 Bégin 's father taught his son that his best chance of making a career in hockey was as a defensive specialist and impressed on him the need for a strong work ethic . He was raised to follow role players like Mario Tremblay , Guy Carbonneau and Bob Gainey rather than stars such as Guy Lafleur or Wayne Gretzky . Bégin has played the majority of his career as a grinder , willing to play a physical game . His style often results in bruises and injuries , a part of the game he relishes . Speaking of his comeback with the Flames in 2013 , he noted : " What I missed the most was the pain of playing hockey . The pain from blocking shots , getting hit , hitting people ... I missed it a lot . " That attitude impressed his coaches ; Bob Hartley argued that players like Bégin are a valuable commodity : " Players with the commitment of Steve Begin , I really believe that there ’ s not enough ( of them ) in the NHL . I always admired the way that he played . I look at the spirit , the leadership . Pretty amazing what he ’ s done for us . " 
