Joffrey Lupul, Ryan Parent, Scott Hartnell and Lasse Kukkonen participate in an exercise at West Point. (Flyers Photos) Multimedia: Slideshow Stevens speaks Watch a team-building exercise

(West Point, NY) - The Philadelphia Flyers arrived on the campus of the United States Military Academy in the early morning hours on Sunday to take part in some team building exercises - this year's version of what has become an annual tradition for the club as it prepares for the coming season.

It began in a classroom-type setting with Dr. Nate Zinsser, the director of the Performance Enhancement Program of the Army's athletic program, and ended with some exercises outside behind the on-site hotel situated on the Hudson River.

"It's a great opportunity to have some fun with the guys and put them through some situations where they need to learn the value of teamwork," said coach John Stevens. "Not that we don't already, but it kind of puts it into practice."

Last year, with so many new faces on the Flyers, the team took three days in Whister, British Columbia to get to know one another through various drills and activities. The trip is also a good time for the players to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of training camp, said Stevens.

"We've been so busy in training camp with different lineups on different days, that finally we get an opportunity to get everybody together in the same setting for the same experiences, which is really what we want to do here."

The Flyers will practice on Monday and Tuesday morning at Tate Rink on the campus of the USMA. Monday afternoon they will participate in some more activities with Army personnel, and on Tuesday will dine with the cadets in the mess hall before returning to Philadelphia.