The Mental Game of Hockey: 5 Ways to Stay Calm Before Getting on the Ice

Paul Kariya was a prolific hockey player. He was fast. He was highly skilled. He was an amazing goal scorer for 15 seasons in the NHL. The reason he was so profound is because he never allowed himself to get rattled by the other team. He knew his purpose was to score goals so he always focused on that outcome. In tense situations, he was great at managing his feelings and emotions which him calm under pressure.

The sport of hockey is intense and physical making it incredibly difficult to remain calm. The puck moves fast. Opponents hit hard. Sixty minutes quickly fades away. Hockey is everything but calm. However, every player must stay focused and composed so the right decisions can be made, penalities can be avoided, and teams can win.

So, how do you accomplish remaining calm before getting on the ice. I have outlined five specific ways to achieve this objective.

Lower Your Heart Rate

Two important things about heart rate. You can make your heart rate increase by 1) doing something physical like going for a run or engaging in some other form of exercise or 2) you can get your heart to rate to jump up by simply letting your mind get the best of you which happens in a majority of important events in your life. You are guaranteed scenario number one just by being an athlete. However, you are going to find yourself in scenario number two simply by sitting in the locker room prepping mentally for a game. So, how do you control your heart rate even though you have not taken the ice yet? It starts by first understanding how your heart works.

There are 5 zones of heart rate: white, yellow, red, gray, and black. I will break down each one and the goal you need to have as a hockey player when off the ice.

Zone 1: White (60-80 beats): This is you sitting on the couch reading your favorite book or marathoning your favorite television show.

Zone 2: Yellow (80-115 beats): This is you deciding to get off the couch and go for a walk and maybe even a light jog.

Zone 3: Red (115-145 beats): This is is you taking the jog and ramping up your speed and even deciding to throw in a few fartleks or sprints.

Zone 4: Gray (145-175 beats): This is you starting to go all out on this run. You are getting close to maximum effort.

Zone 5: Black (175+ beats): This is you loosing all bodily control and function.

Why am I sharing this with you? As we have discussed, it is very common for someone to be anxious before an event like a hockey game and can easily be in the Yellow or Red zone before hitting the ice. Some folks may even be in the Gray or Black zone. Again, nothing is physically happening to them, but their mind gets the best of them.

This can not happen. You must control your heart rate. The best hockey players are calm. They are stable. They are not overly anxious. You must stay in the White and Yellow zones so you can remain calm, relaxed, and in control. A way to help accomplish this objective is the next strategy we will discuss which is breathing.

Focus Your Breathing

I’m going to borrow from the Navy Seals to illustrate this point. Imagine being in their line of work where you have to jump out of helicopter, invade a terrorist building, take a critical sniper shot, or rescue an injured solider. Anxiety flourishes in a work environment with those conditions. In order to thrive in these situations, the Navy Seals practice a technique called 4x4 breathing.

This breathing technique is about segmenting your breaths in 4 parts at 4 seconds each. I’ll walk you through it: Inhale and take 4 seconds to do it. At the top of your breath, wait for 4 seconds and now exhale and take 4 seconds to do so. Now, wait for another 4 seconds at the bottom of your breath. Rinse and repeat. This is a 4x4 breathing and it will lower your heart rate signficantly and calm you down making you less anxious.

The next time you are about to step step on the ice - practice 4x4 breathing. You only need to do it for 2-3 minutes for it to have a positive impact. Carve out those minutes while you are stretching, sitting in the locker room, or prepping to take the ice. It doesn't have to be this elaborate display. Practice it quietly you'll be able to lower your heart rate and reach a calmer state of being.

Practice Visualization

Before my pursuits in the world of hockey, I was a competitive triathlete. My specialities were the Ironman and Half-Ironman distances. If you are not familiar with the sport of triathlon it is a race consisting of three events: swimming, biking, and running. In the case of a full Ironman, race day can be long ranging from 8 hours to 17 hours depending on your level of athleticism. Given the complexity of the day where there are so many variables - you have three athletic disciplines, the fourth discipline of managing your nutrition, weather, wind, weather temperatures, etc - it is an absolute must to visualize the day.

I make it a priority to arrive a few days early and drive the course. I even try to train on it if it is in driving distance. And, the night before I practice the exercise of visualization where I imagine myself swimming, biking, and running on the course. I think about how my body is going to feel. I imagine family and friends who have showed up to cheer me on. I think about how great it is going to feel when I cross the finish line. I go through all these visualizations to prepare my heart and mind for the race day which awaits.

This same approach is necessary for the game of hockey. You have so many variables you are going to have to deal with the day of your game from the unpredictableness of the other team, the style of play of your teammates, the love or hate of the crowd, and so forth. By practicing visualization it will build your confidence and make you more calm. You will feel as though the experience has already happened so there are no surprises.

Stay Positive and Enthusiastic

Bear Grylls, the famous survivalist and now TV personality, has an amazing ability to remain smart and calm in the most stressful positions. When asked about the traits he looks for in a team, Bear's answer is always the same - he wants indivduals who join him to be enthusiastic. When a scenario looks grim or there is no way out, positive people can turn dark situations into bright ones. They lift others up. They stay focused on the objective. They help others change the channel in their mental televisions. In other words, their enthusiasm and positivity is contagious. And, positivity results in calmness. Anxiety dissapates, your heart rate gets lowered, your breathing slows, and calmness emerges.

Embrace Hope

My final strategy for you is to embrace hope. This should almost serve as the foundation behind all these other processess. I will explain further. Life expectancy in 18th century America was less than 40 years of age. However, our founding fathers lived much longer. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin all lived into their eighties which is an astonishing feat.

So, how did they do it? They had one simple thing in common: hope. They had hope for a better life. They had hope for a new tomorrow. They had hope for a brighter future. Hope is what sustains us as humans. It keeps the fire burning inside.

You play this marvelous game for a reason - because you love it. It provides you meaning, purpose, and hope. Use those emotions to center you and calm your nerves.

Parting Advice

As we begin to wrap up, remember that remaining calm as a hockey player is important for both your own performance and your team's success. Be mindful of your heart rate and breathing, practice visualization, stay positive, and never lose hope in your abilities and skills as a player. Hockey is both a physical and mental sport, and developing your mental game like practicing calmness can lead to success on the ice.