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Hockey is a game!
I think all too often the word “fun” is the most forgotten word in most hockey people’s vocabulary. So much emphasis is put on winning, stats, revenue, systems, match-ups, line combinations, and all kinds of other things that exist in the game of hockey. But what really is the bottom line at the end of the day or at the end of our lives for that matter is how are we going to judge ourselves on how successful things have been for us.
When this season comes to an end some time in spring are we going to look back at all the pressure that the Flyers are under to win and be successful and some of the missed chances or roster moves that could have or should have been made. We will look on them either in a positive or negative light, depending on how the season turns out.
Something that I think has become lost in this game is the question of “did we have fun”. This isn’t just talking about the Flyers but with any team in any sport. For the people who are lucky enough to make hockey a career it can be a little tough with all the business side of thinks tending to be a little consuming at times.
Use Winkler’s own Dustin Penner as an example. A number of years ago he signed with the Edmonton Oilers for over $4.25 million dollars a year after just winning the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks where he made somewhere in the neighbourhood of $400,000 per season. His first couple seasons as an Oiler were not that great and I’m sure if you asked him if he was having fun he wouldn’t say yes.
Watching the Flyers play the Waywayseecappo Wolverines tonight it was evident for the first time in a long time that they were having fun. For at least 60 minutes all the pressure from the coaches, executive, the community, the scouts, and all the other people weighing down on the 23 players on the Flyers roster seemed to be gone. For whatever reason it looked like a bunch of friends getting together on the backyard rink and just having a good time. Now that tends to happen when you are winning which the Flyers have been doing lately but I think winning and fun go hand in hand.
There is so much riding on these people to perform. Not just the players, but the coaches too. The players have scholarship opportunities on the line, the coaches have their jobs are on the line. Everyone is just one wrong move or one back stretch from being gone. So with that being said the only thing that each individual can control is how they handle themselves and how much fun they have. Cause at the end of the day hockey is a game…..and games are supposed to be fun.
I think all too often the word “fun” is the most forgotten word in most hockey people’s vocabulary. So much emphasis is put on winning, stats, revenue, systems, match-ups, line combinations, and all kinds of other things that exist in the game of hockey. But what really is the bottom line at the end of the day or at the end of our lives for that matter is how are we going to judge ourselves on how successful things have been for us.
When this season comes to an end some time in spring are we going to look back at all the pressure that the Flyers are under to win and be successful and some of the missed chances or roster moves that could have or should have been made. We will look on them either in a positive or negative light, depending on how the season turns out.
Something that I think has become lost in this game is the question of “did we have fun”. This isn’t just talking about the Flyers but with any team in any sport. For the people who are lucky enough to make hockey a career it can be a little tough with all the business side of thinks tending to be a little consuming at times.
Use Winkler’s own Dustin Penner as an example. A number of years ago he signed with the Edmonton Oilers for over $4.25 million dollars a year after just winning the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks where he made somewhere in the neighbourhood of $400,000 per season. His first couple seasons as an Oiler were not that great and I’m sure if you asked him if he was having fun he wouldn’t say yes.
Watching the Flyers play the Waywayseecappo Wolverines tonight it was evident for the first time in a long time that they were having fun. For at least 60 minutes all the pressure from the coaches, executive, the community, the scouts, and all the other people weighing down on the 23 players on the Flyers roster seemed to be gone. For whatever reason it looked like a bunch of friends getting together on the backyard rink and just having a good time. Now that tends to happen when you are winning which the Flyers have been doing lately but I think winning and fun go hand in hand.
There is so much riding on these people to perform. Not just the players, but the coaches too. The players have scholarship opportunities on the line, the coaches have their jobs are on the line. Everyone is just one wrong move or one back stretch from being gone. So with that being said the only thing that each individual can control is how they handle themselves and how much fun they have. Cause at the end of the day hockey is a game…..and games are supposed to be fun.
please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think.
I absolutely agree. The only time you will do something well is when you enjoy what you are doing. If you are able to have fun, the winning comes more easily and is a natural result.
ReplyDeleteI think that hckey is all avout haveing fun if you don't have fun playing hte game you will not want ot play it anymore becasue ti isn't fu. yes winning is fun but playing and ANDhaveing fun is wayyyy better!
ReplyDeleteGO FLYERS!!!!!!
You are absolutely right about winning and having fun going hand in hand. There's so much pressure on these young hockey players to perform to the expectations of their coaches, fans and fellow teammates that they forget to have fun. At this level of hockey and especially at the NHL level it seems to be only the elite players that really have fun. The other players are trying so hard to keep their jobs the fun aspect is gone. Keep up the good work and say hi to the wife and kids.
ReplyDelete