Primal Athletics
Located in the Aberdeen Rec Plex, we are professional trainer-led programming with capabilities to use two ice surfaces, large gym and dryland area, 4 lane hockey shot gallery and skate sharpening. We are proud to be able to offer food and drink with an on site restaurant, All Star Cafe. We offer a full hockey experience under one roof to aspire and achieve elite skill sets on and off the ice.
Aberdeen Recreation Complex »Our Mission :
At Primal Athletics, our mission is to unleash the innate potential within every individual, fostering a community where passion for sports meets the primal drive for excellence. We are dedicated to providing cutting-edge training, innovative equipment, and a supportive environment that empowers athletes of all levels to surpass their boundaries and achieve their most ambitious goals.
Please Email primalathletics2022@gmail.com for registration details for Fall 2024
Our Facilities & Features
On-Ice Training
We have 2 ice surfaces located in Aberdeen.
One is our 200×85 NHL-sized skating rink which has ice all year round.
Our second surface is 145×58 which is 2/3 the size of an NHL-sized skating rink and will be host to pre-organized skills camps, 3on3 games, learn-to-skate programming and tournaments with skills competitions.
Our on-ice trainers will use equipment from Edge Boss Hockey which specializes in creating hockey training products built to promote skill acquisition and training development.
If you coach a team and would like a session led by our Primal Athletics instructors who create personalized training programs at any level of skill, please contact primalathletics2022@gmail.com.
Ice Rates
When booking with any Primal Instruction : $250+GST/Hour
Rink 2: $220+GST/Hour
If requesting an on ice instructor, please inquire for pricing
Private 1:1 lessons on ice
Please contact us for 1 hour sessions tailored to your specific goals
Price varies based on time of day.
Small group training on ice- up to 8 players
Please contact us to build a program for a pre-set small group
Price varies based on program specifics
Practice Take-Overs on ice
Let the Primal Instructors take over a teams practice
Contact us to arrange
Off ice Areas( Shooting Gallery and Primal Fitness)
Can be booked as 1:1 sessions, small groups up to 4 or as a large group up to full team size.
Prices begin at $75+GST and range to $150+GST/hour
*Shooting Gallery area can be rented out to teams for their own events*
Our Instructors
Our team consists of highly experienced individuals with extensive experience and mad skill sets. Hone your skills with our experienced instructors.
Mark Olexson - Instructor
Mark was born and raised in Saskatoon. He played minor hockey throughout his childhood and has been training for the past 15 years.
Learn More
Mark holds his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in Exercise and Sports Studies.
He has worked as an athletic trainer with Donnie and his clientele for the past 4 years. He is currently finishing his last semester at the University of Saskatchewan where he will soon graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. He has been certified with CanFitPro and has been working as an athletic trainer since 2018 at Donnie’s private fitness facility in Saskatoon. He has trained a whole range of clients focusing on restorative fitness, injury prevention, and body conditioning.
Mark is looking forward to the new and exciting challenge that will take place at the Aberdeen Rink. He loves working with all clients and is specifically excited to continue working with young hockey players and athletes, helping them achieve their desired goals. Mark enjoys all sports and spends time with his family and friends when is not working at the gym. He is excited to head the drylands training programs that will take place when the new facility is open.
What People Are Saying about Mark
Mark has been an exceptional addition to the training of our sons. He has an ability to develop appropriate training at any level of athleticism. He pushes our boys (11,14) to the best of their ability while maintaining correct form and preventing injuries. He makes a point of learning who they are and what their fitness needs are to maximize their development. Our entire family has booked training with Mark and the entire environment was enjoyable from start to finish because of Mark’s knowledge and how he encouraged us to be our best. We put our work in while having fun and building supportive lifetime connections.
Mike Tietz - Instructor
A multi-sport athlete well versed in multiple sport specific training. Coach Mike believes in a “we” not “me” approach to athletes.
Learn More
A firm belief in putting the client-athlete first has helped him grow from a small grassroots trainer to recently turning down an interim position with the UBC Thunderbirds women’s team, so that he can stay close to his family and continue to build upon existing relationships with athletes in Sask.
On Ice: Coach Mike realizes that training and hockey are continually evolving, and he believes that his training is a reflection of that. Continually educating himself, he takes pride on an extremely high-satisfaction rate from clients. Next-gen skills mechanics, edgework, agility, evasiveness and power are his strengths, but the secret he believes is learning who his clients are. He loves the challenge of finding ways to motivate and get results out of everyone and realizes that not everyone responds to the same stimuli.
In Fitness: Coming from a multi-sport background( Track and field, hockey, powerlifting, wrestling) Coach Mike likes to implement a well-rounded form of training but his specialty is strength building, power and explosiveness. With sports in general, Coach Mike believes that agile, explosive and powerful athletes have an upper hand. Coach Mikes training in the gym reflects this.
Hockey Shot: Coach Mike spent several months in BC getting a first hand look at Connor Bedard’s trainers when Connor was a youth. This along with learning how to analyze the top NHL players shots and put it together into a language that anyone from 5-50 years old can understand, has made him an extremely valuable resource for any age and skill level. Whether you are looking for a minor tweak or a complete video breakdown of mechanics, there is nothing the Hockey Shot room and Coach Mike hasn’t come across without being able to adjust and implement better performance.
Josh Thorimbert - Primal Goalie Instructor
I have been playing goal from the time I was 8 years old and training goalies beginning at age 16
(over 15 years and counting).
Learn More
I was offered a scholarship to play for Colorado College Tigers NCAA Division I in Colorado Springs. I played 4 seasons while attending school and graduated with an Arts and Science Degree. I attended Manitoba Emergency Servies College to obtain me Fire Fighting Accreditation and currently work for the Saskatoon Fire Department. My wife and I are proud parents to our children. I am excited to work in progressing goalies development and skills in and off the ice with Primal Athletics
Andrii Lupandin - Instructor
Coach Andrii has been part of Primal Athletics for over a year now. He played his youth hockey for the famous Druzhba 78 team from Kharkiv Ukraine that barnstormed across North America.
Learn More
Spencer Hetherington - Fitness instructor
Learn More
I was offered a scholarship to play for Colorado College Tigers NCAA Division I in Colorado Springs. I played 4 seasons while attending school and graduated with an Arts and Science Degree. I attended Manitoba Emergency Servies College to obtain me Fire Fighting Accreditation and currently work for the Saskatoon Fire Department. My wife and I are proud parents to our children. I am excited to work in progressing goalies development and skills in and off the ice with Primal Athletics
Camp & Programs
Subscribe to become a Primal Member and gain first hand knowledge of events and bookings “CLICK HERE“
