In hockey recruiting, you may think  that skill is the most important thing to land an offer, but it's not always about how many goals you score or how many points that you have in a season that make college coaches notice you. While athletic skill definitely is a huge factor to help you get noticed, there are many other things that you can add to your game that will put a spotlight on you–in a good way! Here are four things you can do to help you stand out to your potential future coach:

Be a Two-Way Player

Although defense does not produce as many points, it's just as important as offense in the game of hockey. If you're a defenseman, the defensive side of the game probably comes more naturally for you but as a forward, playing defense is not always the first thing on your mind since your main job is to score. This is why it is so important that these players put as much effort into defense as they do scoring. 

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Being a liability on defense is not what coaches want in their players. They are looking for individuals who are willing to backcheck, block shots, and do their job in the defensive zone. Skating hard to backcheck and break up a scoring chance for the other team will not go unnoticed. The extra effort in your defensive play may catch the eyes of coaches. 

Make the Simple Plays

It is easy to get caught up in making glamorous plays that will be talked about endlessly by our peers. Skating from one end of the rink to another stickhandling around each player on the other team may be impressive, but it's not always effective and can result in turning the puck over to the other team in the process. That's not a result that a team wants after they work hard to gain possession of the puck. 

As a player, you should focus on making the simple plays that are right for each situation. These simple plays include making clean, crisp, tape-to-tape passes and making sure that your shots hit the net. Coaches are looking for players that can consistently make the simple plays and who have high hockey IQ. Being able to make these decisions and having the ability to make these simple plays will show off your hockey IQ to coaches and that consistency is something that coaches expect out of their players.

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Have a Winning Attitude (Even When You Mess Up!)

Hockey is a very emotional game that has a lot of ups and downs. It is important to stay leveled throughout these ups and downs. Especially when things may not be going well in a game, it is important to keep a good attitude. It's easy to read the body language of players when watching from the stands and having a negative attitude and bad body language can show a lack of maturity. 

At a high level of play, athletes don't always get equal playing time, which can be one of the biggest causes of a bad attitude. However, it is important to just focus on what you can control and always be ready for your next shift. Having a negative attitude can draw your focus away from your play and easily show in your body language.  College coaches are looking for individuals who are mature and can handle all situations, both good and bad. Coaches are looking for player who can adapt to whatever occurs in the game and does not let anything 

Be a Good Teammate

One of the easiest ways to earn points in your recruiting process (and on the ice) is to be a good teammate. Being a good teammate includes all of the above: working hard, doing the little things right, making the right plays, having a good attitude, and being supportive of your teammates. You want to be the person that everyone wants to have on their team. If a college coach is asking your current coach about you as a player, you want them to be able to say that you are a great athlete to have because you are an awesome teammate. It is just as important to be a great hockey player on the ice as it is to be a great person in the locker room. 

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* Originally published on October 11, 2022, by Marissa Massaro