NHL players who have grew up with adversity?

[leafsgirl12]

As someone who has also experienced that terrible misfortune, I don't think we should consider it comparable to the misfortune of growing up in poverty or growing up in violence. With a strong family you can still achieve a lot even after losing a parent. I don't think the odds are nearly as good for those coming from poverty.

losing a parent especially when young can mess with one's mental health though so would be overcoming adversity

 

[leafsgirl12]

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins didn't play his second year of peewee hockey | Montreal Gazette

Ryan Nugent Hopkins is one current player who overcame adversity growing up

 

[leafsgirl12]

Flyers winger Zayde Wisdom: From ‘horrifying’ birth to poverty to NHL draftee. He uses his rough upbringing as motivation.
just found this Article about 2020 flyers draft pick Zayde Wisdom

 

[leafsgirl12]

Laraque Overcame Abusive Father to Reach Goals
Georges Laraque

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

What about "pick-up" hockey? Or playing in the street with a rubber ball type hockey? Can't they develop those skills to transfer to the ice?

This massively underrates skating as a core skill. It's always been my biggest barrier.

 

[Jerzey Devil]

What no Key and Peele fans here?

 

[Volica]

Flames prospect Tyler Parsons.
Flames legend Theo Fleury are two guys that came to mind right away.

 

[shello]

Hockey is way too expensive so people who grow up poor/in a rough environment can't even start to play on ice let alone make the NHL.

For exemple in Quebec (and I'm sure most other areas as well) most elite players come from the suburbs or rural areas. Reason is because families settled there have money to buy a house, cars, hockey equipment, playing fees, etc. In the city is a lot of students and immigrants and families leaving in small appartments so no one can play hockey.

The players who make the NHL from Montreal are mainly from the West Island where there are families with money (Lac St.Louis region)

Perron, Huberdeau, Drouin, Bergeron, Letang, Brassard, Fleury, Marchessault, Mantha, Danault, Gourde, Dubois, etc all raised in suburbs or rural areas.

Only two I can think of (active players) who are from Montreal are Vlasic and Duclair and they are both from West Island region.

Even QMJHL is filled with players from outside Montreal even though 1/4 population lives in that city. The Midget AAA team from Montreal and Laval is usually average at best even though these are the 2 biggest regions in Quebec

Matheson is from Pointe Claire as well

 

[leafsgirl12]

Maurice Richard
https://thehockeywriters.com/maurice-rocket-richard-more-than-just-a-game/

 

[leafsgirl12]

Curtis Joseph / Cujo https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/curtis-joseph-nhl-goaltender-neglected-as-child-1.4875274

 

[Ramland 07]

Dustin Byfuglien went through a lot as a kid. Grew up without his father and basically lived in a camper with just his mom until she married former nhler Dale smedsmo

 

[ShonSaunders]

I think it’s rare that you find someone who hasn’t dealt with some form of adversity. It’s part of life, we just tend to think that only marginalized segments of society have adverse upbringings. Not having any money is only one form of adversity.

 

[leafsgirl12]

I think it’s rare that you find someone who hasn’t dealt with some form of adversity. It’s part of life, we just tend to think that only marginalized segments of society have adverse upbringings. Not having any money is only one form of adversity.

very true no doubt many athletes have been though adversity when it comes to injury recovery

 

[leafsgirl12]

Burnside: One prospect's tough journey to fulfilling an NHL dream
Jonathon Blum lost his twin sister when he was a teenager she sadly died in a house fire

 

[DuckyGirard]

This is anecdotal so take this as you will. In my line of work I talk to all types of people and families. I've noticed the wealthier families there are the more disfunction there is within the family. Drug abuse, power struggles, expectations, a ton of mental abuse from people who hold the wealth onto their children. The more wealthy I've noticed the more and more disfunctional the family is. The more poor a family is the closer the families are in my experience because they have to rely on one another for their own well being which in my opinion creates a bond.


I think living in a poor area is physically dangerous because of the area you're in. The wealthier you are the more you're under the spotlight and deal with immense stress from disfunction in family. A lot of abandonment...


I think adversity comes in all forms. It's not tied to money necessarily. Money just changes the forms of adversity people face. And each person handles it differently.


Money doesn't stop you from facing adversity at all. Like the only thing I can think of is that living in a richer area your neighborhood is more safe. That's about it.

Yeah I have a friend whos dad is worth 30 mill.

Guy's one of the most horribly abused people I've ever met.

His father literally told him he gets nothing, if he doesn't divorce his wife.

Mind you guy went to war to please his dad,(who has zero respect for veterans), lost his leg/got cancer and had to beg his dad to give him a 40 k a year job.

Money often comes to those who are beyond ruthless. When a ruthless person gets money their kids become their subjects.

Some real messed up stuff.

Because that person has so much money you get trapped and loose all your freedoms.

The guy literally has to choose between having a wife and having the resources to deal with his missing leg.

 

[DuckyGirard]

Bobby Ryan

'It's a Family Award': For Bobby Ryan, Masterton Trophy Is About No Longer Suffering Alone

It's so weird to me when people act as if this is shocking.

My uncle has borderline personality disorder, use to beat the shit out of his kids, his wife, and basically anyone that pissed him off.

They had "the money" for hockey because he remortgaged his home endlessly(a trucker).

They lacked the interest and genetics for hockey, but if they had it, I'm sure he would of pushed them to the brink.

My other uncle was a sheet metal worker, not physically abusive but sure as hell wasn't a warm loving person. Wasn't that crazy but his wife was(she was a victim of severe abuse). My cousin was all in with the system. My uncle would goto fort macmurray to pay for the hockey, whiles my great uncle would fill in the financial gaps.

Roughly the same story where my cousin lacked the genetics for it, but otherwise was all in.

The narrative of a hyper abusive dad, combined with a household going bankrupt I'm sure is far more common, and something that quickly disappears after that kid signs his entry level contract.

Also something that really fluffs with a kids head , when his sister has to wear shoes that are too small so he can have new skates.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

Depends on the type of adversity.

Leland Irving beat childhood cancer.
Travis Hamonic lost his dad at a young age and he and his siblings had to help run their farm.
Keith Aulie saved his dad's life when his tractor fell through the ice.
The members of the 2007-08 Windsor Spitfires who had their captain die mid-season.

The title reads "grew up with adversity." I would say Irving and Harmonic qualify, the other two are examples of a single traumatic incident. Just my opinion, of course.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

Not sure if it's been mentioned, haven't read through the entire thread, but Tim Thomas comes to mind right away. When I learned about his parents selling their wedding rings to pay for his hockey it broke my heart and touched my heart.