Hockey Stars Switching Positions

0:00This is Corey with NHL News Today, powered by the Daily News Now. Subscribe for daily updates on your team. In hockey, players rarely switch between forward and defense, since those spots demand such different skills. Fowards chase pucks and score, while the fence men block shots and cover the blue line. Sure, some wingers flip sides or centers play wing when teams have extras, but full position changes are super uncommon. Still, a handful of stars pulled it off and thrived. Take Brent Burns. He started as a defenseman with the Minnesota Wild after the lockout, putting up solid points. His coach tried him at four sometimes, but after a trade to San Jose, they flipped him back and forth before settling him on defense. Burns exploded there, scoring 29 goals one year and winning the Norris Trophy as the league's top blueliner. Red Kelly is another legend who made the leap work. A star defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings, he won four Stanley Cups and the Norris in 1954. Traded to Toronto, they asked him to switch to center.

1:03He said yes, teamed out great with Frank Mahavallich, grabbed four more cups and earned Hall of Fame status. Dustin Bifallion went from defense in juniors to Ford with the Chicago Black Hawks, helping them win the cup in 2010 on the top line. Then Winnipeg moved him back to defense, where he became a point machine with over 50 points multiple seasons. Andre Markov shifted from center in Russia to defense with Montreal and stuck there for 990 games, racking up 500, 72 points. These switches show how talent can adapt anywhere, from injuries forcing tweaks to coaches spotting potential. Guys like Sergei Fedorov shown briefly on defense too, their stories prove flexibility pays off, leaving big legacies across positions. This story is made possible by our sponsor, see the episode description. Podcasts had different when the sound comes from your pillow, once you try it, it just makes sense, S-O-L-I-SOLYPILLO.COM.

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