Askarov, Walman, Victims of Hockey’s Conservative Culture

Yaroslav Askarov and former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman have the San Jose Sharks for the same reason. Both were committing the unforgivable sin of standing out in the crowd. Making a spectacle of themselves.

In hockey culture, this is about as taboo as it gets.

Walman did the Gritty after scoring a game-winning goal. Not once, not twice.

Three times.

Askarov bench pressed the net following a shootout victory.

Looking forward to seeing this in person

(: @TheAHL) pic.twitter.com/sHEkCq2Md5

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) August 23, 2024

On each occasion, fans loved it. Hockey people did not.

Following Friday’s trade that sent Askarov to the Sharks, Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz was frankly telling a local radio station that Askarov’s on-ice antics played a little bit of a factor in wanting to move on from him.

Trotz is an old-school hockey guy. Liver. His only concern is winning games. He wants players who will always put the team first and are on the same page with that line of thinking.

Standing out in the crowd, drawing undue attention to yourself, that’s not the hockey way.

Remember the outrage when Trevor Zegras and Sonny Milano first brought the Michigan goal to the NHL? An NHL TV analyst then, current Philadelphia Flyers coach John Tortorella was beside himself with disgust about it.

“My position is, is it good for the game?” Tortorella asked on ESPN. “I’m not so sure.”

Yeah. Fun. Entertainment. Pure unadulterated individual skill.

Who wants to see that?

Third Walman Gritty Ended Him As Red Wings Player

The moment Walman uncorked his third Gritty, following a penalty shot winner in OT against the Vancouver Canucks, his exodus from the Red Wings was all but assured.

When he doubled down by talking about building a whole campaign around the gritty, the clock was ticking on his shelf life in Detroit.

JAKE WALMAN HITS THE GRITTY IN OVERTIME #NHL | #LGRW | #GoHabsGo
pic.twitter.com/n3I3a4oba6

— The Cam & Strick Podcast (@CamandStrick) December 3, 2023

If you know anything about Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman, it’s that like Trotz, he’s all about winning. It’s his sole purpose, what drove him as a player and continues to be his mantra as a GM.

He’s also loathe to bring attention to himself and unimpressed with those who seek to do this for themselves. In his mind, in the hockey mentality, that’s putting yourself ahead of the team.

Think about it. Even Yzerman’s Stanley Cup celebrations were muted in comparison to every other Cup-winning captain in recent memory.

That Walman’s obsession with the Gritty was coming around the same time that his defensive game was coming apart certainly wouldn’t have made him any friends among the hockey operations staff of the Red Wings.

Red Wings Cancel MoJo Show

Remember the MoJo Show? It was a product of the Red Wings social media and marketing departments. The premise was Red Wings players Moritz Seider and Joe Veleno getting up to antics and hijinks, often in cities the club was visiting during the season.

The show was popular with the club’s fanbase.

Then one day, it just stopped. Someone canceled the MoJo Show. The belief has always been that Yzerman was that guy.

The Sharks social media team is all abuzz about Askarov bringing his act to town. Can’t imagine the hockey ops folks are as excited about it.

San Jose is the worst team in the NHL and beggars can’t be choosers. Right now, the Sharks are willing to look the other way in regards to the individuality of both players. That’s not the same as embracing it.

Players who bring attention to themselves will still play in the NHL as long as they offer value. But they’ll play for a lot of teams. Think Eddie Shack, Sean Avery, PK Subban. They all found their way to a lot of homes during their NHL days.

That’s not the only reason they were moved, but it certainly played a role.

Askarov is already on his second NHL team and Walman his third. Odds are it won’t be the last stop for either of them.