Far too often it's size rather than skills that decided which adjectives are assigned to players. If a player's tall, they're deemed physical, hard to play against, and good in puck battles. Short for hockey standards -- think about 5-foot-10 and under -- and they're elusive, quick, and skilled.

Sometimes those qualifiers are true, but it’s usually a self-fulfilling prophecy. In the NHL and its feeder leagues, many coaches see a player and adjust the player’s style to align with pre-established notions based on their stature.

That didn’t happen to Seth Jarvis, the 20-year-old still WHL-eligible rookie on the Carolina Hurricanes.

Sure, Jarvis is 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds. And sure, NHL defenders easily knock him over or toss him aside. But that doesn't matter. His physical game is already a clear strength in the NHL and perhaps the driving force of his NHL success.  

Jarvis’ success in the NHL offers a clear blueprint, not just for other players but for coaches who hope to develop NHLers.