Blue Jackets Evason & Devils Keefe Speak on Importance of Mental Part of Hockey

The best teams in the NHL get results on the ice. But just how important is the mental side of the game? Dean Evason and Sheldon Keefe speak on that.

The Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils are in different situations when it comes to the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. The former is on the outside looking in. The latter is in with some room to spare for now.

The Blue Jackets spent the weekend trailing the Montreal Canadiens by four points for the last wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. A 2-7-1 spiral for the Blue Jackets has come at a bad time for a team hoping to get a taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Devils lost on home ice to the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Saturday night. Despite the loss, the Devils are third in the Metro and have a somewhat comfortable six-point lead over the New York Rangers in the division.

The coaches in each situation above have to ensure that their teams are ready to go when the puck drops given the importance of the games down the stretch. While most everyone focuses on the results in the form of the final score, the preparation aspect doesn’t get enough attention when looking at team success from the outside.

We’re going to address the underappreciated part of that preparation. It’s not the X’s and O’s on the ice. It’s the importance of the mental side of the game. As you’ll see, how teams handle this aspect can go a long way in determining who has season success.

Setting the Scene

The head coach has to oversee everything going on within their team. They have to manage schedules. They have to manage personalities. With 23 or more players come 23 or more different personalities.

That alone makes managing the mental aspect of the game that much more important. The coaches have to lead in such a way to get everyone to buy into the plan. It goes way beyond just planning practices and doing drills on off days.

Coaches not only have to put their imprint on every aspect of the team, they have to do it in such a way that their message gets across in a way a player will understand. Just because one player handles their business one way doesn’t mean they all handle it the same way.

It’s up to the coaches to get to know their players to understand their nuances so they can effectively communicate with them. Some players like to be dealt with head on. Others like a softer approach.

In order to get the best out of the team, the coaches have to be flexible in order to get the best out of each individual player.

Blue Jackets’ head coach Dean Evason and Devils’ head coach Sheldon Keefe each recently discussed different aspects of the mental side of the game. There’s a reason why the Blue Jackets have exceeded expectations fighting for a playoff spot. There’s a reason why the Devils have responded well to their new head coach after the Lindy Ruff era.

Each coach knows the importance of the mental part of the game.

Trying to Break the Blue Jackets’ Slump

Evason’s challenge of late has been trying to get the Blue Jackets to play a playoff style game despite their offense going ice cold. This recent slump has put the team on the outside looking in on the playoffs.

Not being able to score generally leads to losses. Several losses piled up will lead to frustration. That frustration if not channeled properly can derail a season.

Evason now must work to have the Blue Jackets ready for these last games from a mental standpoint without looking back at their recent run of play. He credits the leadership for making sure the team is in a good place.

“When you go through not having success, it’s easy to go individual,” Evason said. “It’s easy to get frustrated and get down. But the one thing that we know is that our leadership in that room, I don’t care how old or young they are, the composure, the ability to stick together when we’ve had adverse situations has been fantastic. It hasn’t been bad and we expect it to continue.”

Dean Evason says good leadership is key to the mental side of hockey. (Photo by Colin Mayr/NHLI via Getty Images)