One Bad Game

Story of The Week

Hutch was 16, a standout AAA goalie, and the top junior leagues were circling. He put in the work—every day, on and off the ice. His dedication wasn’t up for debate. He dominated all season, racking up 15 shutouts, breaking the league record, but the competition was weak. His team cruised into the playoffs, but when they finally faced a good opponent in round two, Hutch got rocked. Six goals against. His team got smoked 6-0. Hutch, the guy who only let in 13 goals all year, was humiliated. Scouts were watching. He was rattled.

Then his coach called. No sugarcoating. “Hutch, you’re the best because you do the work. The second you stop, you’re average. You winged it out there. No fundamentals, no focus. Fix it.”

It hit hard, but Hutch knew his coach was right. He watched the game tape and couldn’t believe how sloppy he was. He looked like a kid flailing around in net.

So, he got back to the basics. No more showing off for scouts, no more ego. Just him, the puck, and his job. The rest of the series? Hutch shut the door. One goal in three games. His team won the series.

From that moment on, Hutch never let complacency slip into his game again. He blocked out the noise, focused on preparation, and let his performance speak for itself. That mindset took him through juniors and all the way to the NHL.

Stat of the week

Vin Scully (Los Angeles Dodgers) holds the record for the longest broadcasting career for a single team, calling Dodgers games for an incredible 67 years (1950–2016). He became synonymous with the Dodgers and baseball broadcasting.

Al Michaels has broadcasted over 500 NFL games, including the iconic “Miracle on Ice” hockey game in 1980 and numerous Super Bowls. He is one of the most recognized voices in sports broadcasting.

The longest continuous sports broadcast was achieved by Ernesto Viso and Andrés Agulla in 2018. The two ESPN commentators broadcast a Formula 1 event for 27 hours and 9 minutes without a break.