Hey Folks,….thanks for joining me.
In our last post, Turning Failure into Instruction. 
we had covered on reflecting on past mistakes and disappointments, go back and check it out.
I also mentioned that we would have a look at the building of proper habits, especially for young hockey players. So here we are, let’s get at it!
The best habits for hockey players
The best hockey habits are the ones a player can repeat before practice, during practice, after practice, at home, and in games. Build them around this rule:
Small habit + repeated daily + tracked honestly = long-term improvement.
Hockey Canada’s long-term player development model emphasizes doing the right thing at the right stage, keeping development player-centered, and treating hockey growth as a long-term process rather than a one-season rush.
1. Create a simple daily hockey routine
A good player should have a repeatable routine like this:
Before school / morning:
Visualize one thing they want to improve today: skating, shooting, passing, checking, effort, communication, or confidence.
Before practice or game:
Arrive early, check equipment, hydrate, warm up, and get mentally focused.
During practice:
Compete on every drill, ask one good question, finish every rep properly, and never coast to the end of a drill.
After practice:
Stretch, cool down, eat, drink water, and write down one thing done well and one thing to improve.
At home:
Do 10–20 minutes of stickhandling, mobility, shooting, or video review.
2. Make skating the number-one skill habit
Great hockey players are usually great skaters. Build habits around:
Edges, starts, stops, crossovers, pivots, acceleration, balance, and body position.
A simple habit: every practice, the player picks one skating detail to focus on, such as “bend my knees,” “full stride recovery,” or “stop both ways.” Do not just skate more; skate with a purpose.
3. Build puck-touch habits every day
Players improve faster when they touch the puck often. At home, they can do:
5 minutes: stationary stickhandling
5 minutes: movement stickhandling
5 minutes: passing against a wall
5 minutes: shooting or quick-release work, if space is safe
The key is not fancy drills. The key is clean reps every day.
4. Train off the ice, but match it to age and stage
Off-ice training should support hockey, not burn the player out. Hockey Canada lists useful off-ice areas such as warm-up, stretching, plyometrics, balance and coordination, core training, agility, quickness, stickhandling, cool-down, nutrition, fluids, and hydration.
For younger players, focus on fun movement: jumping, sprinting, balance, coordination, games, and bodyweight strength.
For older players, add structured strength, power, speed, mobility, and recovery work with proper coaching.
5. Create recovery habits, not just training habits
A player who sleeps poorly, eats poorly, and never recovers will eventually slow down, get frustrated, or get injured.
Good recovery habits:
Sleep consistently. Youth athletes aged 5–13 are commonly guided toward 9–11 hours of sleep, and ages 14–17 toward 8–10 hours, with consistent bed and wake times.
Eat after training. Get protein, carbs, and fluids after practices and games.
Hydrate before feeling thirsty.
Take soreness seriously. Pain that changes skating, shooting, or stride mechanics should not be ignored.
6. Use a “one focus per practice” rule
Many players try to fix everything at once. That usually fails.
Before each practice, choose one focus:
“I will keep my feet moving after I pass.”
“I will talk on every breakout.”
“I will win inside body position.”
“I will shoot quicker.”
“I will backcheck hard to the dots.”
“I will keep my head up in traffic.”
After practice, score it from 1–5. This builds self-awareness.
7. Build game-day habits
A strong game-day routine might look like:
Night before: pack gear, hydrate, sleep, light stretch.
Before game: eat early enough, arrive on time, dynamic warm-up, review role.
During game: short shifts, hard stops and starts, talk, change properly, stay positive.
After game: thank coaches/teammates, cool down, eat, hydrate, reflect without overreacting.
The goal is to make good preparation automatic.
8. Build safety habits
Good habits also protect players. Any suspected concussion should mean the athlete is removed from play right away, kept out the same day, and not returned until cleared by a healthcare provider. After a concussion, return to sport should be gradual, medically supervised, and each step typically takes at least 24 hours.
Players should also make equipment checks normal: helmet fit, cage/visor, mouthguard, neck protection where required, skate sharpness, and properly fitted shoulder, elbow, shin, and pelvic protection.
9. Train the mind like a skill
The best players usually have strong mental habits:
- They do not quit after mistakes.
They listen before defending themselves.
They compete even when tired.
They encourage teammates.
They focus on the next shift, not the last mistake.
A great habit after a bad shift is: breathe, reset, identify one correction, play the next shift hard.
10. Track habits with a simple scorecard
Use a weekly scorecard with five habits. Keep it simple:
|
Habit
|
Goal
|
|
Sleep
|
Consistent bedtime and enough hours
|
|
Skill work
|
10–20 minutes on non-practice days
|
|
Training
|
Mobility, strength, speed, or conditioning
|
|
Practice focus
|
One clear focus each practice
|
|
Reflection
|
One win + one improvement after ice time
|
A player does not need a perfect week. They need a repeatable week.
Best starter habit plan
For the next 14 days, use this:
Every practice: choose one focus before stepping on the ice.
Every day: 10 minutes of stickhandling or shooting.
After every ice time: write one thing done well and one thing to improve.
Every night: prepare gear and get to bed on time.
Every game: play the next shift with full effort, no matter what happened before.
That is how hockey habits become automatic: prepare well, practice with purpose, recover hard, reflect honestly, and repeat.
That’s it for today, get out there and
CRUSH IT!!
#BeTheChange
Coach Nye
