The Ultimate Guide to Dominating Hockey Tryouts Like an NHLer (16 Practical Tactics)
Preparing for hockey tryouts can be a daunting task, whether you're aiming for a junior team, a college squad, or making the leap into professional hockey.
After playing 20 years of hockey and trying out for 10+ teams and as a mental performance and development coach, I’ve seen firsthand the common challenges players face during tryouts.
To provide you with the most comprehensive advice for junior tryouts, I sat down with fellow 26-year-old Brendan Furry, who is currently preparing for his NHL tryouts (Flyers Camp) after a successful first season in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Together, we’ve compiled an extensive guide packed with valuable insights, advice, tactics, and strategies to help you make the most out of your tryouts this summer!
Making the team is not luck, it has a lot to do with preparation and how you present yourself.
We will start with general offseason preparation advice because it's the most important thing you can do to maximize your chances of a successful tryout.
This will be relevant for any level of tryouts, but it will be most beneficial to junior players as the advice is generally more directed at that age group.
(You can skip this "Preparation" section if you have tryouts coming up within the next week or less)
Off-Season Preparation
In this first section, we will break down some of the key details of what an NHL off-season looks like.
This is what it takes to really take it seriously and be a pro.
1) Off-Season Training Protocol
You don't just show up hoping to be ready to go…
If you want to be ready to go, there is no excuse to not have a detailed off-season training protocol that combines:
Off-ice workouts in the gym
Speed work
Cardio work
Recovery work
Skills work on-ice
Skills work off-ice
Mental prep work
Brendan's regimen includes:
Five days of workouts per week: Focusing on strength, speed, and power.
Three on-ice weekly sessions: Concentrating on individual skills and confidence-building, especially in goal-scoring this year for Brendan.
2) Training Phases
When discussing levels of thinking, it's important to remember that the highest level of thinking is Level 6 "Time-Aware".
This means you understand how to plan to get the most out of yourself over time.
When it comes to working out, the best players in the world all seem to follow this same general phase protocol.
If you are not following this protocol, I encourage you to start doing so.
Understanding and following specific training phases can maximize performance:
Recovery Phase: After the season ends, prioritize rest and recovery.
Strength Phase: Rebuild muscle that broke down during the season.
Power Phase: Combine weighted movements with speed to develop explosive power.
Speed Phase: Focus on fast-twitch muscle movements to enhance quickness.
3) On-ice Training
Some more specific things Brendan has been working on are:
Daily Shooting Practice: Focus on hitting specific targets to build accuracy and confidence.
Game-Like Scenarios: Simulate real game pressure during practice to improve decision-making under stress.
4) Off-Ice Training
For off-ice training, Brendan is in his last month of training before the season.
He's focused on:
Strength and Speed Training: Combine traditional weightlifting with fast-twitch muscle exercises using bands.
Explosive Movements: Incorporate exercises that enhance your quickness and power on the ice.
Contrast training: Doing a heavy movement (ex heavy squat) combined with a lighter explosive movement (ex. box jump, or lateral bounds).
5) Mental Preparation
If you want to make sure you are truly covering all of the bases, it's important you prepare yourself for making the right in-game decisions.
In the offseason, we don't play games, so I believe the closest thing to in-game reps is visualizing in-game reps and reflecting on what's working and what's not in practice so you can make it more game-like next time.
Develop your mental game with these techniques:
Visualization: Regularly visualize successful plays and scenarios.
Reflection: Reflect on past successful workouts and games to build a positive mindset.
6) Routines and Habits
As the next tryout rolls around, routines and habits become more and more important.
Brendan focuses deeply on making sure he is dialled in with all aspects of his preparation.
I recommend you stablish a consistent daily routine with:
Sleep, Nutrition, and Hydration: Prioritize these elements to ensure your body is at its best.
Training Routine: Develop a training schedule that balances intense workouts with adequate recovery.
7) Peaking and Deloading
Properly plan your training leading up to tryouts:
Deload Before Tryouts: Reduce training intensity a week before tryouts to allow your body to recover fully.
Ramp-Up Intensity: Gradually increase intensity as tryouts approach to peak at the right time.
Listen to Your Body: Adjust your training based on how you feel and ensure you’re well-rested before tryouts.
8) Multiple Camps Strategy
If you have multiple tryouts, follow this approach:
Recovery: Focus on recovery between camps with activities like walking, stretching, and light workouts.
Level-Headedness: Stay level-headed and don’t let the results of one tryout affect your mindset for the next play.
Specific Strategies for Tryouts
Next, let's get into the specifics of handling the pressure and expectations you will probably face jumping into tryouts this year.
1) Mindset for Tryouts
The mindset shift you must make is very important. How you think about things will have a strong influence on how you perform:
Set clear intentions: think of this as the outcomes you want to generate. Start with the end in mind. Start with making the team, then work your way down through how you want to play, and then
Stick to Your Game: Focus on what you do best instead of trying to impress by overplaying.
Embrace Nerves: Nerves are natural; use them as a sign that you care and as fuel to perform better.
3) Don’t Overplay
One of the most common mistakes is trying to do too much:
Stick to Your Strengths: Focus on what you do best rather than trying to impress by overextending.
Be Present: Stay in the moment and trust in your preparation.
4) Know Your Identity
Understand who you are as a player and be yourself:
Play Your Game: Don’t lose your identity by trying to be someone else on the ice.
Adapt to the Coach: Be aware of the coach’s expectations and adapt your game accordingly without losing your core strengths.
Confidence: Have confidence in your abilities and preparation.
Authenticity: Stay authentic to your playing style and strengths.
5) Input Over Output
We often confuse what we can and can't control; in a hockey game.
At the end of the day, all we can control is our inputs:
Focus on Effort: Concentrate on the effort and preparation rather than fixating on the results.
Be Present: Stay in the moment during tryouts and trust in your preparation.
Things like goals and points are not in our direct control, so we must learn to release our attachment to them.
This allows us to focus on the inputs fully and thus make the most out of our performances at tryouts.
6) Coachability and Adaptability
Being coachable is essential for standing out:
Seek Feedback: Always be open to feedback and ask questions to understand what the coach is looking for.
Adapt Your Play: Learn to balance your personal strengths with the team’s requirements and the coach’s expectations.
7) Handling Mistakes
I will tell you a little secret: you will make mistakes in your next tryout.
You will not be perfect.
And that's ok!
People care more about how you respond to mistakes than if you make the odd mistake.
Overreacting to a mistake will take something a scout/coach might not worry about to
You must accept that you will mess up and that you focus on how you respond after a mistake:
Immediately: Keep your head up, do not overreact, and shake it off.
Next Shift Mentality: focus on what you will do the next shift. This means you focus on the inputs and show you can handle mistakes without letting it effect you.
8) Continuous Learning and Adaptation
You either make the team, or you learn something.
It's as simple as that.
Always be open to learning and adapting:
Coachability: Be receptive to feedback and willing to make adjustments.
Growth Mindset: View every experience as an opportunity to learn and improve
Conclusion
Preparing for hockey tryouts is a multifaceted process that involves physical training, mental preparation, and a strategic approach to handling pressure and expectations.
By incorporating the insights and strategies shared by Brendan Furry and myself, you can maximize your chances of success and truly shine during tryouts.
Remember, be yourself, stay confident, and always be open to learning and adapting.
See you at the next level.
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