Former NHL defenceman Slater Koekkoek reveals how a meeting with former GM Ken Holland made him walk away from the league

[WarriorofTime]

Yzerman only drafted this guy because they played on the same junior team. He was over-drafted even when it happened imo.

 

[Jared Dunn]

I think people who are evaluating this as he was too weak to take the jab are completely misunderstanding what's being said. He was called a "clock killer" and it made him feel like that's what his hockey career was to his own life.

 

[JFleegs]

Yzerman only drafted this guy because they played on the same junior team. He was over-drafted even when it happened imo.

Still can’t believe we drafted him over Filip Forsberg. Was a complete head scratcher then and now.

 

[North Cole]

Don't think he's saying he walked away because his feelings were hurt. Just realized that he was killing the clock on the ice and in his own life. Probably made him think about how hockey didn't provide much meaning or value other than a big pay cheque.

So he decided to move on and find something to do he enjoyed more. Good for him, most people don't get to make that choice and have to keep doing a shitty job because that's how they pay the bills. It makes sense there's some proportion of the player base that doesn't necessarily want to live/breathe/eat/sleep hockey all the time to maintain that skill level, especially for relative peanuts to their peers. He has enough money to find something else to do and spend his time better in his own opinion.

Sad truth is most people on the planet are clock killers. Working to work, not much prospect of vacations or a stress free future. It's just that we don't have a big Jumbotron above our heads telling us when the clock stops.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Does he know that there are other hockey leagues?

I think his point was a more introspective and philosophical one. He doesn't want to be a guy who just kills time in hockey or life and decided he'd rather do something to make more of an impact, rather than hang around near the waiver wire trying to extract every penny and ounce out of hockey that he could muster.

 

[HighAndTight]

Isn't that essentially what Chris Tanev has done his entire career? Elite level clock killer.

Someone doesn't know what defence looks like I guess.

 

[belair]

Someone doesn't know what defence looks like I guess.

What do you think I meant by 'elite'?

There's a lot of times in hockey where nothing happens. His career is built on 20+ minutes a game where that essentially happens.

 

[TD Charlie]

Soooo, that sounds like a pretty useful player to have TBH

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

NHLers are getting soft these days. But to be fair, Slater Koekkoek was a good hockey player that may be still playing today.

 

[ItWasJustified]

I think his point was a more introspective and philosophical one. He doesn't want to be a guy who just kills time in hockey or life and decided he'd rather do something to make more of an impact, rather than hang around near the waiver wire trying to extract every penny and ounce out of hockey that he could muster.

So all in all, he was playing the sport for all the wrong reasons. He didn't play hockey because it was fun and he didn't play hockey to bring joy to fans. Good riddance that he quit.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

it is fine at times but other times you wont last long if you are a bland vanilla guy who plays soft/low usage competition and doesnt produce/bring physical ppay/intangibles (which is basically if you are well liked in lockerroom and have a leadership role)

Leafs have had many clockkillers in the playoffs during the current era

Mikheyev, Engvall, Kerfoot (besides thst MTL series), Jarnkrok, Nick Robertson, Holmberg etc,

To many times not being able to get anything from L3 and L4 has cost us in the playoffs (along with core guys sucking and goalies usually being unclutch)

Koekkoek was a high 1st so realizing his career folded the way it did has to be disapointing initally.

Those guys you speak of often got caved, so not good examples of clock killers or nothing positive, nothing negative.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Low event player would have been a nicer way to phrase it.

 

[WarriorofTime]

So all in all, he was playing the sport for all the wrong reasons. He didn't play hockey because it was fun and he didn't play hockey to bring joy to fans. Good riddance that he quit.

That’s one way to take away from it I suppose.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Every team should want five guys whom don't have any real positives or negatives but can kill the clock for 10-12 minutes per game. That's half the battle.

I wouldn't quit if that were me.

He quit because of different reasons. He’s done podcasts with Luke gadzic “mitts off”. He lost his interest in hockey and had mental health battles and wanted something a little more fulfilling than chasing a rubber puck around a sheet of ice.

if calling him a "clock killer" made him walk away from the league, maybe the issues begin with Koekoek

pretty harmless "criticism"
change the misleading thread title

Didn’t read more than the tweet didn’t you?

 

[Oilslick941611]

So all in all, he was playing the sport for all the wrong reasons. He didn't play hockey because it was fun and he didn't play hockey to bring joy to fans. Good riddance that he quit.

A lot of nhlers don’t play for “ the right reason” a lot of them a railroaded into from overbearing parents or hockey being the only thing they are good at.

To make the league you need to start young and have it your only focus. Many people get burned out on that and stop caring about hockey the way the fans do and just collect paycheques.

 

[BB79]

I would have showed up to the GM's office on the last day of my contract with a clock and a hammer and smashed it to a million pieces on his desk

 

[Fire Sweeney]

This generation is such a waste. Good think he didn't play for Kennan or Bowman.

 

[These Are The Days]

I was expecting a much more malicious and hurtful comment. I can see why Koekkoek reacted how he did but I am surprised it made him quit. That is as much a polished and yet neutral criticism you can make at anyone

 

[These Are The Days]

This generation is such a waste. Good think he didn't play for Kennan or Bowman.

Don't even go there with that crap. The Koekkoek's of the world are presently spending their entire lives fixing the mistakes the Keenans made

 

[AM]

It's not inflammatory in terms of language, but it's tantamount to this line from Caddyshack by Judge Smails. "The world needs ditch diggers too." It's just a dick move and in no way constructive, and speaks to how completely disconnected sports can be.

However there was a nothing wrong with digging ditches. Nor is there a problem with aspiring to get that job .

 

[Golden_Jet]

Brian Kilrea, once said to a player, are you playing left wing for us, or right wing for them.
Player didn’t quit though.

Didn’t even sound like KG said, was that bad,

 

[Gerulaitis]

"Clockkiller"?
Maybe he just didn't know how to pronounce Koekkoek?

 

[God]

attention grabbing headline. low event players exist on every team. the canucks have nils aman. it's not a bad thing.

koekkoek clearly had tons of anxiety in relation to his on-ice performance and this comment helped him re-frame that thinking - why be so stressed when you're not counted on to move the needle? i'm not a psychologist but it reminds me of cognitive restructuring, which has its own criticisms, but i find myself using it a lot in my day-to-day life for small things. for example if i'm anxious about making a phone call for something, i stop and think "why the f*** am i scared to talk to someone" and then just do it.

 

[Dubi Doo]

I’ve heard more cutting comments between players on the ice.

Pretty tame “insult” to make you reconsider your career.

Did he take it as an insult or a reality check? I can't listen to the interview right now.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Don't even go there with that crap. The Koekkoek's of the world are presently spending their entire lives fixing the mistakes the Keenans made

lol, the truth hurts I guess, it wasn’t even a bad comment.