Why Hire a Hockey Player?

Hockey is a game that not many people know, understand and especially play. I was fortunate to be introduced to hockey when I was eight years old. I have played competitive hockey at many different levels. I still play today. Hockey is more than just a sport. The game of hockey, the coaches and the hockey people you meet along the way teach you lessons to last a lifetime. Hockey shapes you, molds you and defines your character for who you will become in life and in work.

Courageousness. Watch a game of hockey you will see players diving in front of 100 mph shots. You will see them getting drilled into the boards. For what? Self-pleasure? Ego? Money? No. For the common goal. To lay their body, mind and well-being on the line for the objective at hand: For the team. For the win.

Fearless. Hitting in hockey is a strategic part of the game. You’ll get hit. It hurts. You can’t let it intimidate you. You don’t shy away. You will get cut and bleed. You keep going and you keep playing. You become accustomed to playing with injuries and pain unlike any other athlete in sports. Hockey lore boasts many tales of players playing through injuries with some being severe. You just want to be there for your team especially when the chips are on the line.

Mindset. In a hockey player’s mind during practice or a game there is nothing else. They fixate and hone-in on the task at hand. They don’t deviate. But, the game before the game is where the strong win. They prepare mentally. They plan, study their opponents and go through special routines. They get ready mentally for what lies ahead.

Passion. Players work on their skills on and off the ice. They will never be outworked. Every day they are ready to compete and put their heart and soul into every opportunity. There are a lot of talented players, but the best never stops working and learning to make themselves better.

Selfless. Often players must give their spot for a better player. Often, you’ll see a puck carrier instead of shooting passes it to their teammate for a sure fired goal. They raise their teammates up. They would rather have the team or someone else achieve greatness before themselves. The players on the 1980 USA Olympic “Miracle on Ice” team were selected because they all were selfless players first.

“Don’t skate where the puck is. Skate where the puck is going to be.” – Wayne Gretzky

Intuition. Players react in split seconds during the game. They come up with plays on the fly. Yes, there are systems and set-up plays. But, 90% of what happens on the ice is reactive. You need to be thinking many steps ahead of the puck and play. Hockey great Wayne Gretzky once said, “Don’t skate where the puck is. Skate where the puck is going to be.”

Humility. American NHL player TJ Oshie was once labeled a “Hero” by the media after his performance in the Olympics. His response, “No, the real heroes are the ones in camo.” Hockey players don’t want the spotlight. They don’t seek out attention. They look to talk about the team. It is all about “we”, and “us” before ever saying “I”.

Resilience. Most players have probably been cut from the team. They haven’t gotten the spot on the team they wanted, or they’ve sat on the bench. They continue to train, work harder, study, learn and develop to  overcome their shortcomings. They don’t dwell. They bounce back. They don’t give up

When you a hire a hockey player, you aren’t just hiring a qualified person. You are hiring a loyal beyond reason team member. They will fight through anything. They will stand-up for the organization. They will give you everything they got. They will lead. Because, this is all they know.

– Jeff Nance