Forcing Players Into Different Positions

[Brodeur]

kind of related i guess...

a few years ago the devils did an alumni game for fans on the side practice rink and brodeur started in net. later on (cant remember at what time in the game) he took off the pads and played forward... he even scored on shot from the slot still wearing his goalie skates.

it was so fun to see and a 'what if'

He did this for the 1995 alumni game, Brodeur ended up playing forward for the first two periods with Bruce Driver playing goalie. Brodeur suited up in net for the third period. For the most part, the players were taking it easy on Driver but when Brodeur was in net suddenly everybody was dangling and taking slappers (looking in Brian Rolston's general direction). Brodeur was only a few months removed from playing his last NHL game.

 

[njdevils1982]

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He did this for the 1995 alumni game, Brodeur ended up playing forward for the first two periods with Bruce Driver playing goalie. Brodeur suited up in net for the third period. For the most part, the players were taking it easy on Driver but when Brodeur was in net suddenly everybody was dangling and taking slappers (looking in Brian Rolston's general direction). Brodeur was only a few months removed from playing his last NHL game.

thanks. looks like i got it a bit wrong....i thought he started in net.... oh well.

 

[Z-Diddy]

question should be, do you want to play in the NHL and make a sizeable salary but you have to play your off wing?

 

[Gilmour1996]

...Some of your hypotheticals are so unrealistic to point of not being worthy to debate (Winger being asked to play D) teams have minor league clubs with reinforcements or would sign/trade for pros who play the position if came to that.

Leeman and Clark both started as D and moved to wing. John Kordic too. I assume all willingly changed positions.

 

[banks]

What about Fedorov playing C and D? Burns and Byfuglien both played W and D too. It's not common, but all three were very successful at both positions.

Bingo. I came in here to mention Byfuglien and Burns.

And tons of forwards switch wings, or move to C all the time. Lots of times they don't like it, but it happens anyway. They're pros, they deal with it.

If a coach wants you to play a different position, then you do it. If a player tried to put a clause in his contract to stop that, he'd get laughed at by the team and his own agent.

 

[JMCx4]

... Unless you are talking about putting Crosby in net or something

I'd vote for that, good way for him to retire on an historic note.

 

[Jumptheshark]

"Forcing a player"

I would suggest that OP needs to watch more games and see after the puck drop it no longer about FWD and D but territory on the ice or zone property is what happens

 

[Gilmour1996]

"Forcing a player"

I would suggest that OP needs to watch more games and see after the puck drop it no longer about FWD and D but territory on the ice or zone property is what happens

Have watched thousands of games so it's easy for me to figure out who the defencemen are and who the forwards are, lol, even if there is some roving going on.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Have watched thousands of games so it's easy for me to figure out who the defencemen are and who the forwards are, lol, even if there is some roving going on.

Then I’d think you realize centres sometimes play the wing and vica versa.

 

[Gilmour1996]

Then I’d think you realize centres sometimes play the wing and vica versa.

It's a given that there is movement by the forwards as such but you might be getting a little confused about it's relevance to the context of the original post.

 

[Leafshater67]

Probably not because at the end of the day, the team wants the same thing as the player - the best result. So if it’s a big enough deal to go into a contract, it probably isn’t going to happen IRL.

Sometimes a player will be asked to play their off wing or off side on D. There’s lots of guys who can play both too. I played junior A with a bit of CHL and played at all 3 forward positions at various points. It’s not super uncommon and some players can do it better than others. I also played D filling in during my play at midget but never in junior.

 

[Golden_Jet]

It's a given that there is movement by the forwards as such but you might be getting a little confused about it's relevance to the context of the original post.

No I understood the context fine, as has everyone else.

Do players have protection in their contracts or CBA which prevent teams from forcing them to play positions other than their first choices?

No

but....simply does the team legally have the right to unilaterally make these changes if they think it's best for the team?

yes

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

Am i the only one who read the title of this thread and started thinking about something completely different?

I think we found Diddy's burner account!

 

[DJN21]

Have you played much hockey at a high level? While I never. several people who I went to uni with did and being able to play all three fwd position? is considered to be a good tool to have in your tool box. Also, watch any game where there is a lot flow and you see players playing out of position depending on where the puck is.

Unless you are talking about putting Crosby in net or something

ffs thats like nails on a chalkboard

 

[FMichael]

While a Red Wing - Fedorov would have been a Norris Trophy candidate had he continued playing D.

 

[PlayMakers]

Do players have protection in their contracts or CBA which prevent teams from forcing them to play positions other than their first choices? ie. forcing a player who has played C all his career to now play W...telling a LW that he is now playing RW, telling a winger that he is filling in on D because of a shortage of D due to injury, telling a winger that he is now playing the point on the PP, etc. Obviously, goalies would be excluded.

Not interested in "why would any team want to do this" answers and given that this would obviously would work best with the players' co-operation, but....simply does the team legally have the right to unilaterally make these changes if they think it's best for the team?

Of course the team has the legal right to unilaterally make these changes.

 

[phillyb]

Maybe not exactly what OP had in mind but there are a lot of PP1 units with 4 forwards.
D man goes down and your playing 5D - someone’s playing their off side.
Wingers swap. Centers get asked to play wing all the time.
And Burns and Byuflien have already been mentioned.

 

[Barrie22]

During multiple seasons the sharks used defensemen as forwards (usually a 7th and 13th defensemen), but then they along with Minnesota turned burns from defensemen to froward and then back to defense.

 

[joestevens29]

Usually if you are being forced to play a different position it's because A. There is no other roster spots and if you are a young player/borderline player you take whatever the hell you can get or B. You are a star player on a club that is absolutely desperate for help at a certain position and they try you there.

In both scenarios players usually just do it as there isn't other option.

Going from Center to Wing is usually no big deal either. Happens a lot to younger players, cut their teeth in at a less intense position until they are ready for responsibility.

The whole D to C or C to D isn't exactly common and usually a last case temp situation.

Wing to Center though could be a disaster. I know we tried it with Hall back in the day and it just didn't work, but nothing did in those days.

 

[Sorry]

Has TTS ever played hockey or anything competitive? This isn't a video game. People aren't built for certain positions.

 

[Bank Shot]

Being forced into a different position is common in two areas. Center to wing, and Left D to Right D.

Center is the premier position in Canadian hockey so most of the best players play there growing up. Some of these players end up getting forced to the wing in the NHL because the coach doesn't think they have the two way ability for center.

I remember one of the reasons mentioned by the media for the Oilers trading Andrew Cogliano was he saw himself as a center and they didn't.

Many left handed defencemen get forced into playing right D sometimes due to a lack of naturally right handed D men. The math guys say that players who do this generally perform worse analytically. Right handed D men are highly sought after due to this.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Come on, guys do you have to make fun of how desperate and stupid Montreal was a few years ago where they tried to fit square pegs into round holes..