John-Michael Liles can deal with adversity. As a 5’10” defenseman, he has heard all the critics along the way. He’s been told he was too small, wasn’t physical enough and couldn’t play his game at the next level.
He silenced those critics on October 10, 2003, when he stepped on the ice for the Colorado Avalanche in his first NHL game. Six days later, he recorded his first point with an assist in Minnesota. He appeared in 79 games that year, finishing with 34 points.
John-Michael Liles was in the NHL to stay.
It seemed that Liles’ story was complete. A kid from a small town in Indiana had made his dream come true. And then came coach Joe Sacco.
Hired to replace Tony Granato, who was let go after a last place finish in the Western Conference by the Avalanche, Joe Sacco expected more out of Liles.
The first-year coach was convinced that Liles could not only compete at the NHL level, but could change games. After awarding Liles a four-year contract worth $16.8 million, it seemed that the front office agreed. Not performing up to the expectations of ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Jon Miller
John-Michael Liles, Out Of The Doghouse and Into The Spotlight
November 23rd, 2010 by Jon Miller Leave a reply »
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