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

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

The NHL actually does some characters, but they've also got a strong, almost militant union that restricts everything they do and say.

How exactly does the NHLPA do that?

 

[Channelcat]

How exactly does the NHLPA do that?

Ughhhhh.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

How many NBA players have won MVP and championship in the same season? Joel Embiid looking to join exclusive list

Joel Embiid has singlehandedly carried the Philadelphia 76ers to comfortable victories throughout the season, eventually leading them to the playoffs.

firstsportz.com

Oh thought you were talking about in general. But you were meaning in the same season. Gotcha

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Ughhhhh.

So no answer?

I'm genuinely curious how the NHLPA restricts what they say and do. To me it seems more like hockey predominantly has a culture that rewards being boring and punishes any sort of attention grabbing acts.

 

[ForsbergMoDo21]

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?

I think our society should stop conflating things like ego/narcissism/behavioral spectacle with personality.

As it’s one of the last bastions of society in which we actually value humility over hubris, I hope hockey culture holds fast on this point.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

Violence on the ice? Wtf are you talking about lol

We've seen a lot of cool cellies on the ice over the years, no one retaliated on the players for it. The most we see is the opposing team scoring and doing the same celebration back

I’m not suggesting anyone gets Bertuzzi’d for this - but if every second or third guy gives you an extra shot in the ribs, back of the leg, face wash in a scrum… over 82 games plus playoffs, that adds up.

Unless you feed off that, there’s no reason to put a bigger target on your back.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Ya how do they do that, strange concept.

Ughhhhh.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

Since 2002 only 4 NBA MVPs trophy winners have won the championship. 2003 Tim Duncan, LeBron 2012 & 2013 and Curry in 2017. So it doesn’t happen in the NBA often either.

It has happened 75% more often in basketball over the same period - that’s statistically significant.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Oh thought you were talking about in general. But you were meaning in the same season. Gotcha

Yep here is what you quoted from another poster.

Since 2002 only 4 NBA MVPs trophy winners have won the championship. 2003 Tim Duncan, LeBron 2012 & 2013 and Curry in 2017. So it doesn’t happen in the NBA often either.

 

[DFC]

There was that time Nikita Kucherov won a second cup, got really wasted, wore an 18m Over The Cap tshirt, and pissed off entire cities worth of people.

Proud to say he's ours.

#1 bullsxxx

 

[ottawa]

I’m not suggesting anyone gets Bertuzzi’d for this - but if every second or third guy gives you an extra shot in the ribs, back of the leg, face wash in a scrum… over 82 games plus playoffs, that adds up.

Unless you feed off that, there’s no reason to put a bigger target on your back.

Tf are you talking about lol, no one is giving shots for celebrations.

Maybe there's 1 for every 100?

 

[Gabe Kupari]

Are ppl talking on ice personality like a Trevor Zegras or off ice personality like a PK Subban?

Cuz there Is a difference there. Zegras on ice is spectacular but off ice? Dude seems like a boring kid honestly. PK on ice? Only had flair after goals or scoring but off ice, dude definitely a big pro wrestling fan cuz he has major charisma.

Guys with both exist but for the most part, it's one or the other. Ovi really was the last one and really only superstar to do it. Unfortunately he's Russian and not North American born... Gretzky Mario mcD, sid, Matthews,..... they got zero personality. What the nhl needs is an American born OVI on an American team.

 

[Bowski]

What results did looking ridiculous get?

But my point was mainly that the fashion lines have long been blurred.

Used to be funny to say Kevin Hatcher wore a purse while playing, and Lizzo's lunch did not come close to the 90s Oprah/Brando food jokes.

Now, embrace whatever TF this is, boomer:

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

Tf are you talking about lol, no one is giving shots for celebrations.

Maybe there's 1 for every 100?

There’d be more if dudes were sliding across the red line every time they tied a game in January.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Yep here is what you quoted from another poster.

Since 2002 only 4 NBA MVPs trophy winners have won the championship. 2003 Tim Duncan, LeBron 2012 & 2013 and Curry in 2017. So it doesn’t happen in the NBA often either.

For what it's worth, most superstars coast during the regular season. If you look at who wins Championships, it's very best player dominated based on who people would commonly cite as such. The MVP is the "player that had the best regular season" but I don't think those are teh same thing necessarily. Winning a title without a top 5 player? Super rare. I realize that sounds a bit vague, but for instance, LeBron James has won 4 MVPs, but most people would say he was the "best player in the world" for far longer than just those years he won MVP.

 

[CherryToke]

NHL culture is like corporate culture where low skill sycophants that say all the right things are often revered over highly skilled stalwarts. Bo Horvat vs JT Miller is a good example.

This league needs an enema.

 

[daver]

Because if you can't top Tiger Williams riding his hockey stick, you don't try at all.

 

[AvalancheRy]

Any stars that remotely show that type of personality at a young age (eg Subban, Ovechkin, etc) get roasted by the media for being cocky, not a team player, etc.

NHL teams/agents actively train hockey players to give dull interviews, and while the media sometimes complains about lack of personality, they certainly discourage personality whenever it shows itself.

I don't think they get roasted by the media. I think they get roasted by their teammates and coaches. Personality is beaten out of players at an early age.

 

[thaman8765678]

Because the Nhl is run by dinosaurs. And many of the fans are dinosaurs. Evander Kane for example gets called a sociopath and narcissist on HF because he has some charisma in interviews

No, Kane gets called those because of some of the questionable images he has posted in the past.

 

[BLONG7]

Hockey players, tend to as a rule, just simply be humble, and keep a low profile........the majority that is........but there are some colorful characters, and it would be great if some guys would show a little more personality, but in a team sport, there are some guys who just make themselves look bad.........

I would like to see the league do a better job of marketing their players like they used to..........those NIKE commercials were awesome!! If that was to happen I think more of the players would loosen up and show some fun!

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Lmao, Lebron James? Everyones egos combined in the NHL doesnt have the ego that loser has. Glad we dont have someone like that in the league. Plus he actively tried to put a hit on a police officer a year or so ago on his large social media. That’s who you want our players to act like?

 

[ichbinkanadier]

What does those two cultures have in common?

Answer that and you may have answered your question

 

[Guided by Veseys]

LeBron is like if you mix McDavid athleticism with Drai’s grumpiness.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

What does those two cultures have in common?

Answer that and you may have answered your question

MMA and NBA?

is it that they both have an A in the title? I seriously don't know what you're getting at.

 

[ichbinkanadier]

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.

Yeah, no thanks, becasue 'personality' 9 times out of 10 actually means dick head or bitch depending on sex.

We see the nice rise of womans basketball and a nice increase in popularity then the 1st thing we see is them actually like a bunch of tools to each other. Zero respect for the opposition. Hockey has already taken steps in that direction already which is a pity.

What rise?

Their ratings are still horrible and the tournament is the selling feature alone

MMA and NBA?

is it that they both have an A in the title? I seriously don't know what you're getting at.

Yeah, ya do. You just don't want to go down that path because the zeitgeist has made you believe everyone and every group is the exact same