Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Mike Modano- From Goal Scorer To Complete Player Now To The Hockey Hall Of Fame

11/11/2014 at 5:03pm EST

from Scott Burnside of ESPN,

Modano went from being a player looking for space to one willing to fight for that space, Hitchcock said.

"I saw that evolution," he said.

It was not an easy transformation. Modano recalled having the conversations with Hitchcock and his coaching staff -- including defensive genius Doug Jarvis, Rick Wilson and perhaps the greatest defensive player of all time in Bob Gainey, who at the time was the Stars' GM.

Maybe "conversation" isn't the right term. Maybe "browbeating sessions" would be more accurate. What they were saying to Modano seemed counterintuitive to how he'd played his whole career, his whole raison d'etre, if you will.

"Bob and I talked about this until we were blue in the face," Modano said. "He would say, 'Mike, you can't play the way you're playing and expect to win and be consistent and be what we want you to be,' I really was unsure of what he was saying."

Finally, though, it wasn't so much of an epiphany as a beatdown that led to Modano's buying in.

more

Create an Account

In order to leave a comment, please create an account.

About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

Email Paul anytime at [email protected]

Most Recent Posts

Most Recent Comments

Comment by Paul in Kukla's Korner Hockey from the entry NHL Short Notes - 5 hours ago
Comment by Paul in Kukla's Korner Hockey from the entry NHL Short Notes - 5 hours ago
Comment by Steeb in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Quick Recap- Wings/Hurricanes - 6 hours ago
Comment by calquake in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Quick Recap- Wings/Hurricanes - 7 hours ago
Comment by StargateSG1 in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Quick Recap- Wings/Hurricanes - 7 hours ago