While it's an amazing time of year, and in the lives of 211 of hockey's best young players, it is also a day of crushing disappointment for countless others. The NHL entry draft represents an opportunity for teams to improve their depth, change their fortunes and map out their future. Yet the same cannot be said for the young players involved or just on the outside. Sure, it certainly helps to get drafted but other than a great honor and some free team swag, the benefit and advantage that those players seem to have vanishes pretty quickly.
The fact of the matter is this, the sport of hockey is one of if not the most dynamic and demanding sport that human beings play. Yes, I'm somewhat biased here but what other sport requires you to learn every single necessary skill? Hockey possesses no natural skills, every skill is learned or acquired through countless hours of practice, repetition, instruction and hard work. I say this because hard work is the key.
Telling a player they are good is the worst possible thing you could do for their development. Hard work is referred to in the way that it is because it is not for everybody, it is rarely enjoyable and only a select few can push the boundaries of its very definition.
A good player does possess skills that are inherent to them through their upbringing. Very few of those skills vary that much from one hard working player to another. That is where we find special players. The elite. These players don't only train, they work. They don't only study, they absorb. They are always thirsty for more and aren't willing to take no for an answer.
The NHL draft always has players like this, players who have achieved a dream. They are satisfied. Satisfaction is development's natural enemy and very few of draft picks are actually at a level that warrants satisfaction.
I do not mean to take away from accomplishment or celebration, as I look at getting drafted as one of life's ultimate accomplishments and something that I failed to ever achieve.
The other side of satisfaction is acceptance. Acceptance in development is the same as giving up. There is a number of players drafted this weekend who have already become satisfied and a number of players who did not get drafted who are teetering towards acceptance. Yet the draft, as a benchmark, is meaningless. The players are all still in the same boat and share similar levels of opportunity.
The best players never stop working hard, they are never satisfied and they never accept defeat. Everything is a test, a challenge, a mission.
Drafted or not, the players involved in this weekend's process are going to have endless opportunities to prove their worth. And while the draft doesn't mean that much in the grand scheme of things, they are professionally eligible players as of now. That has meaning. If you want to be a pro, act like a pro, eat like a pro, work like a pro.
Motivation is one of the most curious elements of human life. It comes and it goes. Sometimes it is easy to acquire, sometimes it completely abandons us. Inspiration breeds consistent motivation. If you haven't achieved your goals or dreams, don't look for motivation to try again, seek inspiration to chase something you'll never catch. Perfection.
Drafted players: enjoy your accomplishments. Undrafted players: today is just a day off work for your competition.
Frown at those who tell you you are good. Follow the people who ask you for more and notice your work ethic.
We will see you in the NHL one day, drafted or not. Your time is only just beginning. Don't let anything stop you. And when I say work hard, I mean watch how hard everyone else is working, and work harder. The feeling you have today, on either side of the equation, is the reason why it is all worth it.
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