Here's how to finish strong.
Another week is in the books.
Can you believe June is almost over?
In another week we'll be celebrating the Fourth of July. Then somehow it'll be the middle of July. Before you know it, hockey season will be knocking on the door and everyone will be wondering where the summer went.
Some of you have been keeping the pace.
You've been getting your skates on. Putting in the work in the gym. Shooting pucks in the driveway. Taking care of your body. Training your mind. Building confidence one day at a time.
Keep going.
But I also know some of you haven't.
Maybe June slipped through your fingers.
Maybe you skipped workouts. Slept in. Made excuses. Let distractions win. Now you're looking back wondering where the month went.
I've lived both versions.
Early in my pro career, I treated the offseason like an offseason. I enjoyed the summer. I assumed there would always be another contract waiting for me.
Until one year...there wasn't.
I found myself sitting on the bench in Austria wondering if I had made the wrong decision leaving North America.
That's when reality hit.
I had two choices.
Hang them up and get a real job...
...or completely transform my life and make one final run at the NHL.
If I'm honest, quitting would've been easier.
The hardest thing I've ever done wasn't blocking shots or dropping the gloves.
The hardest thing was deciding to go all in on myself.
Everything changed after that decision.
I believed I could make the NHL.
But belief wasn't enough.
I had to prove that I believed it.
There's a verse in the Bible that says, "Faith without works is dead."
You can tell yourself you're going to make the team. You can tell everyone your goals.
But until your actions match your words...
...they're just words.
So I went to work.
Four straight months.
No shortcuts.
No taking June off.
No easing into July.
Every workout mattered.
Every skate mattered.
Every meal mattered.
Every day mattered.
That work eventually led me to the NHL.
So here's my challenge to you.
If you've been putting in the work this summer...
Good.
Now ramp it up.
And if this email feels like a punch in the gut because you've been drifting...
Good.
Today is your opportunity to make a Savage Shift.
Turn away from the distractions.
Turn toward your goal.
Maybe your dream is the NHL.
Maybe it's Junior hockey.
Maybe it's making your varsity team.
Maybe it's earning a college scholarship.
Maybe it's simply making the roster.
Whatever your goal is...
Start moving toward it today.
Finish this week strong.
Finish June strong.
Because that's what winners do.
Now prove it.
Knuckles up,
Bobby Robins, Savage motivator, NHL Alum, Writer for Wraparound
P.S. Every day you choose to train is another day you separate yourself from the players who are waiting until August to get serious. Grab a Puckaround, find a little space, and put in the work. Those extra reps today become confidence when the puck drops next season.
P.P.S. Say it with me... 2026 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS! Carolina hockey isn't quiet anymore. It's fast. It's relentless. It's earned respect. Celebrate the Storm Surge in style with our Carolina Blade Shades Pro Series. Premium polarized lenses, 100% UV protection, signature hockey stick inspired arms, and designed, assembled, and shipped right here in the USA. At just $45, you're getting premium quality without the premium price