The two skills that determine if you can play college hockey

Why vision and first touch unlock everything else in your game

Earlier this month, I outlined five underrated skills that separate college recruits from club players.

Today, I’m breaking down the two most fundamental: vision and first touch.

These aren’t just important skills. They’re the foundation that determines whether every other skill in your game can function at the college level.

Why they matter more than the others

You can’t communicate effectively if you don’t know what’s happening around you.

You can’t complete your next action on the ball if your first touch puts you under immediate pressure.

You can’t move without the ball effectively if you can’t see the space to lead into.

Vision and first touch unlock everything else. Without them, the other three skills become exponentially harder.

The vision sequence: Prescan → Receive → Scan

Elite players follow a consistent, three-part sequence every time they’re about to get the ball.

Below, I’ll dig into each one in detail with video examples, look at how it all comes together in the game, and share ways to train it.