Phase 3 of the NHL’s Return to Play Plan began on Monday with the first official day of training camp, and the Arizona Coyotes have begun full preparation for a qualifying round matchup against the Nashville Predators.

Unlike Phase 2, which began with voluntary workouts at team facilities on June 8, Phase 3 does not have a limit on the amount of players allowed to participate in team workouts. Coyotes forward Taylor Hall said that it could be hard to mimic game situations in practices, but the team must continue to go as hard as they can given the adjusted protocols due to COVID-19.

“I think everyone in the league is in the same boat, so if you could push yourself and get good rest away from the arena, you’re gonna put yourself in a good spot when it comes to those games,” Hall said.

Some adjustments in Phase 3 include players and personnel conducting symptom and temperature self-checks daily at home before entering team facilities, along with testing at team facilities every other day.

Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said he was “really impressed” with the team’s first day of practice since March.

“They were gassed at the end, but I’ll tell you what, I was expecting them to be gassed halfway through practice and they weren’t,” he said. “It was a good first step to see their conditioning on the first day. Now it’s recovery and see how you react on the second day.”

Tocchet was not the only one impressed with the team’s first practice, as goaltender Darcy Kuemper said it felt great to be back as a team.

“You could definitely feel the enthusiasm out there,” he said. “It was really sharp, really crisp and had a lot of intensity. I think the excitement kind of carried over into the energy. Individually, I felt great, and the team looked really good as well.”

Training camp has just begun, but it will not last long for the Coyotes, with a best-of-five series against the Predators set to begin in Edmonton on August 2. It will be the first game for the Coyotes since a March 9 loss against the Winnipeg Jets.