As a diminutive hockey player, Conor Garland is often painted one of two ways. Either he’s the next Johnny Gaudreau or he’s too small to play in the NHL. There is no middle ground.
The Coyotes list Garland as 5-feet, 10-inches tall. Garland feels that may be a bit generous.
“I’m probably closer to 5-9,” Garland said when asked about his height. “But I’ll take 5-10. Whatever they want to say. If they want to say 5-10, I’ll take 5-10.”
But does a player’s size really matter in every evaluation? For Garland, a fifth-round pick by the Coyotes who joined the big club’s roster for the first time this week, it’s not necessary for him to become the next in the NHL’s recent wave of short-stature superstars.