How to Set Goals for the Season Ahead

The tryouts are done, the teams are made, and a new season is here. Whether you’re wearing the jersey you dreamed of or adjusting to a different path, one thing is true for every player: your season is what you make of it.

The best way to take control of your hockey journey is to set clear, meaningful goals. Even the world’s best players, from Sidney Crosby to Hilary Knight, set goals every season to stay focused and keep improving. Here’s how players (and parents) can do the same.

1. Focus on What You Can Control

It’s tempting to set goals like “score 20 goals” or “make the top line,” but those aren’t always in your control. The pros know this, too.

• Sidney Crosby has said his goal every year is simple: “get a little bit better in at least one area.” That’s why he’s as competitive in practice as he is in a game, because he controls his effort, habits, and attitude every day.

  
  

For young players, goals could be:

• Finish every drill with full effort.

• Stretch before bed three nights a week.

• Encourage a teammate at every practice.

  
  

When you focus on controllable goals, the results often take care of themselves.

Sidney Crosby at practice with the Pittsburgh Penguins

2. Set Skill-Based Goals

Every player, even the best in the world, picks specific skills to target.

• Connor McDavid is already an MVP, but each offseason he chooses one skill to sharpen. One year it was faceoffs, another year it was his shot release. He treats the smallest details as big opportunities.

  
  

Players can do the same:

• Improve your shot release speed.

• Be more confident carrying the puck under pressure.

• Win more puck battles along the boards.

  
  

Pick two or three skills, write them down, and revisit them during the season.

Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers

3. Think Beyond the Ice

Hockey isn’t just about shifts and stat sheets. The best players also set goals for how they lead and how they help their team.

• Hilary Knight sets performance goals, but she also sets goals around leadership, being the teammate who lifts others up and a role model for younger players.

• Marie-Philip Poulin is known as “Captain Clutch” for her big goals, but ask her what matters most and she’ll talk about communication, preparation, and setting the standard for her team.

  
  

For youth players, these goals could be:

• Be the first one ready in the dressing room.

• Include new teammates and help them feel welcome.

• Keep up with schoolwork during the season.

  
  

These kinds of goals build not just better hockey players, but stronger people.

Marie-Philip Poulin & Hillary Knight

4. Parents: Be Goal Supporters, Not Goal Setters

Parents have an important role to play. Instead of creating goals for your child, ask open-ended questions to help them decide what matters most:

• “What do you want to get better at this season?”

• “How do you want to help your team?”

• “What’s one thing you can control that will make you proud?”

  
  

When goals come from the player, they carry more meaning and last longer.

5. Write It Down and Revisit

A goal that stays in your head often gets lost. The pros don’t just think about their goals, they track them, write them down, and check in throughout the year.

Players can do the same. Write your goals on a piece of paper, stick them in your hockey bag, or tape them to your wall. At the end of each month, revisit them to see what’s working and what needs adjusting.

Final Word

Every season is a fresh start. No matter what team you’re on, goals turn hopes into action. They give every practice and game a purpose. Just like Crosby, McDavid, Knight, and Poulin, you don’t need to set out to be perfect, just better than yesterday.

This season, set your goals, chase them, and make every shift count.