[sureLoss]

http://olympic.ca/2014/05/30/mental-...uting-combine/

Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving takes a break from a day of interviews at the NHL Scouting Combine. He and his staff spent part of the day assessing two goaltenders. They are trying to figure out exactly what these young men are made of, mentally.

“I think it’s at the forefront for each team. It’s something we pay a great deal of time and attention to,” says Treliving who lists some of the character traits his group is looking to measure. Coachability, work ethic, response to success or failure, drive. Each trait forms the basis of excellent mental performance, which is critical in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. “We do have some tools through sport psychology, through certain questionnaires, certain testing we feel gives us a clear picture. We’re constantly evolving, I say we’re closing the gap,” he says.

It’s no secret why of the six days at the NHL Scouting Combine, five are devoted to 1-on-1 player interviews and one is left for fitness testing. “The mental aspect of the sport is 90 percent of it,” says Treliving. “Physical deficiencies can be addressed,” but he indicates mental skills can’t be so easily tweaked.

Treliving admits hockey is catching up when it comes to the emphasis placed on what is under the helmet. “Mental performance and mental capacity are things that in recent years we’re trying to get a better handle on. It would be ignorant for me to say we 100% without a flaw have a way of predicting the answers to all the questions we have when evaluating the mental side of the game. But we do feel we can make decisions based on the information we ascertain,” he comments.

A little smoke Flames will take a goalie this year.