Bylsma's small change revolutionized James Neal's game
The Players' Tribune has been full of great insights from athletes ever since its inception, giving readers an entirely new look into the world of sports. There are many lessons to learn from the posts on that website, and a recent story from James Neal showed just how important a minor change by a coach can be on an athlete's career.
For Neal, the coach who made the biggest difference in his game was former Pittsburgh coach and current Buffalo bench boss Dan Bylsma. When Neal first arrived in Pittsburgh back in 2010-11, he was a young player in the third year of his NHL career.
Neal is still trying to regain his form from that 40-goal season, a year which earned him a six-year, $30 million contract extension. The good times with the Penguins have since come to an end, as Pittsburgh tired of Neal and traded him to the Nashville Predators during the 2014 NHL Draft. Last year -- his first with Nashville -- Neal potted 23 goals and registered 14 assists for 37 points in 67 games. It was his lowest production total in a full season since his rookie year.
(h/t The Players' Tribune)
I started my career as a left winger, so I was always receiving passes with the puck outside my body, away from the net. If you’re a playmaker, you might prefer this. I didn’t know how big of a difference this made until I got traded to Pittsburgh. Dan Bylsma walked in the first day and asked, “Hey, do you think you could play right wing?”
I’m like, “Uh, well I’ve never played it before, so I’m not sure?”
He says, “Okay great, you’re playing right wing.”
Once I got used to it, I really elevated my game, because whenever I shot the puck on my forehand, the release point was closer to the net. I was a threat at all times, especially on one-timers. I ended up scoring 40 goals the next season. So whenever a guy switches wings, it has a lot of implications for how he plays. (Thanks, Dan. You were one of the best teachers I’ve ever had.)
