Why doesn't the NHL have stars with personality like LeBron James or Conor McGregor?

[HarrySPlinkett]

Iirc he was sliding because it was his first goal.

Can't really hate on how someone celebrates their Gordy first goal. Simply because I don't care.

His first goal he jumped into the glass, and it was over the top for a 1-0 goal 9 minutes into the 1st period, but I get that one.

Sliding across centre ice on your knees because you ended a regular season game is unbecoming.

 

[DaveG]

The Russian guys tend to be the big personalities anymore. Ovechkin, Kucherov, Kochetkov, and let's not forget the greatest philosopher in NHL history: Bryzgalov.

 

[EpochLink]

And yet Cherry was one of the few that brought color and excitement to the game.

Yeah f***ing right, Cherry was a clown.
What excitement? Being a hack and a prick?

 

[Steve Kournianos]

I mean stars who act like stars. LeBron calls himself The King; why can't McDavid do that? I would love to see an active NHL superstar start firing on Twitter the way McGregor does. Go to a presser in a three piece suit and sunglasses and start talking shit. Spice the game up a bit, you know? Too many of these guys are scripted ChatCPT robots and I can see why it's hard for the casual fan to get invested.

What do you think? Is it just a cultural thing with hockey where everyone has to speak in tired cliches and never, ever rock the boat? Why are there so few entertaining characters in the game?

Lebron James is a narcissist and a liar with clear daddy issues who alienates rather than unifies. That's why he's hated by half of sports fans, including younger kids who saw the Jordan series and realized what a bitch Lebron was.

To answer your question, maybe hockey being a violent team sport has something to do with it. A big mouth trash talker who goes public saying how great he is also puts his teammates at risk because they have to defend him. Avery was a good example of that and he was just a goon with skill. McDavid and Crosby are funny dudes with personalities but they are probably too locked in and selfless to let it become as big as their games. At least that's my theory.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

It's considered toxic in hockey.

Players often get called out when the stray away from the boring robot man script. It's easier to just blend in and be as exciting as a cardboard box.

 

[the_fan]

I mean stars who act like stars. LeBron calls himself The King; why can't McDavid do that? I would love to see an active NHL superstar start firing on Twitter the way McGregor does. Go to a presser in a three piece suit and sunglasses and start talking shit. Spice the game up a bit, you know? Too many of these guys are scripted ChatCPT robots and I can see why it's hard for the casual fan to get invested.

What do you think? Is it just a cultural thing with hockey where everyone has to speak in tired cliches and never, ever rock the boat? Why are there so few entertaining characters in the game?

If McDavid called himself the king having won zero championships, he’d be laughed at

 

[ottawa]

His first goal he jumped into the glass, and it was over the top for a 1-0 goal 9 minutes into the 1st period, but I get that one.

Sliding across centre ice on your knees because you ended a regular season game is unbecoming.

You should ask yourself if you really care?

You would hate sports like soccer or the nfl lol

 

[ACLEVERNAME]

I always laugh at this 'NHL has no personality' take. Sit down one-on-one in a room and have an actual, meaningful conversation - I guarantee you a McDavid or a Crosby will show more 'personality' than any of the stooges you find entertaining.

And that's exactly what your looking for - entertainment. You confuse 'personality' for an act. You want them to act out, be loud, be entertaining - make a show for you. You disregard actual 'personhood' and equate a song and dance to having a 'personality.' It's really actually disgusting to me.

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players"

 

[Oddbob]

Conor McGregor is an Egomaniac and idiot! Why do we want personalities like this in the NHL??????????

 

[jcs0218]

I don't want a Lebron James or a Conor McGregor in the NHL.

Lebron's political and social opinions cause divisions within society.

Conor's behaviours in the past have been criminal.

I don't like either of these people.

 

[Senor Catface]

So you want a guy that shows up to work with a purse...

Yes. I've petitioned for years that the NHL should make it mandatory for every player to carry a purse to games.

I had to look up Conor McGregor. Do people really watch homoerotic boxing and know who this guy is?

All I know is that I would watch something called "homoerotic boxing."

 

[Steve Kournianos]

Another thing to consider is the media's reputation for leeching onto the affable, outgoing personalities in the hopes of becoming close and getting all the scoops. It eventually snowballs and they don't leave you alone, and then the one time you make a mistake, they turn on you. Really is disgusting behavior but such is life. That's probably why Gretzky was so private even though he was funny and a low-key prankster who clearly had personality.

I like the fact that they let their play do nearly all of the talking. Let the media speculate because all the fans want to see is history in the making.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

You should ask yourself if you really care?

You would hate sports like soccer or the nfl lol

I don’t care.

But there’s a reason nobody does it. It has to do with violence on the ice that isn’t worth the hassle.

 

[jcs0218]

The NBA has become almost unwatchable because of their "personalities".

Just a bunch of uneducated and narcissistic idiots posting complete nonsense on Twitter and Instagram.

The fact that these idiots have so many followers and likes is concerning to anyone that has a brain and a hope for a good society.

Don't count me among these people though.

Only players like Giannis and Jokic have retained some likeability.

 

[mattihp]

Better product, the fans don't crave the side show as much.

 

[Baberham Lincoln]

I think because in the NBA an individual can look like they singlehandedly won the game, eg . Jordan calling for the ball to take the buzzer beater and winning the game, so they can be cockier because they have a lot of chances to be the hero. NHL players can’t really do that, at least not consistently, so you look dumb if you’re cocky and lose.

 

[LightningStrikes]

People weren’t happy.

 

[Elvs]

A better question is why "having a personality" means you should be cocky or arrogant, a casanova, a "bad boy" or in some other way a jerk?

There's plenty of "boring" people who are better role models and more interesting. How about we market them instead?

 

[Brookbank]

A better question is why "having a personality" means you should be cocky or arrogant, a casanova, a "bad boy" or in some other way a jerk?

There's plenty of "boring" people who are better role models and more interesting. How about we market them instead?

Hey we have Jack Eichel. He just needs to stay healthy and live up to the hype

 

[Brookbank]

So you want a guy that shows up to work with a purse...

Are you talking about Auston Matthews ?

 

[Garo]

I always laugh at this 'NHL has no personality' take. Sit down one-on-one in a room and have an actual, meaningful conversation - I guarantee you a McDavid or a Crosby will show more 'personality' than any of the stooges you find entertaining.

Why though?

 

[Terry Yake]

probably because any NHL'er who shows any sort of unique personality immediately gets called out for it

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

People weren’t happy.

I friggin hate Kuch, didn’t really like the personality shown, yet am still glad he did this. It’s entertaining, nhl needs more guys that just don’t give a f***.

I think it’s kinda the nature of the sport and players, though. Most of ‘em are frat boy types, they just aren’t friggin interesting. They don’t have extreme personalities, they’re largely raised in an upper-middle class Petri dish conversing with likeminded colleagues. Half of them will say “The Fast and the Furious” is the greatest movie franchise ever, and it’s all about team and family. The sport just doesn’t really breed brashness or ego, at least not in the way the nba does. All eyes are on the stars in the nba and nfl, with hockey it’s gotta be a team effort. You gotta conform, to a degree, no one has time for a Kyrie Irving in their lineup.

I could go on, but it’s like comparing the personality of, say, Vermin Supreme to Todd from the suburbs who’s real concerned about the greenness of his grass.

 

[BMann]

I mean stars who act like stars. LeBron calls himself The King; why can't McDavid do that? I would love to see an active NHL superstar start firing on Twitter the way McGregor does. Go to a presser in a three piece suit and sunglasses and start talking shit. Spice the game up a bit, you know? Too many of these guys are scripted ChatCPT robots and I can see why it's hard for the casual fan to get invested.

What do you think? Is it just a cultural thing with hockey where everyone has to speak in tired cliches and never, ever rock the boat? Why are there so few entertaining characters in the game?

Maybe they have some great character traits like humility ?

Being 'vocal' on the cesspit that is Twitter ? A really positive character trait too. I watch hockey for the sport and the skill not for antics off the rink. Shallow and superficial as those are. I don't specifically watch Messi for instance because he's not Cicero in the conversational department but because of his skill on the pitch. And I rather like sportspeople who display humility over arrogance.

 

[TopShelfYzerman]

Because hockey is more of a team sport