Earlier this season my 10U team lost in a tournament game to a team to our south 9-3. Our players made some terrific plays and I was proud of their efforts, but we lost and many were disappointed. Post- game travelling back to my home I remembered hearing the story Wayne Gretzky recounted many times about losing a tournament when he was younger, and how his Dad was steadfast in his belief that his son and his team was playing the right way. That the other teams focus on positioning, limiting “mistakes” and dumping the puck in, were successful now but will be unsuccessful later. Its the sad, proven reality.
Check out this great Gretzky interview to see more- Wayne Gretzky | Mixed Views on Modern Hockey – YouTube
Earlier this morning I came across this image on Instagram.
Mistakes are an essential part of the learning process. Challenging your athlete to try new things, push themselves out of safe plays, and figure out how to adapt is the critical piece of greatness. Of players becoming Wayne Gretzky, Connor McDavid and Mario Lemieux.
If you’re youth player is being constantly told to dump the puck and forecheck, to rely on the opponents to turn the puck over to gain scoring chances without creating them on their own, they will NEVER have the opportunity to be great. To be dynamic. Its short term wins for significant long term losses.
Here is a clear, no-nonsense framework for what actually matters in youth hockey development. If these pieces are in place, kids give themselves a real shot at becoming great—not just early standouts.
1. Love for the Game (Non-Negotiable)
Everything else collapses without this.
- Kids who choose to work at hockey last longer
- Joy → effort → repetition → improvement
- Burnout kills more talent than lack of skill ever will
Key sign: They play when no one is watching.
2. Skating Comes First (Always)
Skating is hockey’s foundation.
- Balance, edges, agility, speed
- Ability to create time and space
- Confidence with and without the puck
Great skaters can survive weak systems.
Weak skaters can’t survive great systems.
3. Puck Skill Under Pressure
Not just stickhandling in a straight line.
- Receiving pucks at speed
- Making plays with limited space
- Shooting in stride
- Protecting pucks against contact
Development sweet spot: small-area games > drills > unstructured play.
4. Hockey IQ (Decision-Making)
The game gets faster every level up.
- Reading pressure
- Knowing when to move the puck
- Understanding spacing and timing
- Anticipating plays, not reacting late
This is learned through:
- Unstructured play
- Mistakes (and being allowed to make them)
- Game-like reps, not whiteboard lectures
5. Compete Level (Effort You Can’t Teach)
Great players don’t float.
- Win puck battles
- Track back hard
- Recover quickly after mistakes
- Push when tired
Important: Compete ≠ yelling or aggression.
It’s consistency, urgency, and resilience. Testosterone is the game changer…. some kids wont acquire this until later. Understand and accept this.
6. Growth Mindset
The best long-term players:
- Accept coaching
- Learn from failure
- Don’t blame refs, teammates, or ice time
- See development as a process, not a ranking
This often separates late bloomers from early quitters.
7. Environment > Talent
Kids don’t develop in isolation.
- Coaches who prioritize development over wins
- Ice time that isn’t punishment-based
- Parents who support without controlling
- Teams that allow creativity instead of fear
A mediocre player in a great environment > talented player in a toxic one.
8. Physical Literacy (Not Early Specialization)
Before mid-teens:
- Running, jumping, balance, coordination
- Other sports help hockey (soccer, lacrosse, baseball)
- Strength should come after movement quality
The goal is athlete first, hockey player second.
9. Patience (From Everyone)
Development is not linear.
- Early stars don’t always finish strong
- Late bloomers are real
- Puberty changes everything
- Comparing kids by birth year or size is misleading
Long-term vision beats short-term trophies.
By Andrew Trimble
To purchase Andrew’s book, The Hockey Planner, follow this link here- The Hockey Planner: A Year by Year Plan to Assist You on Your Hockey Coaching Journey: From Learn to Play to Junior Hockey: Trimble, Andrew: 9781963743388: Amazon.com: Books
