“Everybody has the right to carry pucks and make plays, and it's something we're trying to instill in them. We don't want guys that are on the so-called fourth liners to play like they're on the fourth line. Make plays, score goals.” -Ryan Papaioannou on being a four-line team

“Somewhere, there's a kid working. He won't skip any steps. He will learn from my example, just as I learned from others." —Michael Jordan (This is a remarkable video of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan)

Tom Izzo shares an uncomfortable truth about earning your spot. "You play real good, you start. You don't play as good, you work your way back in." "That's the American way - except America has gotten soft." You don't get what you want in life - you get what you earn. It starts with showing up and earning it every single day. No shortcuts...Just hard work. (🎥@CBBonFOX)

Milwaukee Admirals Head Coach Karl Taylor on Oasiz Wiesblatt's performance today: "I'm really proud of Oasiz - Gordie Howe hat trick, and then the shootout goal, really proud of him. It's a tough time of year, and their whole family's reflecting on different things [at the one-year anniversary of losing his brother, Orca]. That was a difficult day, emotional day, and I thought he was just our best player, clearly, on the ice in every facet." #Preds

This is a must watch. Freeland is absolutely bonkers.

Meanwhile at Tim Hortons 🇨🇦

Spoke to an NHL GM today for an upcoming Substack article, and he gave us this amazing quote: “I’d never bet against a kid who’s willing to outwork everybody else. Hockey history is full of players who missed the early train and still found their way to the station.”

Nick Saban shares the uncomfortable truth on why great teams fail without standards. "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." "So if everybody doesn't buy into the same principles and values of the organization and the same high standard, you're never gonna be successful." That's the truth. You can't build chemistry when half the team is committed and the other half is coasting. "You know what my goal with spring practice is? Get the right guys on the bus, get them in the right seats, and get the wrong guys off the bus." It's not about talent - it's alignment and direction. "Do you want to be somebody they're trying to get off the bus because you're satisfied with mediocre performance?" Success isn't just about talent. It's about shared beliefs, shared commitment, and shared standards. (🎥Coaching Character Initiative)