The Ride to the Rink: NHL Work Ethic Starts With You — Lessons From Flyers' Riley Armstrong

Hello, hockey skaters and goalies around the world and welcome back to another edition
of the ride to the rink. It's Lee and Mike with you today, and we brought on
someone very special. He's an NHL player development director. He knows what he is
talking about when it comes to becoming a better hockey player. NHL players listen
to him. Kids, I always feel like I've got to qualify the guests. Played in the
NHL. He's had a long career. His name is Riley Armstrong. He's here today. And he
wants to talk to you about hard work and work ethic and what that means to him.
Riley, take it away. Yeah, I think your mom and dad do so much for you.
You know, you got that new pair of skates or that new Bauer or warrior hockey
stick. And you got it all taped up. It looks nice and shiny and then you get out
there and then your effort level isn't there. And your, you know, your mom and dad
works so hard every day racing home from work. And the only thing they want to see
is that you give 110 % when you lace those new skates up or you're shooting the
puck for the first time with that new stick. So make sure when you're getting to
that rink, whether you're six years old or you're 14, 15 years old.
You're looking out there and you're trying to get better each day. And, you know,
that's something that all your mom and dad can ask for each day that you do go to
the rink with the amount of time that they invest into making you or helping you
chase your dream of being a hockey player. Yeah, Riley, can you talk a little bit
real quick about just how you can determine that as individual player like you can't
just like if it's really hard right when there when there's when there's five other
players and you're seeing they don't want to put the effort you can fall into that
just talk about like how to battle out of that and become your own player and
figure out like ways that a player can strategize to accomplish these things on
their own yeah you get sucked into the trap the wormhole and You don't always have
to be the class clown. You don't have to be the cool guy. There's nothing wrong
with the guy who tries really hard. I could probably tell you right now that the
person who tries the hardest is the one who's going to get better, the quickest,
but also move on to bigger and better things. The class clown will get weeded out.
The person who doesn't try will get it out pretty quick and don't fall into that
trap being around those people you always want to surround yourself with with people
that think like you or that you guys are chasing the same goal or that same dream
so surround surround yourself with the right people with the right group of friends
and it'll be crazy how far that group of people will will take you as well so
really last question for me um the kids will beat me up before we don't talk about
the NHL for a minute. You've been surrounded by pro athletes, really your entire
adult life, okay?
We talk about at the beginning of this episode, given everything you got, right,
making sure that you give your best effort. NHL athletes have to do this every day
throughout the entire season. And the truth is this, they can't be at 100 % every
day, but they bring 100 % of what they got every day. Can you talk to the kids
about that, how the athletes do that, and why that's noticeable at the NHL level?
Well, I think for a lot when you're watching them on TV and you don't understand
if, you know, a player blocked a shot the night before and their foot swollen up
and they jam their foot into their skate to lace them up to go play again the
following night or they didn't get a good night's sleep, you know,
and they're exhausted. A lot of the NHL players have kids, families,
and they're balancing a lot of that stuff. And no one, I don't think, really thinks
about that. They buy their ticket, they go to the game and they're like, why didn't
he play well? Or how come he didn't score a goal today? But the one thing that
they do do, and that's why they're paid the money that they're paid is to bring it
every night. And guys play through things that you can't even imagine. Broken ribs a
puck in the face, broken wrist, a broken hand, and guys still play the game.
And when you're in the crowd watching these guys play, you wouldn't even know
they're battling a certain little tweak or anything to their body and they're still
out there giving every ounce that they have because number one, they love the team,
and number two, they love the game. And you have to love the game. If you don't
love the game, the game isn't going to love you back. So make sure you love the
game. That's number one. Well, I'll say this to the kids listening. If you're
listening to this show, you clearly love the game. And remember kids, look, NHL
athletes have adult problems, but you're entitled to your youth problems as well.
You have tough days at school. You are sick sometimes. You get injured sometimes.
You can act or be like an NHL player at your games and your practice, too.
You can show up, ready to work, ready to push, ready to make sure that your
coaches see that. And of course, your parents see that too. Look, all three of us
talking here, kids, we're all parents. It's not that we want you just to push hard
because of the stick. We do. We pay the money. Riley's 100 % right. But we love to
see you work hard. It fills us up with pride when you work hard.
Okay. And I know Riley feels that way too. Mike does as well. You don't know how
it makes us feel when we see you given everything you got. So proud of you. Riley,
any final words before we close this out? This has been great. No, I think kids
just need to keep enjoying the journey as much as the parent does for the parents
listening and the ride to the rink. Enjoy the journey that you're on with your kid.
The time you get to spend in the car with your son or daughter, you know,
you're going to look back on it and, you know, and think those are some of the
best car rides. And then your son or daughter, when they get older and they're
taking their kids to the rink, they're going to think back to, you know, these are
the car rides I had with my dad. And I think that's something that even to this
day that I think about the car rides with my mom and dad to the rink, playing
hockey, put on the figure skates. You know, those are like countless memories that,
you know, you'll have forever. 100 %, Riley. We really appreciate you being here
today. It's from the NHL to your ears, wherever you're listening in the car, in
your headphones, whatever you're doing it. But that's going to do it for this
edition of the ride to the rink. For Mike, I'm Lee. That's Riley Armstrong, who's
here with us today. Kids, remember, wherever you're at on your hockey journey, we
believe in you. You should too. Remember to have fun, skate hard, and get better.
We'll see you on the next ride to the ring. Take care, everybody.