Skill of Letting Go of Guilt and Embarrassment - Something all Players Must Have (Post 2 of 10)

Joel Ward of the Washington Capitals lived a hockey nightmare last May. With his team up in the third period of Game 5 versus the New York Rangers, Ward received a double minor for high sticking. Helplessly he watched the Rangers score with 6.6 seconds left in regulation to tie the game. To make matters far worse the Rangers carried the second power play opportunity in to overtime and won the game on a power play goal. Needless to say, Ward was very upset after the game.

Nicholas Cotsonika of Yahoo! sports wrote about Ward's feelings of letting his team down after the game:

Three times, he said he let down his teammates. Three times, he said there was nothing he could do as he sat in the penalty box. Three times, he said he had been hoping for a chance to redeem himself. He called it "a little mentally disturbing."

He could have just called it "hockey."

"It's a game of inches," Ward said. "It happens pretty quick. We were a few seconds from winning, and it turned into overtime into a loss, just like that." (Ward's late penalties give chance to Rangers, yahoosports.com)

How disappointing would that be for any hockey player, let alone an NHL player? Ward was feeling guilty and probably a little embarrassed about his penalties and how it changed the outcome of the game.
However, there is no benefit for Ward, or any player for that matter, to dwell on these feelings of guilt and embarrassment. Other than using them to fuel your commitment to preparing for the next game, dwelling on these feelings can become a distraction, lower your energy and confidence.

2. Avoid dwelling on guilt and embarrassment.

A Mental Game Plan - Something all Players Must Have (Post 1 of 10)

Nothing like a good plan in a bad situation.

This sentiment about having a plan comes from the character Sam Axe from the show Burn Notice. It is a popular show on USA Network that details the life of a burned spy. In every episode the burned spy, Micheal Weston, has to come up with an elaborate plan to either to bring down the bad guys or save himself, his friends, or someone in need of protection.  At the show's core is the idea that a spy has to plan and be prepared for difficult situations to execute under pressure.

Like Weston and Axe, you too need a good plan to succeed in pressure hockey games.  And, because pressure hockey games are as much mental as they are physical, players need to develop a mental game plan that will allow them to be confident, focused within their role.

10 Mental Toughness Strategies Every Hockey Player Should Know

Want to develop your hockey mental toughness? Then you are ready to take your game to the next level. 

While many players think mental toughness is something you are born with; this is not completely true. Yes, some players are more mentally tough just by their nature, but most develop their toughness over seasons of hockey. Mental toughness can be developed through your experiences. Furthermore, it can be learned by systematically training your mind to handle the pressures of hockey. 

What you need to know is that mental toughness is not a cure-all and is something you work on all the time. You do not master mental toughness and then never have to use mental skills again. Like communication, mental toughness is something to be mastered and continually worked on.

As I work with elite hockey players I am realizing that there are 10 keys every hockey player needs to know related to the mental game of hockey that are not talked about enough or at all. These skills or strategies you should use the rest of your hockey career.

1. Have a mental game plan
2. Avoid dwelling on guilt and embarrassment
3. Avoid negative outbursts just to save your pride
4. Venting is important, but do it in a positive way
5. You are not perfect; it’s about the bounce back
6. Before big games break a good sweat in warm ups
7. Set process goals for games
8. Train to play your game under pressure
9. Recovering your energy is as important as training the body
10. Develop mental weapons

Over the next five weeks I will post each one of these skills and provide details on how to develop it. Come back to the hockey edge blog to read some of the most important mental toughness strategies you will ever learn, and probably will not learn just by experience.

How to Think About Poor Games as a Goaltender; Lessons from Brodeur

If you are a goaltender you are going to suffer from poor games now and then. Face it, the position of goaltender is tough. Everybody knows when you make a mistake, the puck ends up in the back of the net. So, any goaltender recognizes that the key to success is not being perfect, but instead being able to bounce back from poor games.

The way we think about our losses is important to either bouncing back and playing well or beginning to lose confidence and potentially spiral in to a slump. You want your thoughts to be flexible, focused on what you control, positive and productive.

Even the Cup Finalist Kings and Devils Experience Nerves

Do you get nervous before an important game? Worry not, you are not alone. The NHL's best feel nerves, too. Rewind back to the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals. Los Angeles won in overtime 2-1 over New Jersey, but both teams felt they played far less than their best game on the brightest stage. After Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals the Devils and Kings cited nerves as a reason for the sluggish start and poor decision making .

The Devils pointed to poor execution, careless play with the puck and Game 1 jitters. President and GM Lou Lamoriello spoke to the team after the Eastern Conference final about the distractions of the Cup.
The team still felt nerves, however.
"The reality is, you know, until the puck drops and the games start, this is a different situation you're dealing with," said DeBoer. "You have to handle it the best you can."
While acknowledging hindsight is 20-20, the Devils coach said there wasn't anything he would have done differently in the leadup to the game.
Kings coach Darryl Sutter said a lot of his players said they felt sluggish Wednesday.
"I thought we had some nervous players," he said. (from NHL.com)

More on a nervous Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals:

Devils show some nerves in Game 1 NHL.com

So, the best in the game, playing the best hockey of their lives felt nerves that caused them to be sluggish and make mistakes. When you get nervous you are not alone, and there is nothing wrong with it.

To experience stress and anxiety often called nerves is not unusual. In fact, if you look at it in the right way it can help your mindset going in to a big game. It is all about how you interpret the physical and psychological symptoms of your body preparing for an important game. Sweating, butterflies, heart pumping, accelerated breathing, mind racing are all things that are attributable to stress. But, a little stress is not a bad thing. It helps us prepare to play our best. Martin Brodeur, who has often been considered one of the most mentally tough goaltenders in league history, describes thinking beneath his cool demeanor under pressure:

}“I love it! I like the fact that whether there is going to be ten shots or forty shots, I’m going to make a difference. Just one of those shots could mean a win or a loss for us, and that for me is a great pressure, knowing that I can make an impact at any moment of the game.” (Rush, May 2001)

Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils, when asked about the pressure of being a goaltender

The message then is to interpret, or view, your stress as a normal part of the process of preparing for a game. Most players will tell you once you start the game the nerves go away, especially after the first shift when you take or give a hit.

In the end it is normal to experience nerves before games. If you did not experience nerves then you might question whether you are ready to play. The key is to not allow butterflies in your stomach to create doubt. Like Brodeur interpret the pressure in a way that helps you feel confident and ready. 

Mentally Tough Performer of the Week #5 2012 NHL Playoffs: Jonathan Quick

For Week 5 of the NHL Playoffs it was a toss up as to who would be the mentally tough performer of the week. They both come from the same team, the LA Kings, who are dominating the Western Conference. Seven straight playoff road wins is an unbelievable feat. They have lost only one game this post season and are a scintillating 10-1. Two games from the Finals and six from hoisting the Cup, the Kings have had outstanding performances from a number of players up and down their lineup.

So, I was stuck between Dustin Brown and Jonathan Quick. I am going to give Jonathan Quick his due here as the mentally tough performer of Week 5. Quick has stopped 49 of 51 Coyotes' shots and has become an intimidating force. He is in the heads of opposing shooters and is providing the kind of consistent, focused effort that we saw from Tim Thomas last year. I think there is a good chance Quick's season may end like Thomas' but that is down the road. For now, Quick has again given his opponent nothing to rejoice about; no hope and nothing to make them think he is going to have a bad game or even period. He is stopping everything and is staying unbelievably focused. Quick has gone to a stratospheric level of performance and showing the confidence and focus of a player worthy of the Conn Smythe.

Mentally Tough Performer of the Week #4 2012 NHL Playoffs: Brad Richards

As the second round of the 2012 NHL Playoffs closes we are seeing remarkable goaltending, physical hockey, and good defensive play. While three of the four series have already ended in four or five games, Washington and New York will be playing a Game 7 Saturday night. There are many players that have played pivotal roles in this seven-game battle, but no one has scored a bigger goal than Brad Richards of the Rangers.

Richards probably saved the Rangers season by scoring a goal with 7 seconds left in Game 5 to send it to overtime where the Rangers would score again to win it. Not only was Richards' timing impeccable but he had to beat about three Caps players to a loose puck in front of the net and slip it past Holtby who has been playing outstanding. Richards showed perseverance and mental toughness by staying in the game mentally, not panicking when an opportunity presented it's self, and coming up big when he was needed. Brad Richards is leading the Rangers in scoring in the playoffs and has been the playoff performer they were hoping for in New York. For his clutch goal and for all-around leading by example in two very tough rounds, Brad Richards is the Mentally Tough Performer of Week #4 of the 2012 NHL Playoffs.

Mentally Tough Performer of the Week #3 2012 NHL Playoffs: Mike Richards

The mentally tough performer for week #3 of the 2012 NHL Playoffs was not easy to select. I will give it to Los Angeles Kings center Mike Richards who has shown again that he brings his best in the playoffs. Richards started Game 2 of the series against the St. Louis Blues with a big hit and then scored the first goal in the Kings win.

Despite not wearing the "C" as he did in Philadelphia, Richards has continued to lead in LA with his gritty, tough play and knack for making big plays in the playoffs. He does not back down from much larger defenseman. Richards exacts a physical toll on his opponent, and himself, every time he hits the ice. He has set the example for consistent, intelligent play that will help the Kings make a run at the Cup. Richards is leading all scorers in the first three games in their second round series against St. Louis, but he has done more than that. He is leading by example every time he hits the ice and is making a huge difference for the Kings.

Mentally Tough Performer for Week 1 2012 NHL Playoffs: Sean Couturier

Just as in 2011, each week during the 2012 NHL Playoffs the Hockey Edge Blog will choose one player as Mentally Tough Performer of the Week. This is a player that exhibits toughness and performs well under pressure, bounces back after a big mistake, stays positive in the face of adversity, deals with pain and continues to perform, and/or leads with their performance. This player performs at a high level in a tough situation.

There are many deserving candidates in the first week of the NHL Playoffs, but no one is more deserving than Sean Couturier of the Philadelphia Flyers. Couturier, a 19-year-old rookie in his first playoffs, is playing a starring role for the Flyers. Couturier has been assigned as the man to mark the league's leading scorer Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins. He has not only stopped Malkin from scoring a goal, but also had a hat trick in Game 2. Philadelphia gave Couturier a very difficult role, one in which most players in the NHL would have not succeeded. At a young age Couturier has the confidence and mental toughness to play a key defensive role and provide offense. Many 19-year-olds are just finishing the first year of college, but Couturier is shutting down world class players on the big stage. A big stage that could have easily froze him.

Myth of Mental Toughness Column Focuses on Semantics

Dr. Denis Boucher wrote a column for The Hockey News entitled "The Myth of Mental Toughness". Dr. Boucher made some excellent points about managing thoughts and feelings by using mental skills training. There is no doubt that a hockey player that is able to control how he thinks and feels on the ice will be more confident, focused, and motivated.

Where I take issue is that Dr. Boucher, an exercise physiologist, suggests mental toughness is a myth. His argument is that focusing being tough means hiding from how you feel and not admitting your are anxious or need help. I totally agree with the idea that you don't want players to avoid their feelings and thoughts. This is what I call fragile confidence. Awareness and acceptance are the foundation of resilient confidence.