Reignite the fire inside.
Hockey is a game of passion.
But it's also a game of precision.
Think about that.
How do you play as hard and as fast as humanly possible while maintaining world-class precision?
How do you skate at full speed, stickhandle through traffic, absorb contact, make split-second decisions, and still put a puck exactly where it needs to go?
That's the mystery of hockey.
That's why hockey is different.
To combine passion and precision requires years of work.
Thousands of hours.
Tens of thousands of repetitions.
Decades of practice.
You have to train yourself to perform incredible feats of skill while moving at high speed on a sheet of ice.
You have to make a frozen rubber puck do exactly what you want it to do.
You have to process the game in real time while chaos unfolds all around you.
Hockey isn't easy.
And hockey people aren't ordinary.
We exist in a different reality.
A reality of frozen ponds.
Cold rinks.
Early mornings.
Long road trips.
Sore legs.
Blistered hands.
A reality where players are flying around on razor blades attached to their feet while trying to control a puck that's bouncing, spinning, and sliding in every direction.
A reality where the net looks huge when you're watching from the stands and tiny when you're standing 15 feet away with a goalie staring you down.
A reality where one inch can be the difference between a goal and a save.
Hockey is different.
And because hockey is different, hockey players have to train differently.
It's not enough to simply lift weights.
Strength matters.
But hockey is more than strength.
You need skill.
You need touch.
You need coordination.
You need balance.
You need vision.
You need creativity.
You need confidence.
You need to become an athlete capable of performing under pressure at high speed.
That's why the best players are always looking for an edge.
They aren't afraid to do things differently.
While everyone else is doing what everyone else does, they're finding another way.
Another drill.
Another rep.
Another opportunity to improve.
When I was chasing the NHL dream, I wasn't just lifting weights.
I was doing hand-eye drills.
I was hitting the heavy bag.
I was working on balance.
I was visualizing game situations.
I was preparing for hockey.
Not just preparing to be strong.
There's a difference.
So don't be afraid to be a little different.
Don't be afraid to be the player who's in the garage every night.
Don't be afraid to stickhandle through cones when everyone else is scrolling on their phone.
Don't be afraid to visualize yourself making the game-winning play in the Stanley Cup Final.
Don't be afraid to get a little weird in your pursuit of excellence.
The greatest hockey players usually are.
Because hockey players are a different breed.
So train accordingly.
This week is a fresh start.
A new opportunity.
A new chunk of days to improve.
A new chance to move closer to your goal.
And speaking of goals...
What's yours?
Make the varsity team?
Play junior hockey?
Earn a Division 1 scholarship?
Play pro hockey?
Reach the NHL?
Whatever it is, the path starts with today's work.
So let's get after it this week.
Push a little harder.
Train a little smarter.
Believe a little bigger.
And don't be afraid to get a little savage.
Knuckles up,
Bobby Robins, savage motivator, NHL Alum, writer for Wraparound
P.S. If you're serious about improving your puck skills this summer, you need more reps with your actual stick. The Wraparound protects your blade so you can stickhandle, pass, and shoot off the ice without destroying your stick. More reps. Better hands. More confidence. Get your Wraparound and start putting in the work.