The test most players don’t realize they’re taking
There is nothing worse than a selfish hockey player.
You know the kind. The player who will not pass to a wide open teammate because they want the goal. The one who sulks after a bad game even when the team wins.
That lesson is hard to learn. But if you let it teach you, it can change your career.
Picture this.
You play the worst game of your life. You are minus four. Nothing goes right. Your legs feel like cement. Your hands feel the same. I have been there. Sitting on the bench. Watching the game pass you by. Knowing the coach does not trust you tonight.
It happened to me in the American League.
At higher levels there is always a pecking order. And there is always someone trying to take your spot. If you do not think that is true at your level, listen closely. There is always someone watching. Always someone ready.
I had a teammate named Tyler Randell. He was about ten years younger than me and we played the same style. Hard. Physical. Finish checks. Be accountable defensively. Chip in where we could. Be ready to fight.
I was the older guy. The veteran. My job was to mentor him. Teach him how to be a pro. Help him with fighting. Share the little things that helped me survive and succeed.
That is what leaders do.
One night I was awful. One of those nights you cannot explain. I tried to keep it simple. Get pucks out. Get pucks in. Finish checks. But I could not even clear the zone.
Eventually the coach sat me down.
Tyler got bumped up to my spot. I watched him play well. The team played well. Maybe I deserved to sit. Maybe it was a test.
At every level, it is always a test.
The coaches are watching. Scouts might be in the building. Your teammates are watching too, even if they do not realize it.
I had two choices.
I could sit there feeling sorry for myself. Or I could be a good pro.
So I encouraged guys on the bench. I stayed vocal. “Heads up.” “You have time.” I stayed present even though I was riding the pines.
We won the game.
Inside, it hurt. That feeling never goes away. The key is not letting anyone see it.
After the game I celebrated with the team. Then I went straight to the weight room. Bike sprints. Lifting. Plyometrics. Stretching. Foam rolling. Ice bath.
The strength coach watched it all.
And yes, coaches ask those questions.
“How was Robins after the game?”
Everything is a test.
The next day I showed up ready.
That is all you can do.
Show up. Learn the lesson. Ask yourself who you are playing for.
The name on the back of the jersey
Or the crest on the front?
Every hockey player has to answer that question honestly.
I love that quote from 1980 Miracle on Ice coach, Herb Brooks:
The name on the front of the jersey is more important than the one on the back.
That mindset built legends.
And speaking of legends…
Wraparound is proud to partner with the 1980 Miracle Hockey Team to release a limited collaboration inspired by one of the greatest team-first moments in sports history. The 1980 Miracle Polarized Sunglasses are a tribute to playing for something bigger than yourself.
If that message resonates with you, this is a piece of hockey history worth carrying with you.
👉 Check out the 1980 Miracle Sunglasses
Play the right way.
Carry the right mindset.
Be the teammate everyone wants next to them.
Bobby Robins, savage motivator, ex hockey pro, writer for Wraparound