Today’s NHL players are by far some of the most talented players in the world. But, between turning pro and chasing their next contract something seems to get lost. Not every player go through this, but on any given night you can see a few that seem to be playing for the pay check and not for the love of the game. The idea behind winning a Stanley Cup is what drives players at all levels, but once a NHL player signs their first contract the game they grew up playing is dead. Being a member of the NHLPA turn it from a game to a career, and that means business becomes part of the deal.
Having never played in the NHL I can’t not speak to a player mentality; all I can do is write about what I see. Yesterday I walked into a local hockey rink for the
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first time in years, and I was instantly taken back to a time when playing the game was about the game. I was shocked at how much effort and heart every player put in, and the score didn’t change that.
For NHL players the score can change that and the night in and night out effort changes. Granted NHL players have a grueling schedule and people have off days but it’s not hard to spot a professional that doesn’t have their heart in it. There are lessons that NHL players could learn from watching some youth hockey.
It’s remarkable to think that as different as the two levels are there is a common bond between youth hockey and the pro game. Every professional started playing as a kid, and every kid wants to become a professional. But in some ways watching a bunch of kids play the game they love was more entertaining than watching a NHL game.
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USA Hockey has done a great job getting kids involved in the game, and even at a young age you can see the plays develop and you can start to see what style of player these kids will be. It makes me wonder has the business of hockey started to erode the game we have all grown to love.
There is no turning back the clock on the NHL game it has become a money making league, and it should be. But the players in that league need to travel down to the local rink and reengage with the game that got them to the business of hockey. Take some time and watch the kids play; I think you will see the kids have a lot that we could learn.
They play for the love of the game, and for the hope. NHL players play for the same thinking only in the NHL money has changed a lot of them, and while the NHL will always be the top level of hockey sometimes I’d rather watch the kids play.