This one hit home for me. Matt was drafted by the Kings a year after my cousin. I always felt like he took my cousin's role with the team, and it lead to my cousin subsequently being traded away.
Basically, my cousin wouldn't or couldn't embrace the enforcer role required for him to earn a consistent NHL role. Strange how things work out in the end.
I think there are far more stories like this out there than any of us really believe. We're only hearing about the ones who made it. What about the guys in junior or minor pro who faded into obscurity?
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