CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada and Force Sports have announced The First Whistle, a new program designed to reduce barriers to entry for officials, including for women and individuals from underrepresented communities.

Primarily targeting newly certified officials, the program looks to increase registrations by using jerseys loaned to approved minor hockey associations and limiting the cost barriers for prospective officials.

“Officiating is such a tremendous way for participants of all ages to be involved in hockey and we recognize that across the country, there are existing barriers impacting entry-level opportunities for interested officials,” said Dan Hanoomansingh, manager of officiating for Hockey Canada. “In partnership with Force Sports, we hope that The First Whistle can help minor hockey associations recruit more officials and ultimately create lifelong engagement with hockey for participants in the program, which will benefit Hockey Canada, our Members and participants.”

“Through this program and our partnership with Hockey Canada, Force Sports hopes to reduce the barriers to entry for those wanting to try officiating,” said Dave Martin, president of Force Sports.

More information about the Hockey Canada Officiating Program can be found here.

To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced a three-year partnership extension with Canlan Sports through the 2026-27 season that will continue to welcome over 80,000 adult recreational hockey participants to Canada’s sanctioned hockey system, and allow both organizations and Hockey Canada’s Members to collaborate on initiatives to grow the game across the country.

In addition to its adult recreational programming, Canlan runs learn to skate and select introductory hockey programs for participants, helps to deliver minor hockey tournaments, and provides practice and game ice for minor hockey associations across Canada with its 11 sports complexes in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan.

“Hockey Canada’s partnership with Canlan is critical to helping us grow the game at all levels and we are excited to work with them to introduce more youth and adults to hockey,” said Darren Cossar, senior vice-president of member engagement for Hockey Canada. “Together with our Members, we have a tremendous opportunity to build on our partnership with Canlan to enhance the programs offered to participants and learn from the successes of the Adult Safe Hockey League (ASHL) and ASHL Affiliate Leagues.”

The partnership between Hockey Canada and Canlan began in 2011 and will celebrate 15 seasons during the 2025-26 campaign.

“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Hockey Canada as we look to highlight all of the positive benefits the game of hockey has to offer participants and the growth opportunities for the sport with different audiences across the country,” said Joey St-Aubin, president and CEO for Canlan Sports.

Throughout the partnership, Hockey Canada and its Members will continue to work with Canlan to welcome new participants to the game, including women and girls, new Canadians, families facing financial barriers, and equity-deserving groups.

To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok. To learn more about Canlan Sports, please visit canlansports.com.

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (NOV. 10)

The U.S. leg of the Rivalry Series comes to a close Sunday in Boise as Canada’s National Women's Team looks to take a lead in the series back to Canada ahead of the February finale.

Last Meeting & Last Game

Canada evened up the series with a wild 5-4 shootout win on Friday night in West Valley City, Utah. Laura Stacey scored twice in regulation, but the Canadians gave back a three-goal lead in the third period and needed heroics from 17-year-old Chloe Primerano, who scored as nice as shootout goal as you’re going to see to clinch the victory in the fifth round.

What to Watch

It’s becoming increasingly more obvious – Stacey loves the spotlight. The Kleinburg, Ontario, product potted a pair of goals in Game 2, continuing her trend of showing up for big games. Beginning with the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Stacey has recorded 27 points (14-13—27) in 44 games at the Olympics, Women’s Worlds or Rivalry Series; that’s almost two-thirds of her career scoring total in almost half of her career games (she has 44 points in 98 games). The veteran line with Stacey alongside Blayre Turnbull and Emily Clark has been a steadying force for the Canadians, chipping in three of the six regulation-time goals through the first two games.

It will be a homecoming Sunday night for Hilary Knight; the American captain will play in her home state for the first time – Boise is three hours west of her hometown of Sun Valley. Knight continues to produce at 35 years old – she scored twice in the final six minutes on Friday to help the U.S. erase a late three-goal deficit and force overtime, and has eight points (4-4—8) in eight Rivalry Series games across the last two seasons. The future Hall of Famer is closing in on 300 points in her Team USA career (she’s currently at 276) and owns a handful of Women’s Worlds records, including most medals (14), goals (65) and points (111).

Milestone Watch

After scoring a shorthanded goal on Friday night, Marie-Philip Poulin needs just one point to pass Hockey Hall of Fame forward Danielle Goyette for fourth place in all-time National Women’s Team scoring (219 points).

Brianne Jenner is just two goals away from 50 for her Team Canada career, which would make her the 14th player to reach that mark, while Stacey and Sarah Nurse will both play the 99th game of their international careers as they inch closer to the 100-game plateau.

A Look Back

Idaho becomes the 19th different state to host the Canada-United States rivalry, with the Canadians holding a 35-29-1 edge in games played south of the border.

If history tells us anything, overtime is a distinct possibility; of the 65 games to be played on U.S. ice since 1994, 16 have required extra time, including seven of the last 15. The first to go past 60 minutes was the gold medal game at the 1995 Pacific Rim Championship, a 2-1 Canadian shootout win, and Caroline Ouellette was the first to score an overtime winner for Canada, in the gold medal game at the 2012 Women’s Worlds.

All-time record: Canada leads 106-80-1 (25-20 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 521
United States goals: 461

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (NOV. 8)

It’s right back to work in the Rivalry Series for Canada’s National Women's Team, which looks to bounce back from an opening-game loss when it takes on the United States in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Valley City on Friday night.

Last Meeting & Last Game

Canada opened the series with a 7-2 loss to the U.S. on Wednesday night in San Jose, California. Blayre Turnbull and Sarah Nurse scored 92 seconds apart late in the second period to provide the Canadian offence, but a five-goal first period for the Americans proved to be the difference. Ann-Renée Desbiens was solid in relief of starter Kristen Campbell, turning aside 12 of 14 shots over the final 40 minutes.

What to Watch

Daryl Watts took a rather unique route to her Team Canada debut in San Jose. After winning a pair of silver medals at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in 2016 and 2017, the Toronto native embarked on a historic college career, becoming the first freshman to win the Patty Kazmaier Award as NCAA player of the year with Boston College in 2018 and winning a national title with the University of Wisconsin in 2021. She signed a record-breaking contract with the Toronto Six in January 2023 and won the PHF championship a few months later before she heard her name called by Ottawa in the inaugural PWHL Draft, leading the team in goals before signing with the Toronto Sceptres. Now she can call herself a National Women’s Team alumna.

Laila Edwards was the MVP of the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship on home ice in Utica, scoring a tournament-leading six goals in seven games. She also took home the Bob Allen Women’s Player of the Year Award from USA Hockey. But a new season means a new challenge, and Edwards has made the move from forward to defence – she lined up alongside veteran Megan Keller on the Americans’ top pairing in the series opener on Wednesday night. She didn’t look out of place (she had played on the blue line in minor hockey and high school), recording a pair of assists in the win.

Milestone Watch

Marie-Philip Poulin needs just one point to tie Hockey Hall of Fame forward Danielle Goyette for fourth place in all-time National Women’s Team scoring (218 points).

Brianne Jenner is just two goals away from 50 for her Team Canada career, which would make her the 14th player to reach that mark, while Sarah Nurse and Laura Stacey will both play the 98th game of their international careers as they inch closer to the 100-game plateau.

A Look Back

There’s plenty of history attached to this one. The Maverik Center was formerly known as the E Center, and was the site of the hockey tournaments at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

Canadian hockey fans know how the women’s tournament ended – on Feb. 21, 2002, Jayna Hefford scored the winner in the dying seconds of the second period and Canada edged the U.S. 3-2 to win their first-ever Olympic gold medal.

All-time record: Canada leads 105-80-1 (24-20 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 516
United States goals: 457

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (NOV. 6)

Canada’s National Women's Team gets a new season underway Wednesday night against a very familiar foe as the 2024-25 edition of the Rivalry Series begins in northern California.

Last Meeting & Last Game

The cross-border rivals last met April 14 in Utica, New York, in the gold medal game at the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship. Needing overtime after a wild third period that saw the Canadians and Americans combine for four goals in six minutes, Danielle Serdachny was the heroine, knocking in an Erin Ambrose rebound 5:19 into the extra period to give Canada a 6-5 win and a 13th world title. Ambrose finished with a goal and an assist, while Marie-Philip Poulin lived up to her Captain Clutch moniker once again with a pair of goals.

The Rivalry Series finale went Feb. 11 in St. Paul, Minnesota, with Canada – for the second year in a row – completing a reverse sweep. Natalie Spooner and Emma Maltais scored a pair of goals each (and both added an assist), Sarah Nurse added three helpers and the Canadians romped to a 6-1 victory in Game 7, clinching a fourth-straight win and a series triumph.

What to Watch

All eyes on Chloe Primerano. The 17-year-old defender – who passed Ambrose to became the highest-scoring blue-liner in National Women’s Under-18 Team history in the summer series against the U.S. and appears set to lead Canada into the 2025 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in January – will become the second-youngest defender to play for Canada’s National Women’s Team, just two weeks older than Cheryl Pounder was at the 1994 Women’s Worlds. The North Vancouver, B.C., native has been terrific as a freshman at the University of Minnesota, posting six points (1-5—6) in 10 games for the third-ranked Golden Gophers.

The Americans are bringing a decidedly younger roster to San Jose than Canada, with 10 of the 27 players plying their trade in college hockey this season. Leading that group is University of Wisconsin fifth-year senior Casey O’Brien, who is atop the NCAA with 26 points (7-19—26) in 12 games for the undefeated and No. 1-ranked Badgers. O’Brien, who made her national team debut during last year’s Rivalry Series, wasn’t among the first group of players named to the U.S. roster in early October, but played her way onto the team with her red-hot start.

Milestone Watch

Poulin needs just one point to tie Hockey Hall of Fame forward Danielle Goyette for fourth place in all-time National Women’s Team scoring (218 points).

Brianne Jenner is just two goals away from 50 for her Team Canada career, which would make her the 14th player to reach that mark, while Nurse will play the 97th game of her international career as she inches closer to the 100-game plateau.

A Look Back

It’s the 186th meeting between Canada and the United States, dating back to 1990.

The head-to-head history favours the Canadians, but the Americans have a narrow advantage in San Jose, winning three of five. Canada got the ‘W’ the last time the teams met at the Shark Tank, scoring a 3-1 victory as part of a pre-Olympic series in December 2017 thanks to goals from Nurse, Poulin and Haley Irwin.

All-time record: Canada leads 105-79-1 (24-20 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 514
United States goals: 450

For Kendall Doiron, hockey isn’t just about scoring goals and adding to her point totals.

She’s exceptional at doing just that—16 points in 12 games with U.S. prep powerhouse Shattuck-St. Mary’s this season—but for Dorion, it’s more about the friendships she has built from being a part of the game.

“The biggest part of my joy for hockey is the friendships. The people in the hockey community are really like no other,” Dorion says. “I've made my closest friends playing hockey. You build such strong bonds being at the rink every day with these people.”

As great of a scorer Dorion is, she believes her calling is to orchestrate plays on the ice.

“I found from an early age, I was more of a playmaker. I am able to see the ice very well and make plays rather than just being a scorer,” Dorion explains. “I think my playmaking, my hockey vision and my IQ is my strongest part of my game.”

The 16-year-old forward from Boylston, Nova Scotia is representing Team Atlantic for the first time this week at the 2024 U18 Women’s National Championship in Quispamsis, New Brunswick. With the tournament hosted in Atlantic Canada for the first time, she’s elated to have the opportunity to play in front of East Coast fans.

“It is exciting to come home and have family watch me in real life,” Dorion says.

Dorion is looked upon as a leader for the Atlantic entry, even though she’s one of the younger players. Leadership is something she has been focusing on as she builds out her skillset as a new recruit at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minnesota.

“Even though it is my first year, I do have to step up and be one of the leaders,” Doiron says. “I know I have more experiences than some of the girls on my team and I think going to these tournaments helps me to know how to deal with it all when I get back.”

Kendall Doiron receiving the player of the game award on Day 2 of U18 Nationals.

As a first-year student at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, U16 girls head coach Ellie Williams Doherty has been impressed with what she has seen from Dorion. This year’s team has 16 newcomers with only four returning, and the coaches are looking for Dorion to grow into a larger role.

“It is hard to be a leader at Shattuck as a new player, but she has proven to be a kid that people are going to follow because she is a very genuine kid,” Williams Doherty says. “She genuinely cares about the good of the team and she is one of the most unselfish players I’ve coached. She's very humble.”

Dorion started in the game at a young age. Her parents, Fabian and Shauna, put enrolled her in a program at four years old. She’s grateful her parents gave her the opportunity to pursue and fall in love with hockey.

“My parents have done everything they can for me to be able to play hockey. It if wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have these opportunities,” she says. “It is a blessing to be able to play hockey in general and I’m super grateful and thankful for my family for encouraging me along the way.”

As Dorion continues to grow and develop on and off the ice, an important piece to her staying genuinely herself is being silly. She prides herself on being happy and making her teammates laugh.

“I love making people laugh and 95 per cent of the time, I have a smile on my face,” Dorion says. “I’m always trying to get people to laugh. Once I get comfortable on a team—which did take me a little longer coming to Shattuck—but once everyone got to know me, I really was able to be myself.”

Williams Doherty is still getting to know Dorion, but she shared the same description of the young forward, adding that she has adapted well to her new environment.

“Kendall is a fast, intelligent player that plays the game effortlessly and she has exceptional athletic maturity for her age,” Williams Doherty says. “On and off the ice, she’s kind of goofy and doesn’t take herself too seriously.”

Before joining Shattuck-St. Mary’s, Dorion played the last two seasons with the Northern Selects in the Maritime Major Female Hockey League (MMFHL), winning a pair of Nova Scotia provincial titles and representing the Atlantic Region twice at the Esso Cup, Canada’s U18 Women’s National Club Championship. Dorion hopes her experience there will help her during U18 Women’s Nationals.

“I think the biggest thing I learned at that tournament is taking care of your body,” she says. “Making sure you’re stretching before games, cooling down after and eating the right food. There are so many games in a few days, and it takes a toll on your body, and you will feel worn out.”

As for Williams Doherty, she hopes Dorion enjoys this experience and brings back some added confidence to Shattuck-St. Mary’s for the rest of the season.

“I think any time you get a chance to perform on a bigger stage, it’s an opportunity to work under pressure. At Shattuck, we say that pressure is a privilege. There are some people that want the pressure. Kendall is a type of kid that doesn’t change who she is. She just tries hard every time,” Williams Doherty says. “I hope she comes back with more confidence in her abilities and experience with those pressure situations.”

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has published Building the Future of Women’s and Girls’ Hockey, a discussion paper overseen by a 15-person steering committee of individuals with significant experience in women’s hockey and sport, and chaired by Gillian Apps, a Hockey Canada board member and National Women’s Team alumna.

The paper is intended to inform all Canadians who are invested in the success of women’s and girls’ hockey across the country on the current challenges that exist in the women’s game, to help collectively remove those barriers at all levels and help the sport realize its full potential in Canada.

“It is incredibly exciting to think about the future of women’s and girls’ hockey in Canada, and we hope that when reading the paper, Canadians feel engaged, energized and invited to be on this journey with us,” said Apps. “The opportunity we have to capitalize on the increased interest in women’s and girls’ hockey is tremendous, and our committee is committed to helping Hockey Canada and its Members continue to grow the game. 

“One day, we hope no girl is kept from participating in hockey because of gender-based barriers, however we acknowledge there is much more work to be done to ensure a successful future for women’s and girls’ hockey.”

Six key barriers were identified in the paper which are negatively impacting the growth and potential of women’s and girls’ hockey: structure, equity in resource allocation, policy and governance, education and training, data, and visibility and celebration.

The paper also reflects on the current state of women’s and girls’ hockey in Canada and introduces Vision 2030, which aims to have over 170,000 women and girls on the ice by 2030.

In the coming weeks, IMI International will launch a formal research process that will seek feedback from athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, volunteers, fans and Canadians on women’s and girls’ hockey, which will support the committee’s work to develop recommendations to guide Hockey Canada’s – and Canada’s – next strategic plan for the women’s and girls’ game.

Building the Future of Women’s and Girls’ Hockey can be found here.

To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.

Andrew Ladd is a World Juniors gold medallist and two-time Stanley Cup champion. He played 17 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons, wearing the ‘C’ as captain of the Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets for five of those. He would be the first to tell you his career was great.

Until it wasn’t.

“I was always very good at putting my head down, grinding, working hard and figuring it out,” Andrew recalls. “And if things didn’t go well, I’d work harder.

“Then all of a sudden that wasn’t working for me anymore.”

Two major knee surgeries near the end of his career forced him to the minors and put a strain on his mental health. Even at home, Andrew says he either felt numb or on edge. His wife, Brandy, finally suggested he needed to speak to someone.

“I could just see him in his head constantly and I worried for him a lot,” Brandy says. “I’m a fixer and I just wanted to fix it for him, but I didn’t know how. All I could do was encourage him to talk to a professional and then I needed to learn how to support him the right way.”

With that encouragement, Andrew took a deep-dive into mental wellness and quickly realized he had never been taught that as part of the game. He also started to understand most support for mental health is reactive and is rarely discussed before there is a need.

So as his on-ice career came to a close, he and Brandy decided to focus the philanthropy of the Ladd Foundation on proactive mental wellness for young hockey players. Thus, the dream of 1616 was born – a program for minor hockey teams to build connections, confidence, character and competence.

Entering its third full season, 1616 is a free, 10-week virtual experience designed for U13 teams. The curriculum for the mental and social wellbeing portion of the program was led by Dr. Luc Martin of the Performance Lab for the Advancement of Youth in Sport (PLAYS) Research Group at Queen’s University. Hockey Hall of Fame member Adam Oates provides the on-ice drills. Professional athletes from the NHL, Professional Women’s Hockey League and para-sport world share personal stories and challenges to engage in the weekly videos, including Connor McDavid, Natalie Spooner, Deryk Engelland, Jay Beagle and Blayre Turnbull.

The program – named in part for the jersey number Ladd wore at every stop of his NHL career – launched in 2021 with 500 participants in Canada and the United States. It grew to 88 teams for the 2022-23 season, and more than 200 teams last year.

“We want this to be the blueprint for all sports,” Andrew says, explaining his vision for the future of 1616. “We think hockey has the opportunity to really be a leader in this space … and build these programs to follow [the players] all the way up to U18.”

When Andrew says players, he means everyone associated with the player – coaches and families as well. There are elements in 1616 for everyone involved in the game, which Brandy says she has been learning from – and implementing in her own parenting – through the development of the program. Though this year, the Ladds will gain a different perspective of their work, participating in 1616 with their children’s teams.

“To go through it week by week with them and get to experience the impact it can have directly on our kids and their team, I’m looking forward to seeing it all,” Brandy says.

Andrew is also looking forward to the end-user experience. When he became a hockey parent, he thought his years of experience would equip him to guide and mentor his children through the game. But there was one thing he had forgotten about: the car ride home.

“We all have memories of those car rides home and now as a parent I’m sitting there thinking, ‘What do I say to my kid right now?’” Ladd says with a laugh, adding that another goal of 1616 is to equip and empower parents and coaches to understand the impact they can have on their players in those quiet moments.

There are conversation-starters for parents and reflective questions for coaches throughout each week of the program. Andrew says it's important to keep everyone engaged because research shows if the messaging is not being reinforced by parents and coaches, the players don’t follow through.

Through the first two seasons, nearly 300 teams have enjoyed the 1616 experience, which has been updated this year to have a second stream for teams to participate in back-to-back years with new content.

“Parents are feeling more equipped to talk to their kids, coaches are seeing confidence, competence and character growth within a season; basically, everything we want to see happen within the program is happening, which is really exciting,” Ladd says. “My expectations are high in terms of what we can create here and the experience we can create for hockey families across Canada.

“It’s a fun challenge.”

Registration for the 2024-25 season is open now. The new season begins Oct. 13. Visit 1616.org to learn more.

7 COACHING PRINCIPLES: Skating | Puck Control | Vision & Scanning | Deception | Creative & Dynamic | Angling | Goaltending

Goaltending coaching focuses on developing the specialized skills needed for the position, emphasizing skating, positioning, puck-tracking and puck-handling. It is critical for goaltenders to perform at their best in each of these areas and respond quickly to the fast pace of the game.

Importance of Skating

Skating is arguably the most crucial aspect of goaltending, forming the foundation for quick movements, effective positioning and making saves. Unlike regular players, who skate primarily forward and backward, goalies need to master specific movements that allow them to cover the crease and react to plays with precision. Strong skating skills enable goalies to stay agile and adjust quickly to changing the game situations.

Effective Positioning

Proper tracking is another key component of goaltending, directly influencing a netminder’s ability to react to shots, control rebounds and anticipate plays. A goalie with excellent puck-tracking can read plays more effectively, make quicker saves and stay in position for multiple shot attempts.

Enhancing Puck-Handling Skills

Puck-handling is no longer just for forwards and defenders. Goaltenders who can handle the puck well reduce pressure from forecheckers, assist in defensive-zone transitions and set up breakouts for teammates. Effective puck-handling helps teams maintain possession, relieve pressure during dump-ins and can even contribute to offensive opportunities.

Teaching Goaltending at All Age Levels

Developing these fundamental goaltending skills at all levels of play ensures goalies build a strong foundation early, allowing them to adapt to higher levels of competition and become game-changers for their teams.

Here are three drills that can be used at all ages to teach goaltending fundamentals:

Drill #1 – Warm-Up / Crease Skating

• Start at the post in an athletic stance.
• Rotate and power slide to face-off dots and slot (look, lean, load).
• Use post-to-post and low-to-high sequences.
• Recover to stand and repeat.

Key Teaching Points:

1. Lead with eyes, stick and skate (Look).
2. Rotate shoulders, glove and stick (Lean).
3. Maintain quiet upper body.

Drill #2 – Flash Screen Drill

• Goaltender tracks the puck to the slot, then back to corner.
• Goaltender should remain connected to the puck as the screen comes out of the corner.
• Track the rebound out.

Key Teaching Points:

1. Stay unfazed by the traffic passing through the crease.
2. Use peripheral vision to stay connected to the puck.

Drill #3 – Report to Corner Passing

• Coach starts with pucks on the half wall.
• Goaltender is square to coach on the wall.
• Coach rims puck along the boards; the goaltender leaves net, stops puck and passes it to the player in corner.
• Teammate calls for a pass.
• Sequence should be repeated so the goaltender must stop and play the rim to both forehand and backhand sides.

Key Teaching Points:

1. Depending on the strength of the rim, goalies should be using two hands to stop the puck. Top hand (blocker) on the knob of the stick and bottom hand (glove) where the shaft meets the paddle of the stick.
2. Goaltender must look first to see their target before making a pass.

The Hockey Canada Network gives coaches and players the tools to succeed with drills, skills, videos, practice plans and articles on their tablet or phone. There are over 1,500 drills and more than 100 lesson plans available.

Looking for more skills and drills? Hockey Canada frequently posts skill videos on its social channels that can be incorporated into practice plans. Search the #HCSkillsCoach and #HCGoalieCoach on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to find more drill videos to utilize on the ice.

During my first session with every team I work with, I ask players to tell me how important mental skills are to their performance in comparison to their physical skills. Without hesitation, they will shout out “50/50,” “60/40,” “70/30,” or even “80/20.”

The next question I ask is if they spend as much time working on mental skills as they do physical skills, and the answer is always “no.” That’s because most players think mental skills practice has to occur at its own designated time, exclusive from physical practice. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

As coaches and parents, we are uniquely positioned to help young athletes practice mental performance skills during every drill, game, whistle break and car ride home. Our knowledge of mental performance skills does not have to be high to effectively do this. As Samuel Johnson once said, “People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.”

What should you be reminding your young athletes about? Here are three simple ideas to help foster a growth mindset and a resilient attitude.

Self-talk

Hockey is a game of mistakes and, by default, our brains are negative. Young athletes regularly revert to negative self-talk when they make mistakes without understanding the consequences. Sometimes it’s simply a public display of self-berating to show their coach and teammates they aren’t happy with their poor performance, and other times it is simply frustration rising to the surface.

We can’t ask athletes to lie to themselves and say, “It’s ok, you will succeed,” or “Don’t worry, next shift will be better,” because it may not be, and failure may occur no matter what. But talking negatively to themselves has a similar effect on their physiology to when a coach or teammate is berating them.

What we can ask them to repeat to themselves are constructive phrases that focus on attributes that are not attached to their physical skills. They can say, “You’re a warrior, you will compete not matter what,” “You’re a battler, you won’t stay down for long,” or “You’re a problem solver, you’ll keep working figure this out.” These qualities will soon become what the athlete identifies themself by, and unlike heavy legs or rusty hands, they can’t be stripped away from them on a bad day.

Focusing techniques

I once heard LeBron James say, “I don’t rest on the bench, I recover.” Ever since then, I have talked to athletes about turning their rest intervals between shifts in a game, or even between drill repetitions at practice, into a recovery interval. During that time, I ask them to revert to a brief breathing routine that allows them to mentally reset.

The neuroscientist Andrew Huberman has described using multiple physiological sighs (inhale, followed by another inhale, followed by a long exhale) in succession to improve mental recovery. I ask athletes to practice a few repetitions of a technique like this before thinking about anything else after a shift/drill. Once the brain is settled, they can resume visualizing what they need to do next to be successful.

Deliberate practice

Failure is essential to improvement, and overcoming failure helps athletes become resilient people with a growth mindset. Deliberate practice, also known as deep practice, is the purposeful execution of a skill. It is not the perfect execution of a skill. It is the opposite of “auto-pilot.”

Athletes frequently need to be reminded that pushing themselves to fail, and then using the feedback they get from that failure to minimize it next time, is the best thing they can do for their development. When an athlete is going through the motions, nothing is being imprinted on their brain.

According to author Mathew Syed, when athletes push themselves beyond their limits and force themselves to “jumble” a task, that microsecond of struggle is where improvement takes place. A practice without failure is likely a practice without improvement.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A certified member of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association (CSPA), Lucas Madill has worked as a mental performance consultant with teams throughout the Program of Excellence since 2017, including with Canada’s gold medal-winning National Junior Team in 2023. A native of Kirkland, Quebec, Lucas holds a master’s degree in sport psychology from the University of New Brunswick, along with bachelor’s degrees from UNB (education) and McGill University (kinesiology). He played university hockey at McGill and UNB, earning academic-all Canadian honours at both schools.