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Petey is single-handedly bringing the NHL some much needed personality

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Coconuts

By Coconuts
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Pickly Canucks Third-Line

Pickly

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40 minutes ago, EddieVedder said:

Whats this obsession with personality?  Id rather players just be themselves, honest and humble the way hockey players normally are. Its what sets this league apart from others.  Does the personality of a player really affect your lives?  

I miss the Yzermans and Sakics of the game that just kept it simple, shut their mouths, and just went out there and worked their asses off to win for their fans.

Because the NHL is pretty much a niche league wether or not people want to admit yet holds the title of being part of the ‘Big 4’ sports leagues in the US and players that have unique personalities are going to draw attention to the game/league in non traditional hockey markets thus helping grow the game. For instance, when the news of PK Subban (who happens to have a very unique, flamboyant personality) and Lindsey Vonn breaking off of their engagement, nearly all the major media outlets in the US reported it. Crazy, because it arguably drew more attention than when the Lightning won the cup this year.  It’s a big deal for the NHL having guys like this because it draws attention to the league which is vastly overlooked by the other major sports leagues in the US, where the NHL has invested a lot of money in trying to grow the game. The face of the NHL currently is Connor Mcdavid and he has the personality of a cardboard box. Hardly anybody would recognize his face if he walked down the street of any major city outside of Canada. 

Edited by Pickly
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EddieVedder Canucks First-Line

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The league is the best hockey league on the planet and the players and owners get paid damn well.  Connor doesnt need to act like a Lebron to grow this game.  Anyone who is a fan of the game knows who he is.  Part of the appeal of this league is that it doesnt have a bunch of egomaniacs in it.  This fantasy of needing to see another mans personality is driven by media hosts and its sad.  I respect Connor way more because he acts like a good humble Canadian kid. Thats who you want representing the game.

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Coconuts Canucks Hall-of-Famer

Coconuts

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21 hours ago, EddieVedder said:

Whats this obsession with personality?  Id rather players just be themselves, honest and humble the way hockey players normally are. Its what sets this league apart from others.  Does the personality of a player really affect your lives?  

I miss the Yzermans and Sakics of the game that just kept it simple, shut their mouths, and just went out there and worked their asses off to win for their fans.

If that's how you see things, that's fine. Nothing wrong with wanting and expecting different things from players. Lot of people aren't on the same page though, players with personality are good for the league, particularly in the age where social media is an important piece of marketing. Having players who don't spout cookie cutter cliches and who prefer to keep their lives more private is fine, engaging on social media isn't for everyone. But while it may not be important to you, getting insight into the lives of players and getting to see other sides of them is important for a lot of fans. We're already invested in the teams and players, it's not farfetched that many of us are curious and invested in players on a more personal level as well. Players work just as hard now as they did then, some just choose to express their personality more given how easy it is today in today's world of technology. 

 

The hockey world is different, hockey is different. The expectations and desires of many fans are now different as well. Twenty years ago you weren't getting live updates when a little known prospect scored, or immediate news about scores, trades, and signings. The NHL has other, more mainstream leagues to compete with and many of these leagues have vibrant, colourful, and very public personalities. A lot of fans dig that, it draws them in. Having players capable of adding some personality is good for the league financially, it's easy to market interesting players who draw a bit more attention because of how accessible they are to fans. 

 

Social media is a big piece of the modern sports world, this cannot be understated and it's not going away. 

20 hours ago, Pickly said:

Because the NHL is pretty much a niche league wether or not people want to admit yet holds the title of being part of the ‘Big 4’ sports leagues in the US and players that have unique personalities are going to draw attention to the game/league in non traditional hockey markets thus helping grow the game. For instance, when the news of PK Subban (who happens to have a very unique, flamboyant personality) and Lindsey Vonn breaking off of their engagement, nearly all the major media outlets in the US reported it. Crazy, because it arguably drew more attention than when the Lightning won the cup this year.  It’s a big deal for the NHL having guys like this because it draws attention to the league which is vastly overlooked by the other major sports leagues in the US, where the NHL has invested a lot of money in trying to grow the game. The face of the NHL currently is Connor Mcdavid and he has the personality of a cardboard box. Hardly anybody would recognize his face if he walked down the street of any major city outside of Canada. 

Pretty much this. 

Edited by Coconuts
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Coconuts Canucks Hall-of-Famer

Coconuts

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11 hours ago, EddieVedder said:

The league is the best hockey league on the planet and the players and owners get paid damn well.  Connor doesnt need to act like a Lebron to grow this game.  Anyone who is a fan of the game knows who he is.  Part of the appeal of this league is that it doesnt have a bunch of egomaniacs in it.  This fantasy of needing to see another mans personality is driven by media hosts and its sad.  I respect Connor way more because he acts like a good humble Canadian kid. Thats who you want representing the game.

It is, but it has to compete with the MLB, NFL, and NBA in the US, where most of the league's teams are based. NHL is bottom of the rung with the big boys. Hell, when many people are more interested in NASCAR than the NHL that says a lot. It's not just about fans who already know the game and the players, it's about accessing people who don't really pay attention to hockey or the NHL. There's a lot of money to be made in the US, and the league will do everything in it's power to grab as much as it can. It's no coincidence teams now have social media savvy people running their social media platforms. You may not, but many fans eat this stuff up. 

 

You also don't have to be an egomaniac to engage on social media or allow one's personality to be seen. What appeals to you is likely very different than what appeals to a lot of younger fans. As for good humble Canadian kids who represent the league, PK Subban's donated millions of dollars to a hospital and has a very gregarious personality. I'd say he's done just fine at the NHL, and international hockey level representing Canada. If you respect Connor for those reasons that's fine, but your take is but one of many. 

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Pickly Canucks Third-Line

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11 hours ago, EddieVedder said:

The league is the best hockey league on the planet and the players and owners get paid damn well.  Connor doesnt need to act like a Lebron to grow this game.  Anyone who is a fan of the game knows who he is.  Part of the appeal of this league is that it doesnt have a bunch of egomaniacs in it.  This fantasy of needing to see another mans personality is driven by media hosts and its sad.  I respect Connor way more because he acts like a good humble Canadian kid. Thats who you want representing the game.

See, there is a flip side to this take. I get it, you like your good ol’ Canadian, the “we gotta get pucks in deep” kinda personality. There are plenty of those to go around in the NHL, and the problem is that these types of players aren’t getting the attention the NHL needs in non traditional markets which by the way, are helping to drive the games popularity and growth wether you want to admit it or not. The NBA is arguably at its peak as we speak due to the game having a plethora of unique individuals who’s influence not on the court but on other fronts such as social media. Basketball has never been so popular in Canada and enrolment in youth basketball is thriving in Canada due to how amazing the NBA and its players are marketing the game globally. 
 

You have to see things from both sides of the spectrum once in a while and understand that the NHL needs its players to help market the game via social media and such. 

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Laheys Liquor Abbotsford Star

Laheys Liquor

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We better savour every season we have of this player.. I strongly believe he will finish being known as one of Sweden's all-time greats, and a HOF'er. 

Here's hoping that his entire career is with the blue and green (quinn and brock and bo too please) 

Edited by Laheys Liquor
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