The hockey world saw a much different side of Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson in November than it saw in June.
Back in the summer, Davidson went viral for his “Kyle from Chicago” clip in which he played along with an unsuspecting interviewer outside the NHL Draft in Nashville, a video that put his sense of humor and down-to-earth personality on display.
This fall, Davidson appeared more shaken, upset and emotional than he ever had before publicly when announcing Corey Perry’s contract termination and alluding to the unfair impact of the resulting rumors on Connor Bedard’s family.
It shouldn’t be surprising to see someone happy at one time and sad at another. But it’s rare to see it from a GM in pro sports — stereotypically an emotionally closed-off, power-projecting man.
Davidson knows how to look the part and keep his cards close to his chest when necessary, but he’s also willing to admit that he’s as human as anyone — and that his responsibilities sometimes can be straining from an empathy standpoint.
“These jobs aren’t easy,” Davidson said. “You’re responsible for so many people. Whether it’s that [Perry] event or something very different with Kevin [Korchinski, whose father died] and his family, you feel everything — because you care about your players and your staff, and you care about their families.
“When something happens and it’s a positive, you feel that in a great way. When it’s a negative, you feel that in a really negative way. You carry a lot of the ups and downs of the group in your everyday job.”
Now in this third season in charge — albeit still the league’s youngest GM at 35 — Davidson feels more settled in his role.
That means he’s more confident, experienced and better at keeping up with his to-do list, but it also means he’s “more in-tune with every little thing that goes on” around the organization, which can get overwhelming at times.
He’s certainly thankful to have moved past the Perry situation, or at least the height of it. There still could be some legal battles coming if the NHL Players’ Association files a grievance, but those will be mundane compared to the controversy and drama that followed Perry’s initial misconduct incident Nov. 22 in Columbus.
“We handled it and we got through it, but I’m happy it’s in the past,” he said.
On the ice, the Hawks’ losses can be painful. Granted, Davidson is partially to blame for them. He enacted the full-scale rebuild knowing it would entail losing a lot, and every loss brings the Hawks closer to another high draft pick.
But his role in the losses and his players’ disappointment with the mounting defeats, despite giving maximum effort, represent another tough element of the job.
“I don’t care what stage you’re in. Whether you’re rebuilding or you’re one of the top Stanley Cup contenders, the losses are hard,” he said. “I don’t like it at all. But they are what they are, so you try to focus on the things that are more high-leverage, which is the general improvement of your players and your team.”
Make no mistake, Davidson signed up for all of this. He isn’t seeking pity. And there are plenty of validating and enjoyable aspects of being an NHL GM, too.
He’s just focused on adapting and perfecting his approach based on both the ups and the downs.
“Hopefully I can do this for a very long time, and [when] we’re way down the road in my career, I’m still going to be learning,” he said. “There are going to be new things that pop up at that time. Everything is a learning experience.”
