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RSS Feed Hockey IQ Talk with Albe: How Playmaker Mode Teaches Players to Read the Ice
Key Takeaways
- Hockey IQ is not just an innate trait; it can be actively trained and developed through proper repetition and cognitive exercises.
- Albe Alberts joins Lee Elias to discuss how pre-scanning and identifying cues on the ice allow players to make faster, better decisions before receiving the puck.
- NHL Sense Arena's Playmaker Mode uses realistic hockey scenarios to place skaters and goalies in game-like situations that challenge them to recognize pressure, open space, and passing options.
- The primary goal of modern hockey IQ training is to teach players what to look for and how to find the answers themselves rather than simply telling them where to go.
- Because the puck will always move faster than the players, developing the 'muscle memory of the mind' gives skaters a massive advantage as they advance to faster levels of the game.
🧠 Can hockey IQ actually be trained—or are some players simply born with it?
In this edition of Hockey IQ Talk with Albe, Lee Elias and Andrew “Albe” Alberts go beyond individual hockey IQ concepts and tackle the bigger question: How do players actually train their brains to see the ice, recognize options, and make better decisions?
The answer starts with three foundational skills: scanning, reading the play, and identifying cues.
Albe takes us behind the scenes of NHL Sense Arena’s Playmaker Mode, a new training experience designed to place skaters and goalies inside realistic hockey scenarios, pause the action at critical moments, and challenge them to identify teammates, pressure, open ice, threats, support options, and the best available play.
Instead of simply telling players what to do, the training asks them to see it for themselves.
🎧 In this episode:
🧠 Why hockey IQ can be taught and developed
👀 How scanning and pre-scanning change what players see
🏒 Why identifying teammates, pressure, space, and support matters
⚡ How players can learn to make faster decisions before receiving the puck
🎮 How Playmaker Mode creates game-like decision-making reps
🔄 Why hockey IQ training requires repetition just like skating or shooting
📈 How scenarios can be adjusted for different ages and skill levels
🥅 How goalies can train scanning, threats, depth, angles, and backdoor awareness
🧩 Why traditional practice cannot always recreate every five-on-five decision
🚨 How feedback after a wrong decision can become part of the learning process
💭 Why “muscle memory of the mind” matters as players get older
🏎️ How speeding up decision-making can prepare players for faster levels of hockey
One of the biggest takeaways is that the puck will always move faster than the players.
As the level rises, players skate faster and plays develop quicker—but the players who can process information earlier have an enormous advantage.
If you can scan before you receive the puck, recognize your options, identify pressure, and already have several possible decisions in your head, you are playing one step ahead.
And that is what hockey IQ development is all about.
The goal is not to tell players the answer.
It is to teach them what to look for, when to look for it, and how to make the decision themselves.
#OurKidsPlayHockey #HockeyIQ #HockeyIQTalk #AndrewAlberts #SenseArena #PlaymakerMode #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyTraining #HockeySkills #HockeyDecisionMaking
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can hockey IQ actually be trained in youth hockey players?
Yes, hockey IQ can be systematically developed by training players in scanning, reading the play, and recognizing visual cues on the ice.
What is Playmaker Mode in NHL Sense Arena?
Playmaker Mode is a virtual reality training experience that pauses realistic hockey scenarios to challenge skaters and goalies to identify teammates, pressure, and the best available play.
How does Albe Alberts suggest players can make faster decisions on the ice?
Players can speed up their decision-making by practicing pre-scanning before receiving the puck so they already have several options in mind.
Who hosts the Our Kids Play Hockey podcast episode on Hockey IQ?
The episode is hosted by Lee Elias alongside guest Andrew "Albe" Alberts, discussing advanced player development and cognitive training.