In a piece about Ron Hainsey, Chris Vivlamore, the sole journalist following the Atlanta Thrashers on a regular basis, portrays the defenseman as a great leader with a unique sense of humor. As per the excerpt below, you'd believe that he knew exactly when and how to transition to his current attitude and style:

With Hainsey’s brand of leadership, it is all about timing. With a joke, sure. But more important is knowing when the time is right for a player to speak up. Breaking into the NHL as a 21-year-old with the Montreal Canadiens, Hainsey knew, was not that time or place. Now as a veteran with the Thrashers, after three seasons in Columbus, it’s become a natural role for the 28-year-old.

“You’ve got to pay your dues a little bit before you are telling jokes on the ice or in the locker room or being a little more outgoing,” Hainsey said. “For a young player it, can be construed as overconfidence as opposed to just being yourself. ... We have the best job in the world so there is not a reason not to have a lot of fun with it.”

Interestingly enough, two days before that profile in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, François Gagnon, one of the many beat writers following the Montreal Canadiens, noted the following about Hainsey:

"He was given the 'Hollywood' nickname while playing for the Canadien. The first round pick (13th overall) had a superstar attitude while having a rough time making his mark in the NHL. He appears to now have the maturity that was lacking when he first stepped in the league..."

May the Real Ron Hainsey Please Stand Up?

Image Source: Flickr/FrenchKheldar