While I take everything I read on the internet and in newspapers with a grain of salt, rumors of a rift between Sykora and Bylsma have been in circulation long before the above-mentioned comments allegedly made by Sykora in a Czech interview. Even if such a falling out did occur during their time as teammates, however, I have trouble believing a player who has been around as long as Sykora would be stupid enough to acknowledge it publicly. Hockey is one of the few professional sports where a large majority of the players still subscribe to the old-school belief that anything worth saying is best said through their on-ice performance. Unless an individual is in possession of an uncommon level of talent or is widely respected by the hockey community in general, speaking candidly to the press on almost any subject can destroy a player’s career, especially if that player is in the market for a new contract.