NHL players are constantly faced with a double-edged sword. Fans and media alike have the same complaint that players do not show enough personality and always respond to questions with the same ten cliché hockey answers. On the other hand, when players have a big personality and exhibit a ton of excitement they are labeled as “immature” and being disrespectful to the game and league. As a player, it does not seem like they can win.
The National Hockey League holds it’s players to a high standard. The drama that seems to follow players in the NFL and the NBA simply does not follow NHL players. This might be because a Kardashian/Jenner has not attempted to date one. All kidding aside, the NHL generally does not get bad press. Need proof? If you head to TMZ Sports and search the NFL over 7,000 articles pop up. How many articles appear when you search the NHL? That would be a mere 296.
Over the past few seasons, the NHL is pushing to showcase their star players off the ice. The NHL actually has a video series called “Puck Personality”. It’s a segment that asks players offbeat questions about various topics. On YouTube, this video series has over three million hits. The Road to the Winter Classic docu-series is also wildly popular with fans as it goes behind the curtain with the two teams playing in the Winter Classic.
Hockey fans were introduced to the Storm Surge in Raleigh last season. It created a divide of opinion among hockey fans. Making its debut in October of 2019, the Carolina Hurricanes made headlines for their elaborate celebrations after a win in Raleigh. Fans either loved or hated the Storm Surge. Leading the charge for those against the Hurricane’s new tradition was Don Cherry stating, “Young men expressing themselves for the joy of winning. You don’t do this thing in professional hockey. What are these guys? Jerks or something.”
Elvis Merzlikins would be another great example. The young Columbus Blue Jackets goalie has been recently making headlines. If you’re wondering, yes he is named after Elvis “The King” Presley. The 25-year-old had an impressive run in January that included three shutouts in four games.
After a shutout win against the New Jersey Devils, Merzlikins showed a lot of excitement after the final horn and threw up three fist pumps while skating towards his team to celebrate the win. Mind you, this game was played in Columbus at Nationwide Arena. Some hockey fans went off on social media stating that he was being “disrespectful” and “immature” or my favorite line “he’s acting like he won the Stanley Cup”.
To give you some background on Elvis Merzlikins, he made his NHL debut on October 5, 2019. He allowed seven goals, which ultimately led to a Blue Jackets loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The goaltender was sent down to the minors only to be brought up again a couple of months later. He notched his first win on December 31, 2019, against Coach Quenneville and the Florida Panthers and has been going strong since. It’s unfair to criticize a young player who is having fun and enjoying a hot streak.
Personally, I think it is great to see Elvis and other players show so much enthusiasm. These kinds of celebrations pump up an already excited home crowd and that is one way an organization can increase ticket sales. While I can appreciate the old school thinking, it’s fun to see a player’s personality shine. Clearly no one wants to see players called for unsportsmanlike conduct after scoring a goal. As a hockey fan, I’m excited to see what’s next for the NHL and its players.
