BostonBruins.com – Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference is not going to have much time to relax on the couch this summer, thanks to a steady dose of Krav Maga workouts and triathlon training.

Ference

Ference began using the Israeli self-defense system a couple years ago in order to diversify his training. He noted that traditional workouts don’t always prepare hockey players for all aspects of the sport.

“I’ve used it for training camp…just to kind of sharpen my mind up and get some reaction and some quick thinking under my belt before hockey started because I felt I’ve been spending so much time in the gym and just doing really structured workouts,” he said. “You get stronger, but I feel like you lose the quick thinking that hockey takes.”

In addition to Krav Maga, Ference is also preparing for a triathlon in Marlborough on June 10th. Olympian Jarrod Shoemaker, the event’s co-founder and a close friend of Ference, has agreed to provide some assistance with the physical challenge.

“He gave me an easy job – all I have to do is bike,” Ference said of Shoemaker. “He’s doing the running and the swimming portion because I sink like a rock when I try to swim.”

The triathlon and martial arts training are part of a concerted effort by Ference to keep things lively in a long offseason.

“With an early exit in the playoffs, I think that you really have to start to get creative,” he said. “There’s so much time to fill in with workouts and getting ready for next season that my main focus is to keep it fresh, keep the workouts fresh and keep the training fresh so that you don’t plateau.”

Aside from training, the 33-year-old has also found time to add to his bevy of tattoos.

“Idle time creates more tattoos,” Ference remarked. “I had some empty area[s] that needed some filling, so I got a really good artist up in Cambridge at Pino Bros who squeezed me into their schedule, and it’s a work in progress.”

Ference also has some travel plans in his future, including former-Bruin Dennis Wideman’s wedding. Most of his time, however, will be spent at his home in Canada as he prepares for next season.

In the meantime, the Bruins defenseman will also be keeping busy with his new Twitter account, trying to promote environmentally friendly practices such as composting, recycling, and public transportation.

Ference said that he wanted to make sure he could fully commit himself to using the social media site before opening an account.

“I figure it’s one of those things you either don’t do it at all or else you do it right.”

---Travis Basciotta