Sometimes hockey feels like it’s in its own little world when it comes to major North American sports. Not only is it wildly more popular in Canada, a place where it blows the other sports out of the water in popularity, but it is also just different in so many ways.
It’s not played with a ball, and it’s played on ice. Already, these differences give it a kind of identity. That’s what makes it even more entertaining when there is some crossover into another realm.
Utah Jazz star sophomore Donovan Mitchell provided that on Monday with his pregame outfit. While it may come across as Mitchell sporting his favourite hockey team’s threads, there is actually a deeper meaning to it.
Roy just happened to have the right name for what Mitchell was trying to say. ROY, commonly used to shorten Rookie of the Year, is a touchy issue for the Jazz’s star guard. He lost out on the honour to Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons in a controversial decision.
Many thought that Simmons shouldn’t qualify for the award after an injury ended his “true rookie” season, but most believed that he deserved the award if he did in fact qualify.
Kind of a weird flex on Mitchell’s part, but ok.
(H/T Peter Alper)
