Plenty of NHL coaches have stated they want their players to have a strong work ethic and put on their “work boots” before taking the ice. The construction worker comparisons have grown tiresome, which possibly explains the analogy Barry Trotz used when describing his team.
“You want to have that gang mentality. You don’t want your guys to be cheap-shotted and then sit on the bench and say, ‘That was a bad penalty.’ You gotta stick up for the guy next to you.
You gotta make sure you got his back, and I think if you have that, you have the mentality you’re in a safe environment and you play with a lot more trust.”
Well, that’s one way to put it. We’re not sure if the league or the team’s owners will want the word “gang” associated with their team, but the overall message of standing up for one another and being a true team is one most should be able to rally around.
(H/T CSN Washington)
