Players who passed on greatness/improved teammates

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Dallas Drake was credited with helping Datsyuk become a more physical player and dole out hits.

If I remember correctly Kris Draper helped guys with tips on winning faceoffs.

 

[Brodeur]

They weren't teammates for an entire season, but Scott Gomez credited Claude Lemieux with helping him during his rookie season and the locker room atmosphere changing. Although Gomez does admit there was a fine line between being a mentor and being a bully; Claude had his way of wearing out his own teammates too.

Gomez told an amusing story about the team being in Carolina for a road trip when he and Brendan Morrison attended a UNC college basketball game. A couple Canadian grad students recognized them and invited them to party. Gomez/Morrison thought there was no morning practice, so they happily joined in. Gomez got back to the team hotel the next morning and (his roommate) Jay Pandolfo tells him that there is a practice. Gomez gets to practice still hungover, Lemieux cornered him, chewed him out, and threatened to tell Lou. Gomez joked about how he overcompensated and finished every check and blocked every shot that night. After the game Claude commended him for his effort and said he wasn't serious about ratting him out.

 

[BraveCanadian]

Jagr has also mentioned he wouldn't have become the player he did if it wasn't for playing with Lemieux. Watching him practice, playing on the same line, seeing how he thinks the game, etc.

Lemieux said the same thing about learning from Gretzky and the rest of team Canada in 87.

 

[Bouboumaster]

Carey Price - Team Canada 2014

 

[gretzkyoilers]

Lemieux said the same thing about learning from Gretzky and the rest of team Canada in 87.

THIS ^^^ and that season (87-88) he got 168 points and the following he got 199 points. There's a clip somewhere on YouTube where Mario said he saw Gretzky practice really hard, and this really pushed him to be the best.

 

[Moose Head]

I think Messier, Kurri and Coffey were projects as prospects and wouldn’t have developed into the Stars that they became without being teammates of Gretzky. Messier in particular didn’t really take hockey seriously until he watched Gretzky day in, day out. I really wonder what happens with him if he’s drafted by let’s say, the Rockies.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

I think Sean Monahan is someone who, while not being a great player himself, has been part of lines that dominate analytically. Indicating perhaps that he provides synergy with his linemates that do not appear to the untrained eye.

 

[Jovavic]

Jagr took fellow countryman Voracek under his wing in Philly and turned him around, how to act like a pro. In Columbus, Voracek was too busy partying with Commodore to give a rip about improving or turning into his potential. When he returned to Columbus a few years ago you can tell how much he has grown.

MacInnis carrying Jackman to the Calder over Zetterberg and Nash

 

[Lou is God]

I recall Messier saying he learned how to be a leader from Gretzky.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Gomez told an amusing story about the team being in Carolina for a road trip when he and Brendan Morrison attended a UNC college basketball game. A couple Canadian grad students recognized them and invited them to party. Gomez/Morrison thought there was no morning practice, so they happily joined in. Gomez got back to the team hotel the next morning and (his roommate) Jay Pandolfo tells him that there is a practice. Gomez gets to practice still hungover, Lemieux cornered him, chewed him out, and threatened to tell Lou.

Before there was Vegas, opponents feared the notorious “Raleigh hangover”.

 

[Brodeur]

Before there was Vegas, opponents feared the notorious “Raleigh hangover”.

After relistening to the podcast, Gomez said they were stranded in Chapel Hill because of a snowstorm which was why they got back the next morning. He got some details potentially incorrect, but I assume he had the games correct:

January 27, 2000: Maryland@UNC (I forgot Julius Peppers played basketball too)

Maryland - Stats - University of North Carolina Athletics

North Carolina Men's Basketball Box Score North Carolina 75, Maryland 63 Jan. 27, 2000 Recap #21 Maryland at North Carolina - 1/27 ------------...

goheels.com

January 28, 2000: Devils@Hurricanes

New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes Box Score: January 28, 2000 | Hockey-Reference.com

Get the latest box score updates on the New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes game played on January 28, 2000 on Hockey-Reference.com

www.hockey-reference.com

In his story, he said they set up Lemieux for the game winning goal. Lemieux scored the opening goal but the Devils lost. Although I suppose I can forgive Gomez for misremembering a game 20 years later.

 

[tarheelhockey]

After relistening to the podcast, Gomez said they were stranded in Chapel Hill because of a snowstorm which was why they got back the next morning. He got some details potentially incorrect, but I assume he had the games correct:

January 27, 2000: Maryland@UNC (I forgot Julius Peppers played basketball too)

Maryland - Stats - University of North Carolina Athletics

North Carolina Men's Basketball Box Score North Carolina 75, Maryland 63 Jan. 27, 2000 Recap #21 Maryland at North Carolina - 1/27 ------------...

goheels.com

January 28, 2000: Devils@Hurricanes

New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes Box Score: January 28, 2000 | Hockey-Reference.com

Get the latest box score updates on the New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes game played on January 28, 2000 on Hockey-Reference.com

www.hockey-reference.com

In his story, he said they set up Lemieux for the game winning goal. Lemieux scored the opening goal but the Devils lost. Although I suppose I can forgive Gomez for misremembering a game 20 years later.

That was a memorable snowstorm:

 

[JoeSakic13]

Chris Kunitz helped turn Crosby and Malkin into generational talents.

 

[The Shadow]

Thornton and Marleau were instrumental in teaching the young leafs how to win in the playoffs

 

[Kingfan1967]

Anze Kopitar, he got Dustin Brown a Statue outside of Crypto.com Arena.

 

[Breakers]

I’ve heard numerous quotes of young players at the Vail Colorado summit that Crosby and Mackinnon hold

Marner said he had no idea guys trained like that.

 

[AD1066]

Jagr took fellow countryman Voracek under his wing in Philly and turned him around, how to act like a pro. In Columbus, Voracek was too busy partying with Commodore to give a rip about improving or turning into his potential. When he returned to Columbus a few years ago you can tell how much he has grown.

MacInnis carrying Jackman to the Calder over Zetterberg and Nash

Maybe this is what you're referencing, but Voracek has a pretty funny story about being drunk in his own apartment in the middle of the night and Jagr (who lived above him) was banging on the floor to quiet the party down, and then later shows up at his door in full workout gear to inform Voracek that he's going for a run at 3am. Jagr's work ethic was other-worldly.

 

[Idiot Stick]

Marc and Eric Staal turning the panthers into Stanley cup champions obviously



for srs answer

Jagrs effect on Barkov

 

[Ceremony]

Going back another generation from there, I wonder how much Rod Brind’Amour was influenced by playing with Ron Francis for a few years.

I thought RBA was a good player in Philly but I didn’t see him as a Francis-level leader. By the time Francis retired, Rod was clearly ready to step into those shoes and as we all know he was an instrumental leader in the Cup run. And of course a young Justin Williams was part of that.

Fast forward five years and you have Francis hired as GM and Rod as assistant coach. They spent a few years in those roles and while there was a lot of off-ice turmoil during that era, I have to think that they were both still growing into higher level leadership roles together. Circa 2017 a much more experienced Justin Williams comes back to help re-set the tone of the franchise, and Rod gets promoted to the HC position where he has excelled ever since.

Of course Francis got axed when Dundon took over, and there will always be controversy over how much credit he deserves for the team’s post-2018 success. But his fingerprints are all over the history of the franchise including the present era.

I'm sure I recall reading that Jeff O'Neill fell off as a player when he didn't have Francis and Brind'Amour to keep him engaged. By his own admission.

 

[PaulD]

Marchand on playing with Bergeron.
( And Crosby in 2016)

Marion on Playing with Gretz in 87

Everyone who got paired with Markov in Montreal.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Unpopular ones in Vancouver:
Mark Messier was instrumental on Markus Naslund eventually turning the corner in his career.

Same for Mats Sundin on Ryan Kesler

the two players messier gets credited with helping along in vancouver, naslund and bertuzzi, ended up being two of the worst playoff performers relative to regular season success ever

thanks baldy


as for the other bald guy, he was incredible. took the pressure off luongo, who was captain at the time, and as he left kesler and the sedins all jumped a level no one knew they had: the sedins went from pt/game players to scoring champs and split the hart and lindsay trophy, kesler doubled his scoring once sundin was put on his line and went on to finish 3, 2, and 1 in selke voting. just an absolutely wonderful influence on everyone and, let us not forget, even though sundin wasn’t the actual captain, he basically took over the captain role from naslund, who was let go the previous summer. what an incredible breath of fresh air

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

THIS ^^^ and that season (87-88) he got 168 points and the following he got 199 points. There's a clip somewhere on YouTube where Mario said he saw Gretzky practice really hard, and this really pushed him to be the best.

He definitely took his game to another level post 87 Canada cup. Finally became the Gretzky challenger people expected him to be.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Quintessential Sidney Crosby thread here. Over the course of his career he's improved the play of so many sub-par wingers that he's played with. The guy turned Chris Kunitz into an Olympian, for god's sake lol.

 

[Chainshot]

That was a memorable snowstorm:

I was in Greensboro when that one happened. Well... I started there when it started snowing but my paternal grandfather had a stroke, so I drove up to WNY in it. It certainly was a storm - the Raleigh airport being closed because they didn't have personnel trained on how to use snow removal equipment. Last thing anyone wants is someone gouging out a chunk of a runway with a dozer. I remember someone posting snow on ebay but it required the buyer come to their house and take it from their driveway.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

another way of looking at this thread is what guys were given every opportunity to succeed by being insulated with the right vets along the way?

lidstrom: his rookie partner was brad mccrimmon, in year two they added coffey and mark howe, and in year four they added slava fetisov and veteran defensive stalwart mike ramsey. that’s just an embarrassment of riches.

niedermayer entered the league on a team with scotty stevens and fetisov, and larry robinson was hired as his assistant coach in his second year.

same with jagr. an obvious standout talent but does he turn out as good as he did if he doesn’t get drafted to a team with mario, bryan trottier, and maybe also scotty bowman behind the bench? if they don’t bring in jiri hrdina and ron francis later that year?