phantoms this year?
Ratcliffe: “I’m really pumped up for that. I got a fair taste of it down there for a couple of weeks at the end of the year two years ago and that really got me a little more excited for it coming up to this time now. Transitioning into pros is huge for me. It’s really exciting. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time”.
