How do you think players feel who win the Stanley Cup very early in their career and never get back?

[Cursed Lemon]

Just a random point of discussion, there are some players who have won the Cup very early on in their careers and spent their whole careers trying to repeat that performance. Examples would include Corey Perry (lol) and Ryan Getzlaf, Jaromir Jagr, Alex Kovalev, Gary Roberts, almost Darren Helm before he won another with Colorado right at the end.

Obviously a professional athlete is going to be upset each year they fail to win a championship regardless of circumstances and obviously a ring is a ring, but do you think these guys have a kind of colored retrospective on winning the Cup before they really came into their own as players and drove the bus to some extent? That doesn't mean they didn't perform in their Cup winning years, but clearly no one is their prime form in their first couple of years in the league.

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[HockeyVirus]

Doesn't matter MOD won the cup.

Honestly ideal situation. Already a winner can avoid that narrative and chase the money / location you want and not care about a cup

 

[Figgy44]

Just a random point of discussion, there are some players who have won the Cup very early on in their careers and spent their whole careers trying to repeat that performance. Examples would include Corey Perry (lol) and Ryan Getzlaf, Jaromir Jagr, Alex Kovalev, Gary Roberts, almost Darren Helm before he won another with Colorado right at the end.

Obviously a professional athlete is going to be upset each year they fail to win a championship regardless of circumstances and obviously a ring is a ring, but do you think these guys have a kind of colored retrospective on winning the Cup before they really came into their own as players and drove the bus to some extent? That doesn't mean they didn't perform in their Cup winning years, but clearly no one is their prime form in their first couple of years in the league.

I forget who, but IIRC, I've read interviews about this in the past and the gist was that both were extremely valuable memories but completely different. The player kept both memories separate. IIRC, someone even said it made the second win more meaningful as it tied into their original win where they took it for granted and then the second win really encapsulated and defined that long road back to the cup.

A few players in recent memory said that after you win once, you'd want it again and again (pretty sure it was a few Avs players/interviews I'm recalling).

I honestly cannot recall who these interviews are for though. There's a chance I'm accidentally mixing up situations where it's an interview of a player who won a cup a long time previously, then won it again as part of management of a team they were working for (instead of early + late career).

I'm sure there's a bunch of guys who aren't as hungry for the cup soon after winning it so early and kinda go full mercenary (ie: Jagr, Perry etc.) but I think once they feel the cup is within reach I doubt they mail it in to get it again. If anything, I assume it's a different type of desire that still motivates them to their highest level of performance to get their hands on the cup again.

 

[joestevens29]

It might suck during their careers not to win again, but once they have a chance to reflect and realize there are a lot of people that never won one I think they are probably happy to at least gotten it once.

Heck look at Perry/Getzlaf, they had vets in Selanne, Pronger, Marchant, O'Donnell etc.. that were around for many years and hadn't won one until that year. And never got another. Just need to be thankful they got one

Hear lots of ex-NHLers talk about how their one disappointment/regret is that they never got a cup or even played in a cup final.

 

[joestevens29]

I forget who, but IIRC, I've read interviews about this in the past and the gist was that both were extremely valuable memories but completely different. The player kept both memories separate. IIRC, someone even said it made the second win more meaningful as it tied into their original win where they took it for granted and then the second win really encapsulated and defined that long road back to the cup.

A few players in recent memory said that after you win once, you'd want it again and again (pretty sure it was a few Avs players/interviews I'm recalling).

I honestly cannot recall who these interviews are for though. There's a chance I'm accidentally mixing up situations where it's an interview of a player who won a cup a long time previously, then won it again as part of management of a team they were working for (instead of early + late career).

I'm sure there's a bunch of guys who aren't as hungry for the cup soon after winning it so early and kinda go full mercenary (ie: Jagr, Perry etc.) but I think once they feel the cup is within reach I doubt they mail it in to get it again. If anything, I assume it's a different type of desire that still motivates them to their highest level of performance to get their hands on the cup again.

Look at how happy Lou was to win one as a part of management and I don't even know what he technically did for them.

There is just that desire to win after you put your whole life into something.

 

[ViD]

They can now go for money with clear consciousness

 

[Stealth JD]

Blessed.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Hey, smart time to win it while you're still young enough to party with it.

 

[Stealth1616]

I’d take this option over never winning it in my career. Lots don’t win the Stanley cup so it probably doesn’t weigh on them at all

 

[wetcoast]

You literally do what you can in life, why should hockey players be any different?

I think some fans think about this way more than players do and live and die vicariously through it to make up for some void in their own lives.

 

[EXTRAS]

It's gotta feel better than those older great players who go chasing a cup on different teams desperate to get just 1 to cement their legacy, but never manage to get it. Probably large feelings of desperation there...Joe Thornton.

 

[Menzinger]

Probably a lot better than the aging stars who still haven't won yet

 

[Meuracas]

I’d imagine it feels like getting laid at 18 and then spending the rest of your life in celibacy.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

I also wonder how individual performance factors in- if I play like shit, or win as a 7th D or somethin before getting better and being counted on more- do I still feel as good about that original win? Trying to think of some good examples, but imagine you win as a scrub, then you eventually become 1C and can’t win it- that’d bother me extra.

 

[Bounces R Way]

probably something like this

He's been chasing that dragon a long time now. Might be sad if it wasn't so funny.

 

[HockeyWooot]

I think in those scenarios they are extra grateful having subsequently learned how difficult it is to get back to the finals no less winning the cup.

I do wonder about touted franchise players who win one early on. No doubt they are over joyed to win one, but trust they are focused to lead their team to a cup in the future rather than being a depth player or black ace.

For players with that potential would imagine this is a factor.

In terms of recent examples, Tyler Seguin won one with Boston as a rookie. He got limited ice time though he did chip in occasionally including a 4 point game in preceding rounds. With Dallas has a good chance to win in a prominent role albeit he’s no longer the top line player he was anymore.

Carter Verhaeghe won with Tampa as a depth player in 2020. This past cup finals where he is a key top 6 player for them, and scored a goal and an assist in game 7.

Robert Thomas played in a depth role when St Lou’s won, he’s now a bonafide star centre and a potential future captain. No doubt he is driven to win again in a key driving role for his team.

Cale Makar is a unique case having debuted in the NHL playoffs stepping in with immediate impact becoming the teams best defenceman, then soon winning the Conn Smythe as part of a championship victory. Rare talent, would imagine he’d have to be disappointed if he doesn’t win more when all is said and done.

At all stages cup winners are driven to win another one. I’d imagine players who win early feel the drive to win in a similar way with some added motivation.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Must be amazing, accomplish your life goal young and then make millions per year playing a game with way less pressure