Hockey Mental Toughness:
Play Confident and Composed Under Pressure
You have the skill and the skating ability. What separates good players from great ones is mental toughness. Work one-on-one with Peak Performance Sports’ mental performance coaches by Zoom, FaceTime, or phone from anywhere. Learn the mental toughness skills Dr. Cohn has taught to hockey players, from junior to NHL, for 40+ years.
“That’s Not a Talent. That’s Mental Toughness.”
“They had a tremendous amount of will. That’s mental. That’s not a talent, that’s not physical skills, that’s mental toughness.”
~John Tortorella, Blue Jackets coach, after sweeping the favored Lightning. Read the full story
What is Hockey Mental Toughness Coaching?
Hockey mental toughness coaching is one-on-one training that builds your ability to persist, resist, and assist. Mental toughness helps you persist through pressure, adversity, mistakes, and reduced playing time. It helps you resist fear, doubt, and worry. And it assists you in preparing fully, managing your emotions, and raising your game. At Peak Performance Sports, mental performance coaches use the Athlete’s Mental Edge Framework and the Hockey Mental Aptitude Assessment (HMAP) to build a custom Mental Game Plan. Learn more in What Is Mental Toughness in Hockey?
Trusted by hockey players from junior through NHL
Call us today: 407-909-1700
Is Your Mental Toughness Holding You Back?
Your skills are not the problem. Your mental game is. Do any of these sound familiar?
• “I lose my confidence when I go play in games.”
• “I sit on a mistake too long and carry it into the next shift.”
• “I play tight and cautious because I try not to make mistakes.”
• “When the game is on the line, I dread taking a shift.”
• “I look like a star in practice but underperform in games.”
Mental Toughness Under Pressure
“I Love Having the Pressure on Me”
“I love having the pressure on me and being a game-changer.”
Goaltender Brent Moran, then a 17-year-old prospect ranked third among North American netminders, said that in the playoffs. He prepared the same way for every game, kept a consistent pregame routine, and read his mental training books between periods to stay in the zone. He credited his mental toughness and work ethic for raising his game. Read his story.
What Breaks Down Mental Toughness for Hockey Players?
1. Fear of Making a Mistake
- In a tied third period, a player who lacks mental toughness fears making a mistake and costing the team the game
- What happens: You dread taking a shift, play cautiously, and let the other team dictate the game
- Our approach: Mental toughness training that builds trust in your abilities, backed by a consistent pregame routine
2. Dwelling on Mistakes
- Many players have high expectations, are self-critical, and struggle to move on after a bad play
- What happens: You judge your performance harshly, your confidence takes a hit, and you cannot focus on the present shift
- Our approach: Coaching on managing expectations, letting go of the last play, and refocusing on the next one. See Improving Your Mental Toughness in Hockey
3. Losing Confidence After a Setback
- Pressure, adversity, injury, reduced playing time, missed opportunities, and losses test every player
- What happens: Fear, doubt, anxiety, and negative thinking creep in and confidence drops
- Our approach: Mental strategies to resist fear and worry and persist through adversity
4. The Practice-to-Game Gap
- You look like a star in practice but underperform in games
- What happens: You play tight and cautious, trying not to make mistakes
- Our approach: Pregame routines and mental strategies that take your practice game to competition consistently
These barriers call for mental toughness training built for hockey. Skill and talent do not always win. Sometimes the team with more mental toughness comes out on top.
Ready to Build Your Mental Toughness?
Book a free introductory consultation with a mental performance coach or request details and pricing:
Available worldwide · No travel required · Zoom · FaceTime · Phone
How Our Hockey Mental Toughness Coaching Works
Every program follows the same process, led by Dr. Cohn’s mental game coaching system:
Step 1: Free Introduction
Start with a free 15-minute introductory consultation to discuss how mental training can enhance your performance and to decide if coaching is a good fit.
Step 2: Assessment
Complete the athlete intake forms and the Hockey Mental Aptitude Assessment (HMAP) before your first session to assess your mental game.
Step 3: Weekly Sessions
Meet one-on-one each week for 45 to 55 minutes by Zoom, FaceTime, or phone. You receive a Mental Game Plan that outlines the steps to improve your mental game.
Step 4: Workbooks and Application
Complete select Athlete’s Mental Edge workbooks to prepare for each session, then apply your mental toughness skills in games.
What You Get with Hockey Mental Toughness Coaching
Mental toughness coaching helps serious hockey players uncover the beliefs and attitudes that keep them from performing to their potential. Here’s what changes:
- Take your practice game to competition consistently
- Uncover doubts and be proactive with your self-confidence
- Increase your consistency with pregame routines
- Get into the zone faster and stay there longer
- Manage distractions and play with laser-like focus
Every program includes: the Hockey Mental Aptitude Assessment (HMAP), a custom Mental Game Coaching Plan, weekly coaching sessions, unlimited email correspondence, The Mental Edge for Hockey audio and workbook program, and the Athlete’s Mental Edge workbooks and eBooks. Call us at 407-909-1700 with your questions.
Work with a Mental Performance Coach via Zoom
Work one-on-one with Dr. Cohn’s team of certified mental performance coach from Peak Performance Sports by Zoom, FaceTime, or phone. Visit the bio pages of our mental performance coaches.
40+ Years Helping Hockey Players, From Junior to NHL
Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D. is the founder and president of Peak Performance Sports, LLC in Orlando, Florida. He earned a Ph.D. in Sports Psychology from the University of Virginia and has helped thousands of athletes for 40+ years to improve their mental toughness and get the mental edge, including junior to NHL hockey players. He is the creator of the Mental Game Coaching Professional (MGCP) Certification. Learn more about Dr. Cohn.
FAQ About Hockey Mental Toughness Coaching
What is mental toughness in hockey?
Mental toughness in hockey is the ability to persist, resist, and assist. It helps you persist despite pressure, adversity, mistakes, and losses, resist fear, doubts, and worry, and assist you in preparing fully, managing your emotions, and raising your game.
What does a mental toughness coach do for hockey players?
A mental performance coach helps hockey players uncover the beliefs and attitudes that keep them from performing to their potential. You learn mental game strategies to overcome performance plateaus and lack of consistency, build self-confidence, use pregame routines, and focus under pressure.
Can hockey mental toughness coaching be done online?
Yes. You can work one-on-one in Orlando, Florida, or get coaching from anywhere in the world by Zoom, FaceTime, or phone.
How does hockey mental toughness coaching work?
You start with a free 15-minute introductory consultation. Then you complete the athlete intake forms and the Hockey Mental Aptitude Assessment (HMAP). After that, you meet weekly for 45 to 55 minutes and receive a Mental Game Plan.
What is included in the hockey mental toughness programs?
Every program includes the HMAP, a custom Mental Game Coaching Plan, weekly coaching sessions, unlimited email correspondence, The Mental Edge for Hockey audio and workbook program, and the Athlete’s Mental Edge workbooks and eBooks. Contact us for details and pricing.
Who benefits from mental toughness training for hockey players?
Hockey players who look like a star in practice but underperform in games, lose confidence in games, or play tight and cautious because they try not to make mistakes.
Ready to Strengthen Your Mental Game?
Book a free introductory consultation with a mental performance coach or request details and pricing:
Available worldwide · No travel required · Zoom · FaceTime · Phone