Tim Kennedy

Forward Tim Kennedy bent over amid a punishing conditioning skate at the end of the first session at Washington Capitals training camp. Tim Leone | tleone@pennlive.com

ARLINGTON, Va. – With hard 45-minute practices followed by a grueling conditioning skate, new Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz delivered a message during the first on-ice sessions of 2014-15 training camp.

"

I think he's trying to make sure that the work ethic and the battle level is up," Hershey Bears head coach Troy Mann said, "bringing that type of mentality that he's coached with over the years."

Said Trotz: "It wasn't an easy day and it wasn't supposed to be an easy day."

The conditioning skate involved skating the length of the rink down and back twice and then back through the red line.

The players were timed and only had to do it three times if they met the times: 38 seconds on the first trip, 38 seconds on the second and 41 seconds on the third. They had to do it two more times – five times total -- if they didn't meet the time on just one trip.

"

It definitely was a good skate," Bears winger Garrett Mitchell said. "Obviously, we prepared for that in the summertime. We knew it was coming. It wasn't something that they just threw in at us. We prepared for it. At the same time, it doesn't make it any easier. It's still a tough skate.

"

Barry, there's some things he wants to come in and change. Definitely, after the first day you can tell that it's going to be a working group. That's exciting for a guy like me."

Mann helped keep track of times and said he was impressed, in particular, by the conditioning of Nate Schmidt, Cameron Schilling, Jason Chimera and Chris Conner.

"

I think Barry did a great job of setting a tone here today," Caps GM Brian MacLellan said. "I thought even more importantly than what went on with the testing was the morale that seemed to develop as the tests were going on."

Three separate squads went through three separate workouts. Mann was on the ice with the first squad, Bears assistant coach Bryan Helmer was on with the second and Bears assistant coach Ryan Murphy was on with the third.

Mann, who also watched the two sessions when he wasn't on the ice, observed the proceedings with Hershey's potential roster in mind.

"

Especially that second and third [group], it's almost better to be up top watching," Mann said.

"

You're paying more attention to the guys that could potentially be in Hershey here, whether it's a week from now or two weeks from now."

The Caps open their exhibition season Sunday when the Buffalo Sabres visit Verizon Center . They follow with exhibition games at Philadelphia Monday and at Boston Wednesday.

An initial wave of camp cuts is expected after the Boston game.

Sept. 28 is scheduled to be reporting day at Giant Center for Hershey's training camp. On-ice workouts are slated to begin Sept. 29.

"

I was really happy with their overall conditioning and the battle," Trotz said.