DeBlouw Aces Fitness Exams at NHL Combine

DeBlouw, who finished his second season as a Muskegon Lumberjack this spring, tested in the top 10 among 105 draft-eligible players in six categories, including lower-body power, upper-body strength and body fat percentage.

"Matt's natural ability is very good, but he put in a ton of hard work and bought into what we're doing here in Muskegon," said Lumberjacks Assistant Coach Dave Noel-Bernier, who runs the team's strength and conditioning program. "It's just great to see him succeed at the combine and represent us well."

In the Wingate stationary bike test, DeBlouw finished with the second-best peak power, displaying the lower-body strength he developed in the L.C. Walker Arena weight room. The Wingate is considered one of the toughest tests at the NHL Combine, which concluded Saturday in Toronto and featured representatives from all 30 NHL teams.

"[Team representatives] are watching just about everything you do at the physical testing," said DeBlouw, who wrote a blog about his NHL Combine experience for MuskegonLumberjacks.com. "I woke up about two hours before my alarm Saturday morning, so I'd say I was ready to go."

In addition to maxing out in the power department, DeBlouw was also consistently strong on the Wingate bike, averaging the seventh-best power output over a 30-second span. "The [bike tests] were just as hard as I expected because I knew you had to push as hard as possible," DeBlouw said. He also ranked highly in two upper-body strength categories, showing that his fitness profile is well-rounded. In pull strength, DeBlouw was seventh according to body weight, and his right-hand grip strength rated out as sixth. Leanness was another positive for DeBlouw, as he shined in both the traditional (ninth-best) and modern (seventh-best) body fat tests. He was determined to have only 7.5 percent body fat, just shy of the lowest numbers generated at the combine. "He's heading into college as strong as ever," Noel-Bernier said. "He came in two years ago without much strength training experience, but he leaves as one of our best-conditioned athletes." For a look at the top-10 finishers in all categories, click here. According to NHL Central Scouting's final 2011-12 rankings, DeBlouw is the 11th-best draft-eligible USHL skater. His overall North American ranking of No. 51 means he will likely be chosen in the middle rounds of the NHL Draft, which takes place June 22-23 in Pittsburgh.

In his second year with the Lumberjacks, DeBlouw led the team in assists (23) and was second in total points with 34. The 18-year-old from Chesterfield, Mich., is committed to play for Michigan State University in the fall.

The Lumberjacks have reduced the price of season ticket plans for the 2012-13 campaign to just $200! That's an average of only $6.25 for each of next season's 32 home contests, but the offer only lasts until June 16. Contact the Jacks' ticket office at 231.724.JACK for more information.

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United States Hockey League Stories from June 4, 2012

• DeBlouw Aces Fitness Exams at NHL Combine - Muskegon Lumberjacks
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