We know that Apolo Ohno was a better pure skater (and likely still is) than any NHLer with respect to straight away stride and right over left crossovers.  Yet, he would still struggle mightily to function as part of a real hockey team. If he had decided to switch to hockey, he would have faced an impossibly long road to acquire the rest of the skills of the game assuming he didn’t start in his early teens at the latest. It is clear that to be a great hockey player, you cannot neglect any area of skill mental or physical.  However, is there any area that we can point to in order to say, “that is the key”?  Is there a skill area where all great hockey players really excel? Is there an area where you absolutely have to be "great" to even have a chance at competing at the highest levels of the game?

In a past 2-part article, we have already discussed the importance of "automaticity" in our movement skills, even if that comes at the expense of a little bit of quality or efficiency.  We’ll revisit that point in the next article. For now, I’d like to consider a similar “trade off” with respect to decision making.When playing the game of hockey, what is more important in our decision making, quality or speed?   In other words, is it more important to make the right decision a higher percentage of the time or is it more important to make a fast decision, act, and then reevaluate quickly toward the next decision?

This is an imperfect question because it does depend on how bad your decisions would get when deciding quickly.  However, in the general case, it is more important to decide and act quickly.  You make the opponent respond to your action which is to your advantage.  Also, if you can continue to think quick, you can reevaluate, decide and act again quickly.  In that way, you can make up for a poor decision the first time around.

Imagine how this works. If you are making read-and-react decisions faster than the opponent, you can create the impression for them that you are committing to go one way. They would then move to counter. At this point your superior mental processing speed would allow you to still have options while the other skater really must commit to their decision due to their processing speed disadvantage. When the opponent is committed and you still have options, you have already won the battle.

Also, the idea of making decisions quickly and having that quick decision speed allow you to correct poor decisions, which are guaranteed to happen from time to time, is more in keeping with the reality of the game.  These decisions aren’t made in completely separate instances at pre-specified intervals. They are made continuously.  The player continuously takes information in through the senses, creates plans and alternative plans, and then acts on them when the time is right.  The faster you decide, act, read the opponent, adjust mid-action, force the opponent to adjust, and so on in key moments, the tougher it will be to beat you.

Now let's consider the key advantage that made the player many consider to be the best ever, Wayne Gretzky, standout.  He has been cited over the years as an example of how hockey is a generalist’s game.  They say he wasn’t the fastest, wasn’t the best stickhandler, and didn’t have the best shot.  They go on to say that we was a very strong player in all of these areas and that is what you need.  That is all true.  But… was there one thing he did better than everybody else?  Yes!  While difficult to measure objectively, many NHLers of that era will tell you he was one step ahead of them mentally at all times.  It wouldn’t be unreasonable to say he had the best mental pace of play of all time.  It is no coincidence then that he is also regarded by many as the greatest player of all time."
 

I suggest that mental pace of play is the skill that you absolutely have to have to be a great hockey player.  Other aspects of your game support pace of play.  Some aspects will allow you to do more once pace of play has created an advantage for you.  But without being mentally quick at processing the game, you will not be a great player!