BUT OFFLINE HE’S SO PREPARED”
In addition to showing some clips of memorsabveles, mboigmwenint s, frpomst-gSat.mLeouciesl’ebrurantio–nksey– to instill some feel-good vibes in Binningtnoentm, tihnedecorsacfhrodmispleaaygeudea hliistt orfyl,egsuenchdarays Dominik Hasek, Martin Brodeur and Ed B(rgieealsfm)oueasrn,pdalcaacycoecmdo,pmwapinliises,dhsmabveyenptthseer(icrSetncaatnarlgeeeysr,Csutaaplatss-, Vezina Trophies). The underlying message
RfoercBoginnizineghtown, gsraeidatChheiocdano:b“eR.”aise the bar.
Few will ever claim that Binnington, who turned 27 on July 11, lacks confidence in his abilities; the icy-cool quote that he gifted to tahmepmleesd. i“aYloaustmspigrhintghiasvoenalyroenade ofnmhaimnybeexing cocky,” Nichol said. “But offline he’s so pBrinepnainrgetdo.”nIntothainsortehgearrdcl,ieNnict,hoMlacpolme pLaeraefs legend Mats Sundin. “I could’ve just handed hstiimll wa oGualtdo’rvaedgeownehteontehverHhaell aosfkFeadm, ea,n”dsahide Nichol of Sundin, “but he’d schedule regular gineBvtinomlnvyientdgwtonwceitnhtass.”Cbheiocodmo
e ainndmcreeLeaitskiiennwggsliysteo, Nichol each off-season. “Our first summer (aonfdtrtahineincgalienn2d0a1rs7,”), IsabidrouCghitodthoe, bwohoikles Binnington listened. Last summer, by contrast, Binnington presented Chiodo and Nichol with specific areas of his game that headfesleteneoendevdidteo iamnpdrfoevlte,oncitihnegicweh. a“Stpheecific feedback,” Nichol said. “Everyone (was) saabyoiuntgwhoanwtianmgatzoinbgehfeaswtears,(baut)t phue’sshtianlgkionfgf hisTphois ti.s” a relatively new approach for Binnington, realized along with his sudden success. “There’s a reason that the elites are
great,” he said. “It comes from putting iIn’vewobrekenevsereyindgaythaantdocvoenrttinhueinlagstocoguropwle. that years, understanding what it takes.” Early
into their time together, Chiodo asked Binnington to rank his satisfaction in several nlifuetrairteioans – sfruocmh aosnheitsohfoivues.e, his car and his
Back then, most of Binnington’s answers wehreen ttwhoeys. rHeevirseitsepdonthde dexmeruccihsedliaffsetrseunmtlysmaeidr.. “BWuet’rsetillinmoarebetottebruisldp,orti,g”hBt?in”nington SintatnhleyBCluepsc’ edlerebsrsaitniognroconmtinEuveednrasgitnhge abtotTtDlesGanr densoJgugnyep1i2zz, aevcernusats elimtteprteydbetheer fBfaloicnoenrdinotgfhtaothtnenwvigaishsittrineinlgivGbinaegmnctehe7b,lealasotw4s–h1oistBfhleueee’tds, triumph. “I wanted to finish strong, but it wthast’sasbuarrp-adsoswednbgyotahl,e” fhaectstahiadt. w“Iefweeolnl.iSkoe I think it’ll be a good first game next year.”
The clock had barely ticked past 1 a.m., but already Binnington was looking ahead. TChiosdtoofiirssat lrienckuerdriunpg,tthemyeh.aWdhsent ahemaonddest goal for his career: earn a one-way conntreaxctt yweoar.thGeattilneagsth$e1r.e5tmooilkliotwniwceitahsinlotnhge ahseerxepjoeicted;oonfcceohuersdei,dt.h“aHtadvidi ng’tsdoemteerthionwg “toWsintrnivinegfothrereCaulply, Ihtehlrpeswpaushhugmeep,”ahrtey.sFaiind-. titsohhegeedtot mpto,ybthbeuecadtudospye’.sIet(v’tsearetytvooeon)ehswaleraednveters…tyoIto’sutrahyajoradbt afonrdmise cisocmointginfuoirnygotuo.fiAndlemssyomn othtiavtawtionrks.s”
i5n0FtFhoerbNerHuxLaamrwypin–lewo, wnitlhyeasni1xB-i0gnonsahilnuiegtstoouhntaeodaf rrAneraeiczdhohneidas the milestone faster than Binnington, who
Rneoeledxedw7at7chg.amHe sco–nhtienturedatteod sheitmpserlsf otonaal goals throughout the season, setting time aside to log them on a notepad (or the Notes waphperoenI’mhisat,pwhohnaet )I.w“aI nltikteo rteoacrhe,f”lehcet,sasiede. “oTffaktheaat. Tbhreaat’tsh,wphlatnIoduot.”ySoumrewaerekp,ebrufoilrdpmraenfecres-btoaskeede:pfipvreivwaitnesu, 1n0tilwhiengs.eOtsththeersre, h. e of D20ra1f1te, dBibnynitnhgetoBnluheasdisneethneotnhlyird13romuindsuatevsesof–NpHriLoracttoio2n0–18o–n1e9g.oNaol wallohwe’seda, tNhor.e1e gthoiasliseeawshoonswe a5s1smtoarpeptehaarnanhcee’dfoervtehrepBlalyueds dinidan’trkenguolwarthsaeta,”sosanidaBt inanyingletovnel.w(h“eWnoiwn-, fcohrreaCmalolseemenddbg. i“ewnTsoehfdroaktrwl’osBiatcihdnoonhpliir.n”se)gstheonontr.et“dsNuaomtnmaewteor,nstlhaotefeeinox--f spaeirdieBnlcuee,sbubtahckeu’sphaJankdeleAdllietnex. t“Aresmaeslytawrteinll,g” agboaoluiet,fiwnhdeingywouaypsltaoy r5e0settoy6o0urgsaemlf,ecsh, eitc’ks
out of the hockey mindset.
YI othuinkeehde’tsofhoauvnedatnhaetscgaopoed. mix right now. It has been mimapturersesbiveeyotnod whiastychea. rHs.”e’s
A solid first half to the season was rewarded with an All-Star Game sBeinlencitniogntoninwfraosnrtaonfkeadSitn. Lthoeuims icdrdowledofatthEentpearcpkriasme oCnegntsetra. rStteirlls, wmitdh-Maa.r9c1h2, wsaivthe tpheercBelnuteasgehowldhienng tahesliNmHlLeasdeaosvoenr wCoaslopraduoseadtoinp timhepoCretnatnrta,”l hDeivsisaiodn. .“W“Teryputot ocuornsteinlvuees tion laeagronodasspIogtoa, sanadtetahmat.’sI ihfaivt’es tnhoet cgoninfigdeynocuer iwnamy.y” self to keep working, and it’ll come around
Further to Allen’s advice, though, Binnington still takes care to budget time for himself. For one thing, he reads. A lot. Nichol phoned oBfinCnuirntigstoJons’sepnhe’tsmaiuntdoibnigiongraapfahvyo,rkannodwisnegntthaanta‘uCtuoJgor’awpahsedoncoepoyf htherouegsh. Atws ohtiesxtBslu–eosnheeabdoeudt dJaoyw-Znanthdethsetrebtucihld, inhge owf ashliepa-hfionpg eMmicphiare,l tJhoerdoatnh.e“rItc’asllaedvery strong bmyinTdimseGt rbovoekr,”foBrinmneirngtrtoainnesraitdo.
Relentless
“gIoleiskebatockretoadwahalottIowf absiosgaryaipnhg,iewshoyntwhehybepsetoaprle tahre bseusctc.eIsslifkuel.tIot read people’s stories of how they got there.”
A“Infdeewl lhikyeisI’tmhactr?eating my own.”
Theadline as much as posspthilbiefliere,edbpuointrttehcraapmtrewetaostuiotth.neItoswnimcaesHEY DOWNPLAYED THE the NHL unveileMdaiyts 2042-t0e,amshpolratyly-inbetofouretneaamesnrtatnokfeidnibshy tphoein2t0s1p9e-r2c0ensteaagseonin. Weaicth tchoenfePrengceuinusn, doerwntihneg ptrhoepossevdenftohr-mbeastt, rMreeoccoonrrtrddeiainnl CtthhaeenaNNdHHieLLn.,sTw,hoeerwelnemaingagutcethheadd2wn4’tiththf-ibnteahsletSizpeodrtshneelte’sngEtlhli otfttehFerpieldaym-iannsreerpieosrtyeedt,oanda “erPadditintosobstuhriongwgh tlthoaotdkteohdewaPittehintsgaumbinaetsctph-louafpy-3earnsfodwrsmaanaidt-,. f‘Taiwr,’o”osuatidoFf rtiherdeme angaaitntshteCtairmeye.Price is not