DALLAS — Following a disappointing Game 1 loss in the Western Conference Final, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl seemingly broke one of the most deeply held, unwritten rules within a hockey locker room.
This informal code, sometimes referred to simply as `The Code`, has a key tenet: a player should not publicly critique a specific part of the team`s performance unless they are directly involved in that area.
This generally means a goaltender doesn`t criticize the forwards or defensemen, a forward doesn`t lecture defensemen on positioning, and someone who isn`t a regular on a struggling penalty kill unit is expected to avoid commenting on that unit`s difficulties, particularly if those struggles have hampered the team during the playoffs.
However, Draisaitl chose to speak out after the 6-3 defeat, a game heavily impacted by the penalty kill`s performance. Standing in the Oilers` dressing room, he stated, “We’ve got to stay out of the box… There are going to be penalties. You’ve got to come up with a kill.”
