"When you play long enough, everybody goes through spells and streaks and slumps of some nature. I think it's just one of the those things where you have to play yourself out of it"
About this Quote
The key phrase is “play yourself out of it.” That’s a rebuke to the modern impulse to overthink, overhaul, and outsource confidence. There’s no magic tweak, no motivational slogan, no pristine mental reset. Messier is arguing for reps as therapy: keep showing up, keep taking your shifts, let the rhythm of the sport sand down the rough patch. It’s accountability without melodrama. He’s not promising you’ll be fine; he’s saying you don’t get to hide.
Context matters: Messier’s authority comes from longevity and the NHL’s particular culture of stoicism. Hockey punishes hesitation, rewards routine, and publicly tracks your failures on the scoreboard. A slump isn’t private; it’s televised. His message protects teams from contagion, too. If one star spirals into self-doubt, the whole bench tightens up. Calling slumps “one of those things” is tactical understatement, a captain’s way of keeping the room steady: keep skating, keep shooting, keep the story small until the numbers turn.
Quote Details
| Topic | Perseverance |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Messier, Mark. (2026, January 18). When you play long enough, everybody goes through spells and streaks and slumps of some nature. I think it's just one of the those things where you have to play yourself out of it. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-you-play-long-enough-everybody-goes-through-13299/
Chicago Style
Messier, Mark. "When you play long enough, everybody goes through spells and streaks and slumps of some nature. I think it's just one of the those things where you have to play yourself out of it." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-you-play-long-enough-everybody-goes-through-13299/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"When you play long enough, everybody goes through spells and streaks and slumps of some nature. I think it's just one of the those things where you have to play yourself out of it." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-you-play-long-enough-everybody-goes-through-13299/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

