Gary Roberts To Oversee Sports Performance Center At UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The Pittsburgh Penguins will open a new practice facility in Cranberry Township later this year.
Today, the team announced Gary Roberts will "oversee the philosophy and off-ice training regimen" at the Sports Performance Center at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.
Gary Roberts helped the Penguins reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 2008. He was selected by the Calgary Flames 12th overall in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft.
Roberts, 48, retired after playing 30 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2008-09 season.
It's not common for a player to last 20 years in the NHL for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons Roberts played that long was due to a strict training program,
According to a statement from the Penguins, Roberts will work with full-time UPMC staff to assist hockey players at all levels and ages.
"I love the city and the fans of Pittsburgh," said Roberts. "These are philosophies I honed during my career and afterward. I'm thrilled to team up with UPMC to bring philosophies and programs that we've put in place to train, develop and mentor athletes from the youth levels all the way to the professional ranks."
On why Gary Roberts is coming back to PIT: "Probably the WWGRD bracelets people have. My son is still walking around with those things."
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 11, 2015
Roberts has worked with many current NHL stars during the offseason since he retired from the NHL.
He will also continue to run the Gary Roberts High Performance Centre in Toronto.
"We are pleased to have Gary Roberts join the sports medicine staff at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex as we work with athletes of all ages and skill levels to maximize performance and minimize injury," said Vonda Wright, M.D., medical director of the complex. "Our focus is not only on skills to carry onto the ice but total body preparation."
Roberts joined the Starkey and Mueller Show to talk about his role in the Pens new practice facility and also talked about what he has seen from the Pens this year.
When asked by Joe if he'd help him and Chris work out and get in shape, Roberts jumped at the opportunity.
"We'll make sure we take it easy," Roberts said about Joe, but offered no such treatment for Chris.
Roberts also gave Starkey and Mueller some foods they should be eating and the type of exercises they should be doing.
Click the audio link below to hear more from Roberts about the nutrition and fitness side of what he does as well