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Community Discussion: What Skill Separates Good from Great?

Every player works on skating, shooting, and puck skills — but some players just seem to create more time and space on the ice. What skill separates good players from great ones? • skating • hockey IQ • puck control • deception • something else? Explain your answer.

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Travis Martell, CSCS@MartellEliteFitness 19h

Habits. That's the number one skill that separates the great players. Yes all those other things are important, although, without the skill of having good habits it's hard to continue to improve on all the other stuff.

Hockey Players Club@HockeyPlayersClub 18h

@MartellEliteFitness painfully true! Thanks for chiming in, Travis.

Matt Carey@MCH 21h

Offense isn’t just skill — it’s how badly you want to win your 1-on-1s. It’s winning races, winning battles, and wanting the puck more than the defender. That mindset matters more than anything — it’s your puck, not theirs. Skill and speed can be trained. But compete level and hunger? That’s a choice. The best players don’t wait for plays — they take them.

Hockey Players Club@HockeyPlayersClub 18h

@MCH YES! Thank you 🙏

Dustin Donathan@HockeyCoachLife 21h

Hockey IQ is the separator, and I’m not just talking about knowing your systems or reading the play. The real edge is emotional regulation under pressure. Can you slow the game down mentally when the intensity spikes? Do you let anxiety tighten your game, or do you channel it into sharper focus and heightened awareness? At the lower levels, compete level and raw skill can carry you. But as you climb, every player on the ice can skate and handle the puck. What separates the elite is the ability to stay composed when the game gets heavy. Supporting your five man unit in all three zones, making the right read in a tight situation, not panicking when you turn it over or take a bad penalty. That mental discipline is what keeps your compete level high when the game is on the line. Anyone can put in the reps and develop skill. Hard work and dedication will get you there. But learning to control your emotions and use that competitive fire as a tool instead of letting it burn your game down? That is a completely different level of development. It is easy to take a bad penalty or lose your edge after a rough shift. The players who can shake it off, refocus, and bring it every single shift are the ones who make the difference when it matters most.

Brandon Rubeo@BrandonRubeo 21h

@HockeyCoachLife yes 🙌 Too late to change my answer?! 😂 This is spot on! 🎯

Hockey Players Club@HockeyPlayersClub 21h

@HockeyCoachLife thank you 🙏

Dustin Donathan@HockeyCoachLife 21h

@BrandonRubeo 😂 Thank you! 🙏🏻

Brandon Rubeo@BrandonRubeo 22h

In youth hockey, the biggest separator between good and great players is compete level. The most relentless players impact the most shifts and usually end up being the most productive. At the higher levels (junior, college, pro), the separator becomes decision-making — hockey IQ. By that point, everyone can skate, shoot, and handle the puck. What sets players apart is the constant decisions happening all over the ice, most of them without the puck — reading plays early, getting to the right spots, and creating time and space before the puck even arrives. #hockeyIQ

Hockey Players Club@HockeyPlayersClub 21h

@BrandonRubeo thank you 🙏