So I normally lurk on these forums but this post inspired me to finally register here and post my thoughts.

 

I should start by saying that I measure the value of a student athlete not by just their ability on the ice (or whatever sport they're in) but also by the quality of their character. My wife & I like to consider a lot of guys on the hockey team friends, and thus for us gives participating as supporters of the program a much deeper experience. We want to see all student-athletes succeed not just in the hockey program but in life.

 

I remember watching Alex's development prior to him joining the Michigan Hockey program and was very impressed with his abilities; I still am. I was excited for him to join the team. But that said, and as others here have suggested so well, there is more to the story of Alex Guptill when you begin to look below the surface. 

 

What I have observed is akin to the opinions of everyone else:  A very talented player that, with sufficient motivation, can do amazing things. The problem is, he doesn't always seem to care. Couple that mentality with a clear gap in maturity on and off the ice and it is a recipe for trouble. 

 

This lack of maturity is a perpetual occurence game after game. I have seen him taunt opposing players, deliberately cause fights (and take penalties for it), and snap sticks out of sheer petulance more times than I can count. I can also remember seeing him go back to the bench after one shift and lean down and start punching something over and over and over again.  Understand that I realize that team-mates are trained to defend each other and in the cases where the roughing originated from the opponent's side, Alex would rightly be an advocate for his team-mates. It what you would expect. Unfortunately, these situations appeared to be in the minority.  Then of course there was the Ferris State series that he missed last year, other healthy scratches, to say nothing of the legal issues he's had to deal with pertaining to the assault and public urination charges. It makes me wonder how the son of a police officer would believe that behaving in such a manner would be in any way acceptable.

 

It may seem horrible to suggest, but I see a lot of parallels pertaining to his attitude with that of the Dany Heatley parody account on twitter, @DanyAllstar15.  As BelienBuddy suggested, he is an "individual guy and not a team player ".

 

Alex certainly knows who my wife & I are, and especially as of late we would get the "death glare" from him as we wait around after the games are over to show our support. Alex is a loose cannon with little self control and it really pains me to say that I'm glad he's gone, but, well, I am glad. I think it's going to be a net positive for the team. His antics on and off the ice (clearly there is more than the general public knows) certainly didn't help with overall team morale and the absence of this will do nothing but benefit the team. Add Clare graduating, who exhibits many of the exact same characteristics of Guptill regarding maturity (albeit without the same ability on the ice), and it makes me very excited to see the team dynamic, chemistry, and performance next year.

 

While I'm at it, I should probably say how much we will miss watching Luke Moffatt play. A great performer on the ice, and a very well-raised and nice guy to boot. He's going to do very well for himself regardless of the roads life takes him down.