Mental Toughness Is More Than Just Being Tough

Hockey has always been a game of skill, speed and toughness. But there is another part of the game that can separate a good player from a great one: what happens between the ears.

A great shot helps. So does speed, passing, puck handling and making that ridiculous save that somehow keeps your team in the game.

But none of those things matter much if your head isn't in the game.

The good news is that mental toughness isn't something you're either born with or you're not. It is something you can develop, just like your skating, shooting or strength.

And that matters whether you're 12 or 21.

1. Know Yourself

The first step is understanding yourself.

What makes you nervous? What gets you angry? What happens when you make a mistake? Do you play better when you're fired up, or do you need to slow yourself down?

Nobody knows you better than you do, but that doesn't mean you automatically understand yourself.

Pay attention.

The player who understands what makes him tick has a much better chance of controlling the next shift instead of letting the previous one control him.

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2. Be Curious, Not Critical

You are going to screw up.

Welcome to hockey.

You will miss an open net. You will turn the puck over. You will take a stupid penalty. You will get beat by a player you thought you could handle.

Don't spend the next five minutes beating yourself up about it.

Ask yourself what happened and what you can do differently next time.

Mistakes are information. Use them.

The best players never stop looking for ways to improve.

3. Stay Committed

Mental toughness isn't something you develop during one inspirational conversation.

It takes work.

Just like you don't walk into the gym on Monday and expect to be stronger by Tuesday, you shouldn't expect your mental game to transform overnight.

Practice it.

Work on it.

Stick with it.

Parents can help here, too. Sometimes the best thing you can say after a bad game isn't a detailed analysis of every mistake your son made. Sometimes it is simply, "Good game. What did you learn?"

4. Learn to Adapt

Hockey changes constantly.

So do you.

What worked when you were 12 may not work when you're 16. What worked in youth hockey may not work in junior hockey. Your role can change. Your coach can change. Your teammates can change.

Learn to adjust.

Being mentally tough doesn't mean stubbornly doing the same thing over and over because that's how you've always done it.

Sometimes toughness means changing.

5. Don't Forget to Have Fun

This one gets overlooked.

Laugh.

Enjoy your teammates.

Laugh at yourself when you can.

Hockey is supposed to be fun.

I come from the era of smelling ammonia before games, getting your bell rung and answering the famous questions about how many fingers somebody was holding up and what day it was.

We thought that was toughness.

We've learned a few things since then.

Real mental toughness isn't pretending you're indestructible. It isn't ignoring an injury, hiding how you feel or refusing to admit something is wrong.

Real toughness is knowing yourself well enough to make good decisions when things get difficult.

You can be nervous and still compete.

You can be angry and still make a smart play.

You can make a mistake and recover.

And yes, you can even laugh during a hockey season.

The strongest player isn't necessarily the one who never struggles.

It's the one who recognizes the struggle, learns from it, adapts and gets ready for the next shift.

That's mental toughness.

Mental Toughness Is More Than Just Being Tough The strongest players know when to compete, adapt, and reset.

1. Know Yourself

2. Be Curious, Not Critical

3. Stay Committed

4. Learn to Adapt

5. Don't Forget to Have Fun

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