Everyone’s chasing the edge. Few ever find it.
Every hockey player is chasing something. The edge. The next level. The feeling of being unstoppable out there when every stride clicks, every pass connects, and the game slows down just for you.
Most players are doing all the right things: showing up to practice, grinding in the gym, listening to their coaches. But the truth is, doing what’s expected only gets you so far. At every level, from youth to juniors to college to pro, the gap between good and great is mental, spiritual, and internal.
Over my career, from the USHL to captaining my NCAA team to battling through 500 pro games and a stint with the Boston Bruins, I learned five secrets that helped me rise above the noise and keep climbing when others plateaued or burned out.
Here are those 5 secrets. If you start applying them today, your game and your mindset will transform.
Secret #1: Everyone battles confidence, even the pros.
I can’t tell you how many teammates I’ve had who looked like they had it all figured out, and inside, they were barely holding on.
Confidence is not something you have; it’s something you build. Every day.
Even the best players in the world feel the sting of fear before a big game, a big shift, or a big moment. The difference is, some players freeze and retreat, and others use that same fear as rocket fuel.
When you realize every single player out there feels the same butterflies, the same fear of failure, the same “am I good enough?” that’s when you start to take power back. You stop comparing. You stop shrinking.
The next time your hands are shaking before a tryout or a shift, remind yourself: this feeling means I care.
Then go take the shot anyway. Confidence doesn’t come before courage; it comes after.
Secret #2: The best player doesn’t always make it.
I’ve seen it my entire career.
The player with the perfect stride, the effortless skill, the highlight-reel hands, and somehow, five years later, they’re gone.
Why? Because when everything comes easy, you never develop that survival gear, the internal engine that kicks in when things get hard.
I’ve played with guys who had more talent in one hand than I had in my entire body, but when they hit adversity, got scratched, got cut, or faced real competition, they crumbled.
They’d never had to fight for it before.
Meanwhile, the players who weren’t “the guy” early on had to dig deep from day one. They built the muscle of determination, one rep, one shift, one disappointment at a time. And when it mattered most, that muscle won out.
Talent gets you noticed.
Work ethic keeps you there.
Resilience takes you further.
So even if you’re not the “best” right now, don’t lose heart. That might just be your greatest advantage.
Secret #3: Do the right things when no one’s watching, that’s where puck luck is born.
Every hockey player has seen it: some guys just seem lucky. The puck bounces their way, they get the breaks, the calls, the opportunities.
But luck has a funny way of following preparation.
When you do the right things all day long, not for praise, not for attention, but because it’s who you are, doors start to open. The bounces come. The coaches notice. You start being “in the right place at the right time” because you’ve trained yourself to always be ready.
Do the extra rep in the gym. Stickhandle for 10 minutes before dinner. Stretch before bed. Clean up the locker room even if no one’s watching.
Every one of those small actions is a seed planted in your career, and those seeds always grow.
The guys who stop at “good enough” never get those bounces. The players who build integrity when no one’s watching get rewarded when the lights come on.
Secret #4: Watch your words, they shape your game.
What you say about yourself, your teammates, and your situation matters more than you think.
I’ve watched players joke about how they “can’t score” or “always get bad luck,” and sure enough, that mindset shows up in their game.
Words are powerful.
They can tear you down or they can build you up.
When you stop trash-talking yourself, when you start speaking with confidence and encouragement, not arrogance but belief, everything changes.
And the same goes for how you treat your teammates. The locker room culture you create affects everyone’s energy on the ice.
If your words bring life, you’ll start to see it in your play.
So next time you’re about to make a sarcastic comment about yourself or a teammate, stop. Choose words that lift. That’s how pros carry themselves.
Secret #5: Good in, good out, fuel your body and your mind.
Every player knows the importance of nutrition and sleep. But not enough players pay attention to what they’re feeding their minds.
If you want to play at your best, everything you consume matters, the food you eat, the videos you watch, the music you listen to, the social media you scroll.
Ask yourself: does this fuel me or drain me?
Eat clean, hydrate, rest, that’s obvious. But go further: fill your head with stories, music, and messages that lift you up, not drag you down.
If you’re constantly taking in negativity, cynicism, or darkness, it shows in how you carry yourself.
Pro players protect their inputs, not just physically but mentally. That’s what separates those who survive the grind from those who burn out.
Your Challenge This Week:
Pick one of these secrets, just one, and apply it every day.
Write it on your mirror. Tape it to your stick.
Then share it with a teammate. When you lift others, you rise too.
Elevate your mind.
Elevate your heart.
Elevate your body.
That’s how you elevate your game.
—
Bobby Robins & The Wraparound Team
Helping you train harder, play smarter, and rise higher, one rep at a time.
OVERTIME: check out the Our Kids Play Hockey Podcast hosted by Lee Elias, creator and owner of Wraparound, and learn more tips and secrets to take your game and life to the highest level possible.