Allowing NHLers to show their personalities

[BigEezyE22]

It’s true though. If you ask any random person in the US if they heard of Stamkos, chances are they haven’t. They may have heard of Crosby or Ovechkin, and that’s only if they watch SportsCenter.

That has nothing personality. The sports that get promoted are the ones that have commercial breaks every 2 minutes.

 

[BM14]

Who suppresses their most marketable assets in 2018?

Terribly archaic paradigm.

Leafs players are everywhere.

We don't have a problem with marketing our assets.

Maybe you can make 3D emoji models of all NHL players?

 

[Whaleafs]

Are you suggesting that “You play to win the game. You don’t play to just play it.”?

 

[Iapyi]

Been thinking about this for a few months now and noticed someone bring it up in another thread.

Is it time for the NHL to allow players to wear whatever they want to games and after games? Don't even know if it's an actual rule just remember hearing Slats use to make sure all his players dressed up and it kinda went from there.

There are complaints that NHLers don't get the endorsement deals that other sports do. That they are very vanilla type personalities, but is this really who they are? Should the NHL not try make money off of some of these larger than life personalities and grow the game?

Maybe it's just me and the other guy that want to see this, but I sure wouldn't mind seeing a guy pull up to the podium not caring what people think about him and just say what he wants.

I'm okay with guys saying what they want to say but to stress the NHL making money off this is inane. We already see most "fans" blindly take the players side in most everything, this would just make it worse.

There is nothing wrong with how things are now.

Personally I love hockey for the sport itself and do not need the celebrity worship aspect of it.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

Having a personality and an ego caused Barzal to be available to the Isles mid first round. Not everyone with a personality is licking players after the whistle.

 

[JungleBeat]

Part of the reason why the NHL will never be as popular as the best league in the world (NBA)

 

[Bounces R Way]

I would say the main reason hockey players are often viewed as not having much personality is because hockey players just don't have much personality. It's a culture of conforming and when the population segment is largely made up of the exact same demographic and social class it's pretty easy to see how they all end up alike.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

Part of the reason why the NHL will never be as popular as the best league in the world (NBA)

Really?
I turn on the last 2 minutes if I want to see who wins, if I even care.

 

[Sheppy]

Part of the reason why the NHL will never be as popular as the best league in the world (NBA)

 

[kingsholygrail]

Part of the reason why the NHL will never be as popular as the best league in the world (NBA)

This is bait.

 

[Riddum]

It's the NHL not the Bachelorette. I don't care what guys have "fun" personalities, just win the damn game.

Because this is entertainment and it isn't just limited to skill

 

[Whaleafs]

Because this is entertainment and it isn't just limited to skill

Appealing to the lowest common denominator is why the "product" is an ever worsening clown show

 

[DonM]

Is anyone actively preventing them from having personalities? The only thing I can think of is Subban getting traded and even then it's not like he was made to change with his new team.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

It's the NHL not the Bachelorette. I don't care what guys have "fun" personalities, just win the damn game.

This.
Don't care about personality, don't care about family, don't care about favorite pet, don't care if they're "human/people" (SensChirp, haha!) just win win win. And if you aren't winning now, be elite in 2-3 years.

 

[Mustard]

I think it's often a Canadian/American thing, too. I grew up with football, basketball, and baseball; I still can't believe how dull and rigid some hockey players are. Borderline cringy. But, that's what I'm used to. Show that you have a pulse sometimes!

 

[Canada Drai]

Attitudes like that are why the league isn't bigger. You need exposure, sound bytes, trolling, hot takes. That's how you grow in the social media age. No-one cares about the actual game anymore except the hardcore fan. The average fan/person only cares about the latest drama.

 

[Mustard]

It's fine as it is. What a silly thing to complain about. You want guys wearing do-rags in to the arenas?

Yikes.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

It amazes me that people believe that the NHL will turn into the WWE if they allow players to showcase some personality.

 

[blood gin]

Part of the reason why the NHL will never be as popular as the best league in the world (NBA)

The NBA is not the best league in the world. It's a successful league but comparing hockey to basketball is apples and oranges.