Saturday 9 March 2019

Choose Your Words Carefully

I'm not one who believes that every coach likes to hear himself talk, but every once in a while I get the sense that a few coaches may get caught up in what they're saying when trying to make a point. Sometimes, those words carry some significant wisdom and knowledge that really shows how much of a student of the game these coaches are. Other times, it results in a funny moment as coaches are thinking about the message more than they do about the words they choose. The latter happened earlier today when Paul Maurice was making a point about Patrik Laine's play on the top line in Winnipeg.

I like Paul Maurice. He's honest, he often is succinct in his message, and he doesn't mince words when necessary. However, Paul Maurice seemed to be thinking about the answer to a final question in the clip below before actually running the words he was using through his internal filter. Jump ahead to the 8:30 mark, and you'll hear Maurice talking about Laine figuring out his game.
I think we all know what Maurice meant when he was talking about Laine playing in the A-hole, but that's a term that is never used to describe your first line as far as I know. I chuckled at Maurice's comments, and I'm glad he caught himself and found humour in it too because that's not something you want to see pinned to the bulletin board or taped to your office door when you arrive the next day. Just laugh about it and move on like Maurice did today.

Paul Maurice: one of the NHL's best quotes!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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