Former Red Wings star Brendan Shanahan writes letter to his pre-drafted self

Brendan Shanahan at the Hockeytown Winter Festival last December. (Photo by Jen Hefner/MiHockey)
Brendan Shanahan at the Hockeytown Winter Festival last December. (Photo by Jen Hefner/MiHockey)

 

By @MichaelCaples –

Brendan Shanahan may be diving into his new role as president and alternate governor of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the hall-of-famer and former Red Wings star found some time to write a letter to himself.

For The Players’ Tribune’ site, Shanahan wrote a letter to his younger self, 27 years ago. That’s just right before ‘Shanny’ was drafted No. 2 overall by the Devils in 1987.

He starts it with, “Hey Dumb Dumb” so you know it’s good.

Highlights include:

Immediately after getting picked—you’re going second, by the way—forget the handshakes and interviews and convince your new team, the Devils, to trade up before Quebec chooses a smallish guy named Joe Sakic. You’ll thank me later.

In a few months, on the night before your first game in our hometown, Toronto, don’t meet all your friends at the high school dance. You are a damn professional athlete! Actually, nah, nevermind. That’s awesome, and will provide endless entertainment for your teammates when you’re stupid enough to tell them where you were.

Soon, your teammates will “initiate” you. They will warn you, and when they do, hide all the heat rub in the dressing room. Should you fail to hide it all, do NOT run to the shower. Water makes it hotter.

To read the whole letter, click here. There’s some good advice buried in there.