I can't wrap my head around Will Smith "bearing his neck to Will Vote" Hockey still being like that post ntdp.
and that he was thriving there too.
I can't even put it into words but it just makes no sense to me that they didn't even like try to get him to physically stand up for himself at least a little bit
so the thing abt will is that he has always been very, very good. we all know he had the second highest points total ever in the program's history while there, incl. a season that he spent consistently playing up a year. he's been the best on the ice for most of his life, which means he never really needed to learn how to take a hit because he could outthink outplay and (usually) outskate the other players on the ice. he also got used to leno and gabe (and his other teammates before that) doing the dirty work in the corners, along the boards and in their zone to get him the puck, so like. he never really had to be the one getting hit over it. and it didn't matter because once they got him the puck, he was doing absolutely filthy ungodly things with it.
unfort now that will is no longer the unqualified best offensive player on the ice, he really does need to contribute more defensively, which requires getting a lil more comfy w taking a hit. the december shoulder injury def didn't help; it can take a young guy a while to bounce back from a hit like that, esp one like will who's never really been abt the goon life. is he ever gonna be milan lucic or even a kiefer sherwood? no, and he doesn't need to be. but he should probably spend the off-season doing his version of the rocky montage up the philly art museum steps or whatever and like. get his head in the game. which i'm sure he will!
the other thing is that while the ntdp does famously include some dryland fighting lessons, its alumni are also known for learning how to avoid a hit (eg, the comment screenshot in this post talking abt jack hughes, ie, the player with the first highest points total in program history). say what you want about the program—and i do—but for better and for worse, they never forget that they're in the business of breaking down boys to turn into men. and you can't hit a growing boy over and over and over. it's not good for business to break them too soon
