One of the first things that disappears when you write about sports for a living is fandom. It’s a necessary sacrifice. The teams you grew up watching with your parents, your siblings and your best friends become part of the job.

But as a hockey writer, I still root. Sometimes it’s rooting for a compelling story to emerge where there isn’t one. Or rooting for a game to avoid overtime so I can make it home in time for parent-teacher conferences.

The N.H.L. is now loaded with remarkable athletes who arrive bigger and faster than the group the year before. It was amazing to watch the Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews score four goals in his first N.H.L. game; it is breathtaking to see the Oilers center Connor McDavid blow past defenders through the neutral zone, only to spin around the last line of defense and blindly find a teammate for a tap-in goal.

It is also completely impossible to relate to them as fellow human beings. That’s why I feel closer to the coaches. They’re a little more relatable. And they often arouse my curiosity more than any other part of the game — and are therefore more fascinating to analyze.