Hyman needed to learn the 200-foot game, kill penalties, block shots, compete and grind. And he did.

Zach Hyman is an established NHL left winger, a former Toronto Maple Leafs player who is currently with the Edmonton Oilers. His trademark is that of a hard-working, grinding, two-way, 200-foot player capable of making plays and scoring goals. His playing style and skills did not happen by accident.

Hyman had a longterm goal of making it to the National Hockey League. He loved hockey and started his junior hockey career with the Junior A Hamilton Red Wings, where he had fun and scored many goals.

Despite his lofty longterm goal, but he never spent his time focusing on the end result of being an NHLer. He used his dream as his everyday motivation to succeed. As he says in the interview below, “I never got too far ahead of myself.” He continued to put in the hard work and improve, building his game daily.

Hyman maintained a “growth mindset” attitude, believing improvement is always possible. A player with a growth mindset is coachable and never gives up even when setbacks and mistakes occur. Hyman set small process goals, the “baby steps” to get him to the NHL. Becoming an elite athlete is a marathon and not a sprint. Don’t rush, be in the moment and get better every day!

After three seasons in Hamilton, Hyman earned an athletic scholarship and played at the University of Michigan for their long-time coach Red Berenson. He hardly played for two seasons. Hyman knew how to score and thought the move to the next level would be easy, but it was not. He maintained his growth mindset and took his coach’s advice to heart. Coach Berenson told Hyman he needed to learn the 200-foot game, kill penalties, block shots and learn to compete and grind. Once he developed his offensive game within the grinding game, his career took off. He was a Hobey Baker Award finalist, and after one season in the American Hockey League, Hyman established himself as a solid NHL player.

Key takeaways from Hyman’s journey for parents, coaches and players.

1. Set longterm goals and use them as everyday motivation.
2. Set performance and daily process goals for improvement.
3. It is a marathon and not a sprint.
4. Build off setbacks, be coachable and maintain a growth mindset.
5. Develop your complete game.
6. Enjoy the game and have FUN!