Helping Student Athletes Reach Their Highest Potential

​Journey to Excel is excited to offer a new opportunity for High Performance Athletes to train and stay at their home school.  Journey’s balanced approach to development will create a natural synergy with ambitious student athletes; we teach athleticism, and not just hockey. We recognize that true athleticism comes from skill, speed, fitness and determination, but also from proper recovery, mental health, nutrition, and social development.

Our hockey-specific training is second to none, and we have made it a priority to ensure that the other aspects of our program are also world class. Our HPP program is known for producing elite level hockey players - see our next level alumni below. Our resources in the forms of performance psychology, nutrition and sports medicine combine to create a program offering that is unparalleled.
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Our goal is to teach students athletes how to balance professional level training and a busy schedule- empowering them to take action in their own lives. We are focused on helping each person reach their highest potential, starting with how they train to be athletes.
Here is an introduction to our Journey to Excel High Performer Program.

The Program

The High Performer Program is truly unique in that it allows elite athletes to achieve competitive training in their sport while staying at their home school. Providing professional level on and off ice development. 

Athletic Component

We are constantly developing and fine-tuning the athletic program which includes the on ice training, off-ice training and seminars that incorporate  valuable components such as Sports/Performance Psychology and nutrition.

​Adrian and Jennifer oversee this athletic part of the High Performer Program and are committed to the positive development of each and every child in the program.

Journey to Excel's Head strength and conditioning coach - Steve McCollum is the Assistant  Strength Coach of the Toronto Sceptres and gives every athlete a professional training experience. 



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Who Can Apply

  • An individual who is committed to achieving both academic and athletic success
  • An individual committed to becoming the best version of themselves while advancing their hockey development
  • An individual who has been referred by a coach or trainer as being a “high performing athlete”

​Overview

Four days per week at the Ford Performance Centre (Monday to Thursday) | September 8th, 2026  to April 1st, 2027
​Each day includes either:
  •  On-ice skills session 
  •  Off-ice training session 
  • Either off-ice stickhandling & shooting, seminar with a guest instructor, or video review of games/on-ice skills

Term 1: September - December 

Term 2: December - March 
​Maximum group size is 12 players

​​On-Ice Training

​Main focus on technique; work on a variety of skill sets throughout the season including:
-Shooting (In stride, top speed, under pressure)
-Stick handling, deking and other puck skills
-Stride mechanics, edges and acceleration
-Puck protection, game situation and battle drills
-Small area games

Off-Ice Training

​Functional movement screen -  A system that documents movement patterns that are key to ‘normal’ function (Personalized gym session to meet each athletes needs)
              Identification of functional limitations and asymmetries
Explosive Lower body power
Upper body strength and Power
Core strength and endurance
Speed/agility
Aerobic/Anaerobic capacity
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​​Additional Resources Included

Sports/Performance Psychology: Sessions run by three-time Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist and Honours Harvard graduate, Jennifer Botterill.  
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  1. Sports Medicine: Pre-program screening with Live Active, is conveniently located in our facility (covered by OHIP)
  2. Journey to Excel Training Apparel:  Welcome bag with training shirt, shorts, shaker bottle, water bottle  | Hockey jersey  | Towel
  3. Nutritional guidance from experienced professionals 

​Contact Us for More Information

​​Please call or email us for additional information and pricing

Notable HPP Alumni

  • ​Will Cuylle - Windsor Spitfires -> New York Rangers
  • Sam O’Reilly - Kitchener Rangers -> Edmonton Oilers
  • Rory Kerins - Soo Grey Hounds -> Calgary Wranglers/Calgary Flames 
  • Danny Zhilkin - Guelph Storm -> Manitoba Moose / Winnipeg Jets 
  • Dima Zhilkin - Saginaw Spirit 
  • Michael Hage - Michigan -> Montreal Canadians 
  • Alexander Hage - Niagara Ice Dogs 
  • Willam Eggleton - Brampton Steelheads
  • Michael Dec - Erie Otters 
  • Ethan Czata - Niagara Ice Dogs -> Tampa Bay Lightning 
  • Leo Serlin - Guelph Storm 
  • Hayden Reid - Niagara Ice Dogs
  • Oliver Savard - Kitchener Rangers 
  • Chase Coughlan - Sudbury Wolves
  • Bodhi Ryan - Sudbury Wolves
  • Jonathan Castagna - Cornell - Utah Mammoth 
  • Charlie Ashcroft - Soo Grey Hounds - Yale 
  • Tyler Challenger - Erie Otters / Sarnia Sting 
  • Gabriel Frasca - Brantford Bull Dogs
  • Nick Frasca - Niagara Ice Dogs
  • Jacob Frasca - Barrie Colts - Toronto Marlies/ Toronto Maple Leafs 
  • Jordan Frasca - Kingston Frantenacs - Pittsburgh Penguins 
  • Zach Nyman - Brampton Steelheads 
  • Cole Zurawski - Owen Sounds Attack 
  • Kevin He - Flint Fire Birds

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