It’s not the hit you think.
The most dangerous moment in hockey…
Isn’t when you’re about to get hit.
It’s the moment right after you make a perfect pass.
We’ve all seen it.
Maybe it’s happened to you.
You thread a beautiful pass right onto your center’s tape.
There’s a little sauce on it.
Just enough to float over the defender’s stick.
The puck glides across the ice.
Tape to tape.
Perfect.
For a split second the game slows down and you think:
Man… what a pass.
And then—
BOOM.
You get absolutely destroyed.
Someone caught you admiring your pass.
It’s one of the rudest wake-up calls in hockey.
Every coach in the world says the same thing:
Stop admiring your pass.
Move your feet.
Stay in the play.
The game is still happening.
But this isn’t just a hockey lesson.
It’s a life lesson too.
Admiring your pass is like looking backwards in life.
Talking about the good things you did.
The wins.
The achievements.
The glory moments.
And those things matter.
But they’re behind you.
There are still new battles ahead.
New goals.
New plays.
New quests.
And sometimes we don’t just admire our passes.
Sometimes we’re thinking about the big hits we took.
After you get rocked hard enough, you start looking over your shoulder.
You hesitate.
Your mind and body aren’t moving as freely as they once did.
That happens in life too.
When we live in the past — whether it's victories or mistakes — we lose focus on the next play.
The solution is simple.
Get back to work.
Move your feet.
Train.
Lock your eyes forward and keep improving.
We just watched Team USA win gold.
Standing on the podium.
Gold medals around their necks.
An incredible moment.
But here’s the truth.
Those players aren’t admiring their pass.
They’re already back to work.
Back to the NHL.
Back to the PWHL.
Back to training.
Because great players always move forward.
And I guarantee every one of those players has a little extra jump in their stride right now.
Training harder.
Getting ready for the next battle.
So here’s the reminder.
Make the pass.
Then get moving.
Because yeah…we make great passes.
We’re hockey players.
But we don’t stand there admiring them.
We keep moving.
We get better.
Every single day.
Make it happen.
Bobby Robins
Former NHL player
Savage Motivator
Wraparound Hockey