Mindset
Mutual Respect
“Make Love Not War”
-Diane Newell Myer
As a Canadian, the Stanley Cup playoffs are woven into the rhythm of spring.
There’s something about playoff hockey that grips us—not just the speed and skill, but the spirit of it.
It’s a warrior’s game played with gentlemanly respect. Never perfect. Often chaotic. But always culminating in something rare: mutual admiration.
The handshake line.
It’s never skipped, never forgotten.
A moment that closes the chapter—where the battles stay in the past, and what’s left is professionalism and grace.
Hockey sometimes gets a bad rap.
You’ve heard the old joke: “I went to a boxing match and a hockey game broke out.”
To the uninitiated, that might seem fair.
Yes, there’s physicality. There’s emotion.
Sometimes a crossed line leads to retribution. The unwritten rule: you get what you deserve. And then? It’s over. The game moves on.
That’s part of the code. A self-regulating system.
But beneath all that intensity is something few see coming: humility.
When I worked in the NHL, we flew on charter airlines. Flight attendants regularly told us that hockey players were the kindest, most respectful athletes they served across all professional sports.
Are they perfect? No.
Like many young men, they sometimes come into the league rough around the edges. But the professional game has a way of shaping them.
The code refines the athlete—and in turn, the athlete defines the code.
These men crash into each other. Smash into the boards. Hook, hold, shove, and even fight. They battle in the corners and clash in front of the net.
And when the final whistle blows?
They let it go. They shake hands.
That’s the lesson.
Can we wrestle with the challenges of life and still tip our hat to those who challenge us?
Can we move past disagreement with respect—for the person, if not the perspective?
It’s something worth reflecting on.
Spring is here. The game is on.
Pause. Respect. Move forward.
