Speed Isn’t Everything

Connor McDavid is arguably the fasted skater in the NHL. Couple that with his ingenious creativity and unrivaled skill, he may be one of the greatest hockey players to ever walk the face of the earth. Connor is a compilation of skills taken from others that are considered the best in the business. He has Ovechkin’s scoring ability, Kane’s hands and vision, Crosby’s elusiveness. He is a “god” amongst men. There is a reason he is considered a generational player, once in a generation do we get an athlete quite like him.

That being said, not everyone will be blessed with his ability AND work ethic. Even Connor had a process of moving up the ranks to get where he needs to be. No two athletes are alike, and each NHL player had their own journey to make it to where they are. Many were the best kid from the moment they first laced on their skates at 3, some didn’t start playing until they were 10 or 11. There is no need to compare one athlete’s journey to another. Just because one player is developing faster at one age, does not mean another player can’t or won’t develop faster at a different time in their lives.

Getting caught up in keeping up with the Jones’ will suck the fun out of the journey. Not every journey needs to end in the NHL, and some journeys end to open doors for others. Take the time to sit back and enjoy the smile on your kids face when he or she succeeds in life. Many times, kids don’t remember the level they played, they have a memory of an amazing youth hockey tournament experience, or even what they did with teammates away from the rink. Every team in the country is capable of having fun, it is up to the adults to help that narrative that the level of play isn’t everything, and many times, it really means nothing at all. Don’t speed up the process, enjoy the journey, no matter the outcome.