It’s said in nearly every rink:

“Hockey is 90% mental.”

Yet mental training remains the least invested-in part of a player’s development. Coaches emphasize grit, emotional regulation, and mental toughness — but most still rely on hope, culture, or raw experience to build it.

Here’s the truth:
The mental game can (and should) be coached.
And the programs that embrace it are seeing real performance gains.

Why Aren’t We Training It?

There are three reasons I see across junior, college, and pro hockey:

No benchmarks.
Unlike speed or shot power, mindset isn’t as easily quantifiable. That makes it harder to justify in a metrics-driven world.
Stigma persists.
Mental training is too often linked to “fixing” instead of “fortifying.” It’s not about treating a problem — it’s about proactively building performance.
Systemic overload.
Coaches juggle systems, video, skill work, special teams, and scheduling. Mental performance doesn’t feel urgent — until it’s too late.
 

So What Happens When You Do Train It?

Three quick examples from my coaching experience:

NCAA Freshman Forward: Rebuilt confidence and focus through visualization and reframing, leading to increased minutes and leadership responsibility by midseason.
U16 AAA Team: Weekly mindset sessions resulted in fewer blowups on the bench, improved team cohesion, and a playoff run fueled by overtime wins — games they would have previously lost.
AHL Defenseman: Restored belief and performance identity, resulting in career-best numbers and retention on a roster he was about to be cut from.
 

The Performance Advantage Is Real

When mental performance becomes a staple, not a supplement, players improve:

• Quicker recovery after mistakes
• Stronger leadership in the room
• Greater consistency shift-to-shift
• More composed decision-making under pressure

It's not about soft skills, its about real, repeatable results.

If we’re serious about developing complete hockey players, we can’t leave mindset development to chance.
The game is evolving.
The margin for error is shrinking.
And the greatest untapped advantage left in hockey today…
Is between the ears.

Rob Pallante
Mental Performance Coach
Founder – Mindset Body Bank
www.mindsetbodybank.com | @mindsetbodybank