How the Best are Built
Author
Date Published
Why Most Top Players Are Built the Same Way — and How You Can Be Too
I’ve seen it over and over again.
The guys who make it—to the NCAA, the pros, the NHL—they follow a clear pattern.
They’re not perfect at everything. But they’ve built a solid all-around game… and one or two things that are scary good.
That’s the formula.
You don’t need to be elite at everything. You need to be reliable in most areas—and dangerous in a few.
I wish someone had told me this earlier. I would’ve trained differently.
Solid, Reliable Skills = Your Foundation
This is the 70% of your game that keeps you consistent and trusted:
● Basic skating ability
● General hockey IQ
● Standard fitness
● Positional awareness
● Passable puck control
These aren’t highlight-reel skills. But they keep you from being a liability and let you stay on the ice. Without them, nothing else matters.
Game-Changing Skills = Your Edge
This is the 30% of your game that flips momentum and gets you noticed. The skills that you develop that few players can do at your level, whether it’s defence, consistency, lethal scoring, game awareness, or skating ability. How do you find it? Figure out what you’re naturally good at — then double down on those abilities.
Turn your strengths into superpowers.
● Blistering speed
● Elite puck handling
● High-end playmaking IQ
● A lethal shot
● Vision under pressure
You don’t need five of these. You need one or two that are undeniable — the kind of skill that creates separation, shifts games, and makes you irreplaceable. THIS IS THE HACK.
The Pattern I’ve Seen
I’ve seen it over and over again.
The guys who make it—to the NCAA, the pros, the NHL—they follow a clear pattern.
They’re not perfect at everything. But they’ve built a solid all-around game… and one or two things that are scary good.
That’s the formula.
You don’t need to be elite at everything. You need to be reliable in most areas—and dangerous in a few.
I wish someone had told me this earlier. I would’ve trained differently.
Solid, Reliable Skills = Your Foundation
This is the 70% of your game that keeps you consistent and trusted:
● Basic skating ability
● General hockey IQ
● Standard fitness
● Positional awareness
● Passable puck control
These aren’t highlight-reel skills. But they keep you from being a liability and let you stay on the ice. Without them, nothing else matters.
1
Game-Changing Skills = Your Edge
This is the 30% of your game that flips momentum and gets you noticed. The skills that you develop that few players can do at your level, whether it’s defence, consistency, lethal scoring, game awareness, or skating ability. How do you find it? Figure out what you’re naturally good at — then double down on those abilities.
Turn your strengths into superpowers.
● Blistering speed
● Elite puck handling
● High-end playmaking IQ
● A lethal shot
● Vision under pressure
You don’t need five of these. You need one or two that are undeniable — the kind of skill that creates separation, shifts games, and makes you irreplaceable. THIS IS THE HACK.
Why This Works
● Your foundation makes you reliable
● Your edge makes you dangerous
That’s the combo. That’s what coaches and scouts look for. That’s how the best are built.
Stop chasing balance. Build your base — and double down on what makes you lethal.
What I Wish I Did Differently
If there’s one thing I’d go back and change about my development — it’s this:
I would’ve overdeveloped one high-level skill. I would’ve spent 70% of my time getting extremely good at one specific part of the game — something useful, valuable, and hard to replace.
Because here’s the truth:
Unless you’re a generational talent, your best ticket to the top is doing one thing better than almost anyone else. One skill that separates you.
You still need to be solid all-around — no glaring weaknesses. But if you bring one dominant skill to the table, higher levels will always find a spot for you.
Think:
● A one-timer sniper (Ovechkin)
● A puck-control machine
● A shutdown, mistake-free defenseman
● A next-level hockey IQ guy
It’s not the only thing that matters. But having that one dominant trait — something rare — skyrockets your stock. It gives you leverage. It creates opportunity.
You need to offer something that’s hard to replace.
When I was younger, I chased being “good at everything.” And while there’s nothing wrong with that, it spread my focus too thin. I missed the chance to double down on something that could’ve truly set me apart.
If you're not an all-around unicorn, you need a value skew.
You need to be unbalanced on purpose — and that’s not what most coaches or systems will tell you.
But it’s what works. And I wish I had known it earlier.