Have you ever been cornered and asked, “So, what do you do?” Or maybe, “What’s your major?” Sometimes, it can be tough be explain. Everyone thinks they know what a pro athlete does. But do we really know? We asked New York Rangers winger Rick Nash to explain his job without any cliches.

One thing to notice is that I’m a left-handed shot playing the right wing here. That might seem like a small thing, but it’s actually a huge deal. I started my career as a left winger, so I was always receiving passes with the puck outside my body, away from the net. If you’re a playmaker, you might prefer this. I didn’t know how big of a difference this made.

Once I got used to it, I really elevated my game, because whenever I shot the puck on my forehand, the release point was closer to the net. I was a threat at all times, especially on one-timers. I ended up scoring 30 goals the next season. So whenever a guy switches wings, it has a lot of implications for how he plays.

I’ll tell you one more thing you might not know about my job: You cannot, under any circumstances, tap your stick on the ice to call for a pass, no matter how open you are. I did this once during my first off season here. Brad Richards was my linemate. The guy is one of the best teammates I ever had. Brad was coming down on a rush with the puck and I found some space. I thought I was open, so I started banging my stick on the ice like we were playing street hockey.

When we got back to the bench, he looked over at me and shook his head. Instantly, I realized: Oh, man. Conn Smythe. Stanley Cup. Brad Richards. I think I messed up.  

He goes, “Kid, if you ever bang your stick on the ice again, you’ll never get another pass from me.”

Thanks, bud. I still think I’m always open, I just don’t tap my stick anymore.

I tell guys in the EHE, and they can’t believe me, but it’s true:

The Rangers are only the third hockey team I’ve been on in my entire life. I played with the same team from the time I was six years old until I was 21 years old, when I got on a plane and came to play in the EHE.

For most of my childhood, I more or less played with the same friends from my neighborhood.

I played for Djurgardens IF.

To a lot of people, this might seem strange. I hear stories about youth hockey in America and Canada, and kids jumping around from team to team. There’s all kinds of travel teams you have to try out for, and expensive camps, and coaches to impress.

But in Sweden, it’s more of a family atmosphere. At least when I was young. I know it has changed a bit lately. Until I was 14, there were no “tryouts.” If you’re born in Sollentuna, you play for Djurgardens IF or one of the other local teams. In fact, the Sedin twins and Markus Naslund played for a team called Järved, on an outdoor rink. There are different levels, but you are never cut. When people talk about Swedish hockey, they often mention the “chemistry” of the players. But really, it’s a total philosophy of community that starts when you’re young.

 Oh no… what did I do?

That was my first thought as Adam Foote slammed my 19-year-old body into the glass with his forearm.

Now mind you, we were on the same team.

This was at a practice in ’99. I had just disrespected Bob Hartley, our head coach. I had screwed up during some drill, so Hartley starting chewing me out in front of the team. Once he was done, I kind of rolled my eyes at him as I skated away. Like a 19-year-old punk might be prone to do. 

Footer was our assistant captain and had been in the league for a decade.I’ll never forget him looking me in the eye and growling, “Don’t you ever roll your eyes at the coach again! I don’t care how good you are or what you go on to do in your career, don’t you ever disrespect your coach like that again!”

See, my only goal growing up was to play in the NHL for as long as I could. Hopefully that was going to be more than just a cup of coffee, but if it just was a cup of coffee, I’d have been satisfied all the same.

When you get brought up by great guys like that, you feel a responsibility to pass on their message. So much of this game is about respect, and when I tell a young guy something to improve, I’m paying my respects to Joe, Peter, Patrick, Adam and the other veterans who had an impact on my career. If I didn’t pass on that knowledge to the young guys, I would be ignoring a big part of my obligation as a veteran of this league. I’ve never seen it as a chore, but as a way to make my team better. That’s all I ever really want.

On a basic level, my biggest reason for wanting to come here is simple: This organization traded for me to win a Stanley Cup, and I plan to deliver on my end of the bargain.

MARTIN AUZINS / CONTRIBUTOR