What Separates The Best NHL Players From The Rest?

If you’re looking for the best ice hockey players in the world, then the NHL is home to the leading lights in this hugely popular sport. But even amongst the top flight players, there are some fairly big gaps in terms of skill and success.

So what is it that makes the difference between a solid yet unspectacular member of the league, and someone who can command respect from rival fans and players alike? Here are just a few of the factors that separate outstanding NHL players from the pack.

Training Regimen

It’s an old adage that while talent is actually surprisingly common, the real asset that any person needs to exhibit and nurture is a will to work hard. Only those who are determined enough to put in the hours will be able to master whatever skill they want to learn, and that definitely applies to ice hockey.

In the NHL the best pros are those that follow strict training schedules, throughout the season and during their time off. Diet is also an important part of this, with some players adopting pretty outlandish eating habits, such as consuming little more than the highest quality beef and fruit juice for most meals.

Choosing to train and diet in this way is one thing, but actually being able to stick to a plan is another. There’s no doubt that world class players are more focused and controlled than their less adept counterparts.

High Quality Equipment

A workman is only as good as his tools, and a hockey player is only as capable as the kit they choose to wear on the rink.

The biggest players tend to be sponsored by mainstream brands, usually as part of a big money endorsement deal. This can be a blessing as well as a curse, as not every manufacturer is capable of providing the best products.

Brands like Bauer, CCM and Warrior all have their own athletes to support. Amateurs might not get free gear, but they can take advantage of the same products, including tools like at home skate sharpening to make sure they are able to play at their best without being restricted by cheap, poorly maintained equipment.

Experience

There’s obviously a point in a player’s career at which they hit their peak and then start the long, slow decline that comes with age. However, up until that point and indeed beyond it, the amount of experience they have under their belt can hold a huge amount of influence over how well they perform.

Obviously being a seasoned vet of the NHL is important, and newer players will find it harder to keep calm and collected when things are looking bad for the team. But experience goes beyond professional play, and it’s generally agreed that as with most sports, its best to start as young as possible.

The proportion of NHL players born in the US has been increasing gradually, mostly thanks to investment in early years training and projects to get kids interested in ice hockey as soon as possible.

Part of the problem is the high cost of getting involved, which acts as something of a limiting factor on its uptake, since only children from privileged backgrounds can afford to take up the sport.

Hopefully this will continue to change as more investment is made in the NHL and it becomes more widely accessible across North America and the rest of the world, not just in its traditional strongholds. That way the next generation of world-beating players will be from a more diverse pool of talent, keeping things interesting out on the ice.