KENT, Wash. — Kevin Korchinski has had no issue making hockey the biggest part of his life over the last few years.
It didn’t matter if it was the last season of his draft year, or this season as a rookie. BlackhawksDrafted with the No. 7 pick, he’s enjoyed immersing himself into all facets of becoming a pro on and off the ice. Korchinski didn’t feel overwhelmed last week when he played three games against his WHL team (the Seattle Thunderbirds), and was visited by Brian Campbell, Blackhawks hockey operations adviser, and Christian Burrus as development strength and condition coach. He saw all of it as an opportunity and a chance to improve his game.
But there are times when Korchinski feels like he needs to step away from hockey, and he has a specific outlet for that — the piano. He’s played it since he was a child and has continued as he’s gotten older. He’s realized it’s an important part of his life. He felt something was missing last season when he decided not to bring his keyboard home for WHL. He decided differently this season, and he’ll make time for playing piano.
“You have so much in life after hockey,” the 18-year-old Korchinski explained after the Thunderbirds game on Friday. “If you have a 20-year career, you still have so much life. Even if you practice and complete all your tasks, you may still be at the rink between 8 and 4 p.m., although you might have a long work day. However, you still have enough time to see people and do whatever you need to keep your mind active. My mom encouraged me to become a huge piano player as a child, so I kept at it. She always thought it makes you smarter, so that’s how I started.”
Korchinski wasn’t sure if there was any correlation between playing the piano and playing hockey.
