This is a great article by one of my favourite NHL players of all-time on one of my two favourite teams – from the anecdotes about not just playing pond hockey in rural Saskatchewan but his dad clearing a beaver dam to make it happen to the leadership lessons of “Badger” Bob Johnson with his relentless good spirit and positivity…
Your coach in Pittsburgh will be “Badger” Bob Johnson. Appreciate this man, because your time with him will be cut prematurely short. He’ll be the most positive human being you’ll ever meet. He will make you realize, perhaps for the first time, that you’re playing a kid’s game for a living. That every day at the rink is a good day, no matter what.
You’ll lose a game 7-1, and Badger will come into the locker room and say, “Well boys, eight goals tonight. But we scored the prettiest one. See you at practice tomorrow.”
First thing the next morning, he’ll say to Kevin Stevens, “Kev! You’re an animal! I wanna hear you roar like a lion!”
And Kevin will roar like a lion.
…to Trottier’s take on the infamous trash talk incident with Brian Bellows.