Why are hockey players the only athletes chasing small markets?
In the fallout from Connor Hellebuyck being traded to the New Jersey Devils, one thing has become clear: NHLers are happy going to teams outside of the big cities.
The Devils acquired the Hart Trophy winner from the Winnipeg Jets, another notable small market in the NHL, last week. It led many to believe hockey players seek markets where they won’t be recognized and are willing to move outside Canada. However, that might just be the way hockey players are built compared to athletes from the other three major sports in North America.
On Monday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Colby Cohen joined Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton to discuss why hockey players seem to be the only ones who desire to play in smaller markets.
Colby Cohen: I think hockey players, in general, just don’t feel this need. You want your stardom, or you want it to be what people see when you’re out on the ice. Most of these guys, they don’t necessarily want to be the center of attention wherever they go. They don’t need to be the center of attention in a restaurant. They don’t need to be the center of attention in a grocery store. Most guys, and I feel very comfortable saying this, will stop. Will give time. Will be that guy at the rink that takes pictures with all the kids, right? But they want to do it, and they don’t need to be noticed, and they don’t need to be celebrated for it. It’s mostly just how we have all been raised within this hockey community. It’s why I will fight tooth and nail against people that criticize hockey culture, because I’ve got to see under the hood of it for so many years, and I see all the good that players do that doesn’t need an article written about them or a TV camera following them around.
I don’t think Connor Hellebuyck went to this nothing market where nobody’s going to recognize him. You’re in the Northeast Corridor. Hockey’s pretty popular in this area. Connor Hellebuyck is definitely a unique-looking guy. People are going to be able to find him and recognize him, even with the goalie helmet because of what he did at the Olympics. … It’s just different. It’s normal, and I think it’s completely fine. I think we, as media members, fans, whatever, we make a bigger deal out of it than I think it actually than it actually is.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…
