CATCHING UP WITH THE 'CUDA: ANTOINE BIBEAU
Jul 17, 2018
Once 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 goaltender Antoine Bibeau.
Where are you spending your summer? When the season ended, I spent the first couple of weeks back home in Victoriaville, Quebec. I was able to see my family and friends, but I workout in Prince Edward Island (PEI) and spend most of the summer there. I’ll go back home one more time before I get back to San Jose for training camp.
Do you own a home in PEI? I don’t currently, but I have been looking. I’ll probably end up buying something next year.
What does your training regime look like this summer? It’s the second summer I’ve trained at a place called Dynamic Fitness with a guy named Dave MacEachern who’s a bit of an Olympic legend in Canada. There’s a handful of pro guys that train there too, including Ryan Graves, Ross Johnston, and Zach MacEwen. Dave’s wife is a hot yoga instructor at a studio across the street called Hot Athletica, so I’ve been doing a lot of yoga and Pilates classes that incorporate flexibility along with cardio training. I’ve focused on everything from resistance, lower body, upper body, recovery, flexibility and so on. The hot pilates classes run for about 45 minutes and include interval jumping, pushups, etc. After I’m done, I’m leaking sweat (laughs),
Have you spoken to Evgeni Nabokov this summer? I have a couple of times. Every time I’m on the ice, it’s recorded, so I’ve been able to send him the video.
Have you talked to any of your teammates this summer? I have! I spoke to Midds (Jacob Middleton) and Brodz (Michael Brodzinski). I also spoke to Bergy (Julius Bergman) and Helewka (Adam) after they were traded.
What was your fondest memory from last season? Just how close-knit the group was. We all got along and hung out away from the rink. Also, the playoff run. We were virtually out of the race and going on that winning streak and getting into the playoffs was pretty special.
What do you like to do in PEI when you’re not training? I’m not great, but I love to golf. PEI is beautiful so I’ll go to the beach and explore the area too.
What are your goals for next season? I don’t want to set too many personal goals because they’ll come with team success. I just want to work hard and have fun, and everything else will follow. I do want to prove to the Sharks organization during training camp that I can make the leap to the NHL if they need me. If I’m with the Barracuda, I want to compete for a Calder Cup and I'd love to win 30 games.
Were you happy for your former teammates in Toronto who won the Calder Cup this season? Absolutely, I have a lot of friends still on that team, and I was happy for them. They had a great group, and they deserved the result.
Seeing the Marlies go all the way, does that give you hope this team can do the same? For sure, we’re young but skilled and have all the ability to go a long way in the playoffs and compete for a Calder Cup. Last years playoff run was a great example of how good we can be when we play the right way.
When are you planning on returning to San Jose? I’ll be in PEI until August 6th-ish, and then I’ll go back to Victoriaville for a bit before heading to San Jose. I’ve probably got to buy a car, so I’ll get there around September 1.