Written by: Scott Savard
Headline photo: Scott Savard
Okotoks, AB (March 25, 2026) – The Okotoks Oilers Strength and Conditioning Coach, Keegan Kanzig, brings his expertise to the Green and Gold each week as he gets the squad in tip-top shape with his workout training.
Kanzig knows what it takes to get your body to perform at its best, playing five seasons in the WHL, including two seasons with the Calgary Hitmen, and wearing the “A” during his final season with the Hitmen. He would end up getting drafted in the third round of the 2013 NHL draft by the Calgary Flames. Kanzig would continue his hockey journey with two seasons with the Stockton Heat of the AHL, as well as the San Diego Gulls. He would also play multiple seasons in the ECHL with the Adirondack Thunder, Florida Everglades, and the Idaho Steelheads. Kanzig finished off his playing career in Austria during the 2021-2022 season, claiming the ICEHL Championship in his final season with EC Salzburg.
“It was a few years back. I reached out wanting to work with the junior team in town. Talked to (Tyler) Deis (Okotoks Oilers Head Coach and GM) about it and, kind of a trial run the first year, and it seemed to work out. I enjoyed it. The team seemed to see some value in what I was able to provide. So kind of went from there,” Kanzig said about how he got involved with the Oilers.
While Kanzig currently lives north, in Calgary, he does see himself becoming a full-time Okotoks resident in the future, as he enjoys the area.
“I like Okotoks, I can see myself coming down here. So I do a lot of my work in town here. So, like the drive for now from Calgary,” he added. “A bit smaller than the city. I grew up in a smaller town, so the smaller community feel. Seems to be good people down here, and like the area, it’s a nice city.”
When asked about his time playing pro hockey, Kanzig was quick to point out the help he had along the way, including the strength and conditioning coaches.
“I fortunately had some really good strength coaches in my time playing in junior and throughout pro. I absorbed a lot through them as far as the strength conditioning side. Then, just good habits, being a pro or a good junior player that you can kind of take further into your career too, the commitment it takes, and habits in the gym is kind of my focus with the guys,” Kanzig explained.
Kanzig took a keen interest in the aspects of off-ice training early in his career, which now players who train with him get to benefit from.
“I feel like that was a strength of mine was the gym condition side, when I was playing. It was something I took a lot of pride in. So it was good, the transition for me. Something I can bring value to the player as they’re developing. It’s kind of a passion for me. The coaching side, I didn’t think would have been as good of a fit, and I kind of found a niche in the strength conditioning,” he continued.
“I always liked it. I liked being active as a kid. When you’re younger, it’s more about playing sports, but as I got a little bit older, it was something that I knew would help my game, right? The focus was always hockey, and I knew it was a big part of the game, being strong and fit. So, I took a lot of pride in it, and it just kind of snowballed as I got older. ”
His passion for helping the next generation of hockey players is clear, as Kanzig also works shift work, but said it’s important to him to help out the Oilers, as it keeps him in the game of hockey and high-level junior hockey. He also added that seeing the team after a tough day or shift is uplifting, which helps with the balance.
The workout that Kanzig implements for the Green and Gold changes throughout the week, as in-depth training is catered to their schedule.
“It changes. So the closer we get to a game day, kind of lighter and more explosive, don’t want too much volume for the guys. If we are gonna do any heavier lifting, it’s usually earlier in the week, give them a little bit more time to recover before game day,” Kanzig said.
While the workout sessions are going on, Kanzig pays close attention to each player and makes sure to correct the Oilers if their positioning is off during the training.
“I find it’s important as a strength coach, if you see something that needs improving, catch it early, and then, as I mentioned earlier, about creating good habits in the gym, right? So it’s something that they have for that not only that session, but hopefully that sticks with them that they can carry forward,” he added.
When asked what his favourite part of helping the Oilers train was, Kanzig responded by saying, “I guess it’s being around that team atmosphere again and being able to provide some value to help the athletes improve. I was there at one time, right? Kind of at that same age and level. So, do what I can to give them some value and help them in their careers, just like I had strength coaches help me.”
Kanzig also keeps in touch with the Oilers Certified Athletic Therapist, Morgan Hides, as he does not want any of the players to tweak anything if they are injured and trying to push through a workout.
“If there’s an injury or if there’s something bugging someone, we modify (the workout) and, I lean on Morgan for that, just to make sure that what we’re doing in here aligns with that player’s recovery or what they’re doing to get them back on the ice, right? The goal is to have them perform their best on the ice and not push through an injury just to do a workout, and trying to make sure that they’re ready to play,” Kanzig said.
The Green Army can see Kanzig in the crowd as he also takes in the Oilers games. He explained that while he doesn’t constantly give advice about players’ improvements on the ice, he will give some tips if he sees something. He also mentioned that he’s seen strength improvement in players after games and practices as the Oilers continue to get better each and every day.
Kanzig also runs his own business with strength and conditioning with K2 Performance, which he has teamed up with K&M Hockey Development. Kanzig is currently taking more athletes who are looking to prepare for next season.
“I have my own business, and I’ve teamed up with another business in town, and do some work with some teams in town. Then, in the off-season, players are looking for strength conditioning to prepare for the next season as well,” he explained.
The Green Army’s energy is felt by Kanzig when he comes to games, and he explained how important each member of the fan base is to the Oilers Organization.
“It’s definitely a big part, especially at the junior level. A smaller town, like Okotoks, it’s great to see people come out and support the local team. It helps the guys out on the ice for sure, too, right? If you got good energy in the barn, it brings it up in the game as well. So always appreciative of the sport,” Kanzig added.
As for what Kanzig loves about the sport of hockey and what keeps him involved in the game, he said, “There’s so many things, right? It’s so fast-paced. The game itself. It’s physical, right? There’s a lot of skill involved. So it’s a fun game to watch, and then, from a player’s perspective, when I was playing, it was the guys in the room and the camaraderie of the team; it’s probably the biggest draw of it, and it’s good to be around that as well afterwards.”
When it comes to seeing the players’ progress over the year, Kanzig expressed that he loves seeing the improvement but gives the credit to the player rather than taking credit himself.
“It’s definitely great to see the improvement, right? I can’t take too much credit for it as the coach; it’s the player who puts the work in, but it is definitely great to see when a player makes big strides over the year,” Kanzig explained.
Kanzig’s K2 Performance, along with K&M Hockey Development, are Friday night’s game sponsors as the Oilers host Volunteer Appreciation Night and Female Hockey Night in Okotoks, with the Sherwood Park Crusaders visiting. Saturday will see the West Kelowna Warriors in town for the final game of the 2025-2026 BCHL season, with the Oilers presenting the year-end team awards and Fan Appreciation Night at Viking Rentals Centre.
For tickets, visit: https://tickets.okotoksoilers.com/
The Okotoks Oilers are a not-for-profit, community-run junior hockey franchise competing in the BCHL and operating out of Viking Rentals Centre. For more information, visit okotoksoilers.com or follow the Oilers on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
