It has nothing to do with skating or shooting
This is the most important trait of a hockey player.
And no, it isn’t skating fast.
Speed helps.
A great shot helps.
Grit and toughness definitely help.
Hockey sense is rare and incredibly valuable.
But the number one trait that determines how far a hockey player goes is something much simpler.
Being coachable.
It doesn’t matter if you are a beautiful skater or a little rough around the edges like I was.
If you are coachable, you can always improve.
If you are not coachable, you will eventually hit a ceiling.
I saw it over and over again throughout my career.
Players with tons of natural talent who stopped growing because they thought they already knew everything.
And I also saw players with less natural ability who kept climbing the ladder because they listened, adapted, and improved every single year.
Those players were coachable.
Coaches love players like that.
When a coach gives you feedback and you absorb it, implement it, and come back better the next day, you send a powerful message.
You are listening.
You are learning.
You care.
You would be surprised how many players never show that.
Some players think hockey owes them something because they scored a lot of goals in high school.
Then they get to junior or college and realize goals are a lot harder to come by.
Now they have a choice.
Adapt.
Or get replaced.
Great players understand something important.
Your role might change.
Maybe you think of yourself as a goal scorer. But maybe your coach needs you to be a shutdown player right now.
Maybe you need to kill penalties.
Win battles.
Grind out shifts.
If you can adapt and embrace that role, you become incredibly valuable.
And when you master the role you are given, new opportunities open up.
That is how careers are built.
Stay humble.
Stay adaptable.
Master every role you are asked to play.
If you keep doing that, you can keep climbing the ladder.
So this weekend, be the most coachable player on the ice.
Be positive.
Be the hardest worker.
Believe that your role matters.
Because being coachable is not just a hockey skill.
It is a life skill.
Knuckles up,
Bobby Robins - NHL Alum, savage motivator, writer for wraparound
P.S. Being coachable also means putting in the work away from the rink.
The players who improve the fastest are the ones who get extra touches on the puck at home.
The Puckaround was built exactly for that. It slides on concrete almost like a real puck on ice.
Grab one, head to the driveway, keep your eyes up, and put in an extra hour.
That is how confidence grows.
That is how opportunities appear.
>>> Put in the extra hour and train with the Puckaround