New development:How NHLers like Eichel Tkachuk have taken more ownership over their careers

Jack Eichel needed a change of scenery. Matthew Tkachuk felt the same.

Unlike the other major North American sports — the NBA, NFL and MLB — where athletes have historically been more vocal in pushing their own interests, hockey players have, in general, toed more of the company line.

Get drafted, sign a contract, sign another contract, maybe one more, and spend a large chunk of your career with one team, regardless of the situation.

That’s changed, at least in some instances, across the NHL in recent years.

Eichel forced his way out of Buffalo, Tkachuk made it clear he wasn’t going to stay in Calgary, and Matthews bucked the trend of stars signing long-term

Our league’s been more of the classic old-boy network, fall in line, and make sure everyone else is happy,” Eichel said. “Sometimes I think personal happiness can be lost.”

The centre sought a trade away from the Sabres that landed him with the Vegas Golden Knights in November 2021 following a standoff on the path forward following a neck injury. He eventually got his ticket out of town, along with the type of surgery he desired.

Important to make sure you’re in a good place,” said Eichel, who won the Stanley Cup with Vegas in June. “Pushed pretty hard for what I wanted. Hopefully more players feel like they can control their destiny.”

Tkachuk, meanwhile, informed the Flames he didn’t intend to re-sign in Calgary, which prompted a July 2022 trade to Florida. The winger made the Cup final in his first season with the Panthers after agreeing to an eight-year contract.

Matthews could have signed an extension with the Maple Leafs through 2032 this past summer, but instead landed on a four-year pact that expires in 2028 — and keeps his options open.

Players now are believing in themselves more,” Tkachuk said. “Starting to take more ownership.

You look at basketball where it’s very much a players-run league,” said McDavid, eligible to ink an extension in July 2025. “You see in football, guys sit out even if they have a year left to get the deal that they want. Players are starting to take back a little bit of control

Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who’s on an eight-year term in Edmonton that runs through 2026, said it’s good to see other pl