Irish jockey Michael O’Sullivan airlifted to hospital after fall at Thurles
February 7, 2025
O’Sullivan airlifted to hospital after fall
February 7, 2025
Artyom Levshunov is a beacon of positivity. It’s one of the 19-year-old’s admirable qualities. In most interviews, he brings humor, a smile, and an optimistic outlook.
The 2024 second-overall pick was recalled from the Rockford IceHogs on Feb. 3 to practice with the Blackhawks (he was re-assigned to Rockford on Feb. 5). But his jolly disposition was hard to miss in his media sessions. It is something that could help him in his future NHL career.
Levshunov’s Positivity on Display
I mentioned Levshunov’s character before as a possible reason the Blackhawks were drawn to him, and it was on display again. Amid another terrible season for the Blackhawks, much of the excitement comes from prospects like Frank Nazar and Landon Slaggert. As Connor Bedard said, “It’s fun. Everyone that comes up is so excited to be in the NHL every day, and that brings a lot of positivity to our room.” (from ‘Connor Bedard dazzles, Landon Slaggert energizes as Blackhawks’ youth movement continues’ – The Athletic – 01/28/2025)
Even though Levshunov was only recalled to attend practices, his excitement was palpable. After being recalled, he said, “I was so happy. I was really excited to come here. Yeah, it’s cool.” Moreover, the Blackhawks’ social media posted a “Get to Know Levshunov” video and one of the questions asked was, “What is your favorite day of the week?” Levshunov responded, “I think every day is good.”
He has this glass-half-full attitude where nothing seems to keep him down, and it made me wonder if that will complement his acclaimed defensive game throughout his career.
Blackhawks Can Benefit From Their Players’ Mindset
Dallas Eakins, recently known as the former head coach of the Anaheim Ducks, wrote a feature for NHL.com on the mindset challenges all NHL teams face. He had a lot of great things to say, but this summed it up:
“Successful and unsuccessful groups each have the same challenge. Each must employ great discipline and possess a trained mindset to be able to get their heads to neutral, get to a calm place while everything negative or positive swirls around them.
This is where they can get their thoughts and perspective organized and not let their circumstance become something they’re not. The next practice or next game has nothing to do with a three-game winning streak or losing skid. There is always the next game, facing a new team where the lineup may be slightly different and you’re playing in a different building or time zone.
Each group must take that single day and prepare to ‘Win That Day’ in every aspect. They cannot be caught in the past, beating themselves up over losses and cannot put off training to find some comfort because of a few wins.”
This seems straightforward, making me question the correlation between attitude and play on the ice. So, I connected with some of my colleagues for insight into young, successful players and how their positivity has helped them. I have a few examples.
Mark Scheig, Columbus Blue Jackets contributor, mentioned Adam Fantilli, who has 15 points in his last 16 games and has his team in the Wild Card hunt. Scheig mentioned his smiley demeanor and elaborated, “He knows how to be a pro at such a young age. Even when he is frustrated, he shows it in a way where you can tell he won’t be mad for long. I think this absolutely helps him put the past behind him quicker, knowing he is capable of rebounding.”
Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings was described as a “happy-go-lucky guy” by a few, and the defenseman has 33 points in 54 games and has his team in a Wild Card spot.
For some Blackhawks examples, Ryan Donato comes to mind. He has been one of their players this season, being the third-best scorer. Former head coach Luke Richardson said about Dontato in October, “The guys pull for him because he tries so hard and tries to do the right things all the time. I’m glad to see him get rewarded . . . because he goes to those hard areas. He’s bleeding out of the nose and the lip, and he’s coming to the bench smiling because he’s got a goal.’’ (from ‘Ryan Donato is ‘on fire right now’ — and Chicago Blackhawks are on guard for Patrick Kane hype’ – Chicago Tribune – 11/06/2024)
Related: 4 Teams That Should Be Sellers at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline
Even Pat Maroon talked about Lukas Reichel’s great attitude amid his better season, or Louis Crevier, who has been a standout on defense this year. His mindset is similar to Levshunov’s, saying, “It’s never a bad day when you’re up here [NHL], so it’s cool.”
The list is endless. However, the point is that players with a positive mindset are great for individual and team success.
Yet, as Eakins pointed out, “To come in and preach to be positive when you are dealing with great adversity can come off as disingenuous, a bit of an act, and even fraudulent. The big key is not to be negative.”
That applies to the Blackhawks, as it is the NHL, and it’s hard to stay positive when you are one of the worst teams in the league, especially for years. Head coach Anders Sorensen was asked about the low morale in the room, and he preached communication. Overall, wins help.
But Levshunov and other prospects and players who can eventually influence the room while they build their way back up are another crucial factor in getting to where they want to be. It’s also another reason for fans to be hopeful.
