St. Louis Blues' goalie Brian Elliott becomes example for struggling players -NHL Update
Some players in the National Hockey League (NHL) find it extremely hard to bounce back after going through a slump in their careers, but St. Louis Blues’ goalie, Brian Elliott, is a prime example of one who has gone from being down to going straight up.
After the 2010-2011 NHL regular season came to an end, Brian Elliott was looking for a job with any team around the league where he could potentially play as their main goalie but the outlook was bleak.
Having spent less than half the season with Colorado Avalanche after being traded by the Ottawa Senators, a team he spent four seasons with, Elliott did not impress the Western Conference team and failed to re-sign with them.
At the moment, Elliott is still on his two-way contract for this season worth a mere $600,000, when you compare it to the recent contract extension he signed with the Blues after he impressed them to the extent of keeping him for the next two seasons for
a whopping $3.6 million.
“One of the things that you learn about ‘Ells’ is he’s a really good listener,” Blues’ coach, Ken Hitchcock, said. “He’s resurrected a career based on being able to look in the mirror and make adjustments.”
Elliott went from being jobless to an All-Star player during the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend, definitely making him an example for other such players looking to make a comeback in respect of their careers.
Playing in the past and having up and down seasons with more losses than wins, especially with the Ottawa Senators, it was time for a reality check.
“I’m probably roughest on myself, more so than anybody else could be on me,” the 26-year-old goalie, Brian Elliott, said. “I sometimes have to look in the mirror and realize, ‘You have to pick it up or you’re not going to be in the league long.’ The best
advice I ever got was, ‘It’s tough to get there and even tougher to stay.’
Now with St. Louis, Elliott is rolling by having played 23 games so far with an astounding 15-5 record, making him one of the best in the league with his team standing fourth in the Western Conference and ready for the upcoming playoffs.
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