Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1300960
A TEAM-FIRST PLAYER Anytime Hendricks saw a player down on himself following a rough shift or big loss, he was the first one to pick them up. "Everyone's going to have bad games. It's a fact of life," said Hendricks, who didn't solidify himself as an NHLer until the age of 27 after six seasons in the minors. "But if you have a guy who's willing to help others make sure they can pick themselves up, that's valuable." Stalock said every level he's ever played there was that player. "You always had that one guy who kept it light, and made you want to get to the rink," said Stalock, who admits he's wel- comed that role, especially while he was in a backup goaltending position. "You might be on a losing streak and you start to dread getting to the rink, but then you think of that one guy and wonder, 'oh boy, what's he going to do today to make us smile?'" AN 'I LOVE THIS GAME' PLAYER "I'm actually playing my best hockey when I'm simply having fun," said Stalock. "You ask a lot of NHL guys, and they'll tell you the same thing." Sure, winning is fun. Losing, slightly less fun. But if you can be the teammate that makes hockey enjoyable for all players and coaches, that speaks volumes. "The pressures as you climb those levels (of hockey) gets steeper and steeper," said Stalock, "but really at the end of the day, it's about are you enjoying it? When you go to the rink, are you truly having fun? The day you start going to the rink and it's not fun, that's when it's time to probably get away." N O V. / D E C . 2 0 2 0 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M 19 "OBVIOUSLY YOU WANT TO HAVE SUCCESS AND BE A GOOD TEAM, BUT FINDING THE TIME WHERE YOU CAN MIX IN A LAUGH OR KEEP IT LIGHT... I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE." Matt Hendricks served as the captain of Team USA for the 2016 IIHF Men's World Championship. – MINNESOTA WILD GOALIE ALEX STALOCK