McAvoy reveals skills he wishes he had that a fellow NHLers possesses
Some super skills that certain players have are easy to tell. Like Alexander Ovechkin and Auston Matthews shot or Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon's speed.
Mark Lazerus of The Athletic asked 20 NHL players what some skills that players have that go unnoticed by the average fan.
Charlie McAvoy was one of the players involved in the interview and one he wishes he possessed was a skill held by arguably the best defenseman in the league.
As per Lazerus:
''Cale Makar's edges
Charlie McAvoy: If you have a hockey eye, you can appreciate these skills, you know? So maybe it's not as evident to somebody who doesn't watch the game as much, but if you have that hockey mind you understand it, you see it � like the edges on a Cale Makar, or his ability to get out (of the zone). Those are things that not many guys can do, and often times even if you work on that for years and years, it's genetics, almost. It's your stride. It's things like that that are really special. Skills like Crosby's backhand, he obviously worked on that for a long time. But some of the skating things are special when you see guys that are just naturally gifted.''
Charlie McAvoy: If you have a hockey eye, you can appreciate these skills, you know? So maybe it's not as evident to somebody who doesn't watch the game as much, but if you have that hockey mind you understand it, you see it � like the edges on a Cale Makar, or his ability to get out (of the zone). Those are things that not many guys can do, and often times even if you work on that for years and years, it's genetics, almost. It's your stride. It's things like that that are really special. Skills like Crosby's backhand, he obviously worked on that for a long time. But some of the skating things are special when you see guys that are just naturally gifted.''
McAvoy also had high praise for New York Rangers defensman Adam Fox:
''Adam Fox's hockey sense
Charlie McAvoy (he was really getting into the exercise): Hockey sense is something that I try and pride myself on. I always go back to Foxy when I think of that. I've been playing with him since we were 5 years old. We always had a coach who encouraged the extra pass. Oftentimes when you're playing mini-mites, you're playing youth hockey, everyone just shoots. It might as well just be one guy on the ice. It's five guys, but they're all just one individual, and you just add them up to five. But our team was always like, OK, where's my guy? Backdoor passing at 7 years old for tap-ins � that was where we started, and what we were taught early, our foundation. So when Foxy makes these passes to guys that are backdoor � and I'm certainly always trying to do them, as well � he's been doing that for such a long time. His hockey sense, his hockey brain, has grown so much. So he's a guy who I always allude back to who just thinks the game at an elite level. Some guys might not see the plays that he sees. He's a quarterback out there.''
Charlie McAvoy (he was really getting into the exercise): Hockey sense is something that I try and pride myself on. I always go back to Foxy when I think of that. I've been playing with him since we were 5 years old. We always had a coach who encouraged the extra pass. Oftentimes when you're playing mini-mites, you're playing youth hockey, everyone just shoots. It might as well just be one guy on the ice. It's five guys, but they're all just one individual, and you just add them up to five. But our team was always like, OK, where's my guy? Backdoor passing at 7 years old for tap-ins � that was where we started, and what we were taught early, our foundation. So when Foxy makes these passes to guys that are backdoor � and I'm certainly always trying to do them, as well � he's been doing that for such a long time. His hockey sense, his hockey brain, has grown so much. So he's a guy who I always allude back to who just thinks the game at an elite level. Some guys might not see the plays that he sees. He's a quarterback out there.''
The entire article is a super good read, as you hear from some of the best players in the NHL. (Find it in the link below):
SOURCE: Mike Lazerus, The Athletic: �'NHL players dish out their favorite subtle skills around the league: �I don't know how he does that' �'
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