F A N
Registered User
- Aug 12, 2005
- 19,522
- 6,408
Do you really think having your captain call out your work ethic publicly is a sign of getting along with veterans?
I don't see it necessarily as a sign of not getting along. Having a teammate who you think isn't putting in maximum effort can be frustrating but it doesn't necessarily mean you don't get along with the guy, especially if it's a kid who simply needs to learn what it takes to be a professional. The Sedins in the past have invited guys to train with them over the summer and that is treated as a teaching event.
There's been some shocking public comments lately for some reason (e.g. Sutter's comments about Goldy this year). Usually that doesn't happen and it doesn't get reported. I'm not sure if they have actually taken the time to give the rookie a talk before going public. My point is, a 19 year old in his first professional season not knowing that even when the team is out of the playoffs there is still a level of professionalism and work ethic that he needs to exhibit is not that concerning to me. Had Virtanen talked back or confronted the Sedins about their comment then that's concerning. But that's not what happened. There are plenty of reported and unreported stories of veterans trying to teach a young guy respect, whether it's telling a player to keep their mouth shut or whatever. A veteran lecturing a rookie happens more often than we know. It usually just isn't made public.
So either McCann or Virtanen. And again, there were reports* that those two sort of formed their own clique/did their own thing, whereas Bo integrated with the veterans and essentially acted like he was a 20-year pro, not 20 years old.
Given Pedan's comments, it is more likely McCann. If we were to judge by photos posted off the ice, it appears Virtanen bonded with McCann and Hutton. Coincidentally they were rookies together. Bo? Not sure who his best friend on the team is, but when he goes home he goes home to his dog and girlfriend and goes for hikes and walks with his dog. Regardless, Bo is like the model hockey player in terms of character: considered mature beyond his years and future captain material.