When you're Casey Bailey, you've traveled everywhere in the world. That includes countries like Austria, Germany, and Slovakia. The Anchorage native is no stranger to different places, making him a prototypical journeyman.
The only difference is that this year's better. The forward has six goals and five assists in seven games, leading the Tahoe Knight Monsters to eight points. He's projected to hit 62 goals and 51 assists to end the season, marking an offensive explosion for Tahoe.
Not bad for a 34-year-old who's traveled the world looking for a stable hockey career. This is even better than scoring one goal in 13 career NHL games. In fact, he's well on his way to shattering personal records in his hockey career. He's never topped 30 goals in a season, with the closest coming in 2008-09 with West Anchorage High (29 goals).
How is the 34-year-old right winger doing it? Is this torrid pace sustainable at his level or will he eventually peter out? Let's look at Bailey and see where he stands in the grand scheme of things.
Looking at Casey Bailey's hot start with the Tahoe Knight Monsters
Sometimes, intangibles plays a major factor into how he perform. It doesn't matter if it's a willingness to learn or adaptability. Intangibles can determine how we do in a season or whatever we do.
For Bailey, his intangibles lie in his competitive nature and work ethic. He's always willing to do whatever it takes to contribute to the play, going above the call. Vegas Golden Knights fans see something similar with Cole Reinhardt, who gets involved in every play.
While his skills and attributes aren't exactly the best, that work ethic can help him. Combine that with a hard, accurate shot and there's a reason why he has six goals and five assists to start the season. With Tahoe losing key players such as Simon Pinard, it's essential to find hard-working veterans to fill the void. That's where Bailey comes into play.
Can Bailey sustain this breathtaking pace with the Knight Monsters?
Let's be honest. It's nearly impossible for anybody, let alone someone who's been around numerous leagues, to double his career-high in goals. It requires everything to break your way, whether it's health or the puck simply bouncing right. Heck, even Jack Eichel can attest to this, with no Golden Knights player reaching 100 points (yet).
However, crazier things have happened and Golden Knights fans can also attest to this. Who would've thought that a group of hard-working Misfits would've made the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season? Not many people, which is what makes Bailey's case compelling. He's one of the most hard-working players now, doing whatever it takes to help his team win.
That could translate into goals and assists galore, pushing him to new heights. Who knows? That could also mean he sets personal records AND franchise records for the Knight Monsters. He could do what Vegas has done and shock the sports world.
Seems like a recurring theme in Nevada, doesn't it?