Addendum: Tyler Seguin Talks His Post-Playing Career, Linemates, Rule Changes, and More

Because who doesn't want to know what Tyler Seguin would change about the NHL?

Talking about hockey for any length of time with an NHL player is a privilege. From hearing about the little details that go into making the most of your chance as a 13th forward or a backup goaltender to discussing the big perspective of a long career with a star player, there’s always much to be learned.

With a player like Tyler Seguin, you get the additional layer of a vibrant personality and an ever-broadening perspective from a new father. And while I’m under no illusions about the fact that we work in media while players are an elite fraternity unto themselves, getting to see the parts of their personalities that players feel comfortable showing to the outside world always makes for a more human story than sticking to the usual hockey clichés. Sports are played by human beings, and human beings all have stories that deserve to be heard.

As promised, I wanted to share some of the questions and details that I wasn’t able to fit the entirety of our conversation into the D Magazine piece from Monday. Some of them I’ve paraphrased below for readability, but at this point I’m starting to do the thing where I talk about the thing you’re going to read instead of just showing you the thing and letting you read it, so let’s get right to it.

Or, let’s do that after one final thing: gratitude. Thank you again to my wonderful and good-looking paid subscribers. Multiple times now, I’ve been writing late at night or early in the morning and gotten an email during that process notifying me that someone has chosen to subscribe. Such things are a very great encouragement to me in my early weeks here on Substack, where readers are free from advertisements or my rubbish web design skills. In another couple weeks, I’ll need to write a personal piece here talking about some of the heartwarming/nauseating details that have made your support mean so much to me.

But not now! Now, we talk (more) hockey with Tyler Seguin, including things like what he would change about the NHL if he could, some of the (many) linemates he’s especially loved playing with, and his thoughts on a rising salary cap.

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Noteworthy Opponents

Partway through the second period in Anaheim, Ducks captain Radko Gudas gets nailed for a tripping penalty, and I mention how Gudas is one of those players that seems like he would be really great to play with, knowing he’s got your back.

That’s when Seguin says something intriguing about opposing players: In actuality, Seguin doesn’t usually register every opposing player who’s on the ice every second he’s out there—but with a few key exceptions to that rule.

Seguin said that Gudas is such an exception, one of five or ten guys in the league where, “I’ll know when he’s on the ice. You just wanna be aware.” And as I watch Gudas glare his way to the penalty box, I very much agree with Seguin. I would want to know where that guy was, too.

I ask Seguin what other players fit in that category, and he names three specifically, including a certain retired Hall of Fame defenseman: