The one thing that being in the NHL nowadays seems to lack is human interest. Most players come with some type of prep-school degree or wealthy parents that could afford to keep their kid in $400 skates, $200 sticks, out-of-town tournaments or schools etc as they made their way up in the hockey ranks through the years and performed well enough to be noticed by one or two NHL scouts in their mid-teens. Draft day is a lot of mixed emotions, a lot of players who have trained their whole lives with the support of their parents get passed over for one reason or another. Most find hockey employment in the minor leagues or in Europe, others make the mature decision to invest more time in schooling than hockey and some just return to their homes and make do with what their future now has in store for them.
Feel-good stories of hard-working Canadian (and American) boys making it to the Big Show are becoming more and more rare. Brian Bickell's life story made for interesting fodder in last year's Stanley Cup. His play and 'sushi support' to eventual Conn Smythe winner Patrick Kane was an integral part of the Blackhawks win which showed not only on the score sheet (17 points in 23 games) but also on capgeek's pay scale. He was rewarded with a substantial raise from $600,000 a year to an average $4 MILLION a year over the next 4 years. Not bad for a kid from Orono, Ontario. And while the Staals are this generation's version of the Sutter brothers, it is unlikely you will see that many players from one family anymore with such mid to lower-middle class roots.
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| The NHL publicity department, catching the Sutters looking typical on the family farm. |
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| The NHL publicity department catching the Staals, looking kinda stupid on someone's farm |
Say hello to Bobby Ryan (aka Bobby Stevenson).
We all know Bobby Ryan is the 'name' brought in to replace that of long-time Ottawa Hall-of-Famer Daniel Alfreddson but thanks to this interesting story brought to you (and me) by Sportsnet, it provides further evidence that not all roads to the NHL are still paved with hundred dollar bills.
Disclaimer - not to be a pessimist but it most likely did help that his father knew Bobby Clarke personally and was able to get some professional advice in regards to Bobby's career. Yet in the end, if Bobby Ryan didn't have the skill and the desire, if his parents didn't work to find every way possible for him to play hockey, no matter what the circumstances it is unlikely he would be where he is now.
As is, this makes for a good read;
http://www.sportsnet.ca/magazine/searching-for-bobby-ryan/
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