The 2009 hockey season has begun and it's only fitting that RIVALUS products are seen scattered around NHL locker rooms. Among the many supporters, at the forefront is the high-profile personal trainer and NHL's Flordia Panthers strength and conditioning coach, Craig Slaunwhite. Slaunwhite has long been a supporter of the RIVALUS brand and consistently uses RIVALUS products as a key component to his training programs.

Craig grew up playing hockey from a very young age and his passion is still as strong as ever. With his recent appointment as strength and conditioning coach for the Panthers, Craig is more excited than ever to take his illustrious career to the next level.

Craig has been formally trained in kinesiology and then as a Doctor of Chiropractic from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. Throughout his education he perfected his training techniques and cut his teeth as a personal trainer in Toronto concentrating on strength and conditioning programs for elite athletes from both the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League.

RIVALUS CEO and Founder, Dr. Darren Burke, now lends his assistance to Craig on a regular basis combining his expertise in sports nutrition with Craig's seemingly endless knowledge of physical conditioning. "Craig is an amazing trainer, he knows his stuff, he's a no-nonsense guy, and he takes a lot of pride in training his people the right way and in a safe way," said Dr. Burke in a phone interview. "It's great to see such a young guy in that position; he brings a new school of thought to training and I think that has a lot to do with his success to date."

Craig sat down in an interview recently to discuss his new position. "I don't consider what I do as a job, it's a huge challenge but it's really a lot of fun," says Slaunwhite. "I get huge satisfaction in working with the best hockey players in the world and the ultimate reward is seeing real results and bringing these guys to where they want to be physically."

Despite his light-hearted attitude toward his work, Craig does not take his responsibility lightly and proceeds with a fully educated approach when it comes to nutrition. "In terms of dietary supplementation, it's no secret, it plays a huge role in a player's development. However, with current NHL doping policies, it's harder and harder to select a product you can genuinely trust especially when we're talking about potential Olympic athletes."

"I was a bit hesitant at first but after I saw the research, the effects, and the substantiation behind the safety of these products, I knew I was on to something big," explained Craig with the utmost conviction as he justified only recommending RIVALUS products for his players.

Dr. Burke has asked Craig to be a regular column contributor to the RIVALUS website and newsletter. Visit RIVALUS.net often to learn more about Craig's NHL training techniques.