The Hidden MVP: Embracing Your Role on the Team

In hockey, everyone wants to be the Conor McDavid—the superstar who gets the glory, the highlights, and the accolades. But let me frame this a bit differently using an analogy from Formula 1 racing. Stick with me here.

When you watch a race, what do you notice? The car—sleek, fast, and engineered to perfection. Then there’s the driver, the star of the show, the one who takes the checkered flag. They’re like McDavid, the face of the team, the one everyone remembers. But what you don’t always see is the team behind the scenes—the engineers tweaking every part of that car, the crew chief monitoring every detail, and the pit crew working in synchronized chaos to change tires, refuel, and send the car back out in mere seconds. It’s pure precision and teamwork.

Here’s the kicker: who’s the most important person on that team? The answer? It depends. If the driver makes a split-second decision that wins the race, he’s the guy. But if a pit crew member drops a wrench or botches the refueling, that small mistake can cost everything. In that moment, that person becomes the most critical part of the team—for better or worse.

Now let’s bring it back to hockey. Not everyone is going to be the driver—the McDavid of the team. But the team needs every role filled to win. You’ve got the grinders who create space, the defensemen who shut down plays, and the goalies who make game-saving stops. Everyone has a role, and those roles matter just as much as the superstar’s when it comes to the team’s success.

Here’s something to think about: in F1, the person refueling the car can make $350,000 a year. That’s not glamorous compared to the driver’s millions, but it’s a great living and a critical role. The same is true in hockey. Not everyone is going to win the Art Ross Trophy, but the guy who blocks shots, kills penalties, or wins crucial faceoffs can carve out an incredible career and be essential to their team.

The problem is, a lot of young players—and their parents—get stuck chasing the glory. They focus on being the scorer, the highlight reel, instead of embracing roles that teams actually need. If you can take pride in being the guy who does the hard, thankless jobs—winning puck battles, setting screens, making defensive plays—you’re not just valuable; you’re indispensable.

So, the next time you step on the ice, think about this: what role does your team need you to play? If you’re willing to embrace that role, to put your ego aside and buy into the team, you might just find yourself having a long and rewarding career in hockey—even if you’re not the one holding the trophy at the end of the season.