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Originally Posted by 868904
Apples and oranges. Leaders versus non-leaders.
The Keith thing is weird but probably also taken out of context. I'm sure the player he took the skates from had another pair that was "lent" to Keith.
As for Mackinnion getting rid of donuts and garbage food in the dressing room, I don't see how any one can view this as bad or "bullying"; this is leadership. They are professional athletes being paid millions, they shouldn't even need Mackinnion to tell them not to eat garbage food. They have a responsibility to take care of their bodies and perform to their contract.
Olympic athletes are very strict with their diets and they don't make nearly as much as professional athletes make.
You want to rip on Mackinnion for shooting a puck back at a teammate after a bad pass in practice, sure, I'll give you that, maybe he could have handled it better, like pulling the teammate aside and quietly talking to him instead of "showing him up" in front of the whole team, but it's clear he did that to send a message to the entire team. But to rip Mackinnion for demanding that his teammates be professional and eat like a real athlete and live up to their contract? I don't know why you are upset at that.
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The Keith thing wasn’t meant as taking a player’s only pair of skates. It was more about him being funny/weird/quirky. He would ask players to try on their skates. Then after putting them on, if he liked the fit he’d be like “I’m playing in those tonight”. I’m sure the player(s) could’ve refused. That said, he knows he is a legend and that people would just go with it.
Zadorov had another anecdote about Keith I omitted. I’m just gonna paraphrase . Essentially when players would get called up for their first game. Keith would come to them without introducing himself or saying hello. He would ask them something like “so, what is your leg routine during the summer”. The young player would be in awe, because it’s Keith, he’s a legend. He would mumble something about squats or w.e. Then Keith with a serious face would be like “o.k” and walk away. Apparently it helped the young players to get a little bit of the tension off. Z thinks it’s just Keith’s way of pranking tge new guys a little.