Play with a Code: Why Personal Standards Matter More Than Scoreboards

Late in the 2014 season, the LA Kings were fighting for a playoff spot. They weren’t blowing teams out. They weren’t on highlight reels. But one thing separated them—consistency. Drew Doughty, their defensive anchor, had a saying: “You don’t wait for the game to come to you. You play your way, every shift.” He wasn’t talking about strategy—he was talking about standards. The Kings had a code. They played with it regardless of who they faced. They ended that season lifting the Cup.

Scoreboards lie. Stats fluctuate. But your personal code—your internal standard of how you show up—never wavers. In a sport filled with unpredictability, the most grounded hockey players are the ones who play by a personal code, not by emotion, outcome, or approval.

1. External validation is fleeting. Internal standards are permanent.

One game you’re on the first line, the next you’re benched. One week you’re scoring, the next you’re snake-bitten. Chasing validation—from coaches, fans, or the scoreboard—creates inconsistency. You start performing for approval, not performance.

A 2019 study in The Journal of Sport Behavior found that athletes who relied primarily on external feedback (like praise, awards, or stats) were less resilient and more likely to experience burnout. But those who developed intrinsic goals and self-defined standards showed higher satisfaction and stronger long-term performance.

The takeaway? Play for something deeper than results. Play to meet your code.

2. A personal code brings clarity in chaos.

Hockey gets messy fast. You get scored on. Emotions spike. Teams chirp. Momentum swings. The player who doesn’t have an internal anchor gets dragged by the current. The player who has a code? They don’t flinch. Their behavior doesn’t change when the pressure hits.

Your code might be:

– Always outwork the guy across from you.

– Win every puck battle, regardless of the score.

– Never let effort drop, even in garbage time.

– Be a player teammates trust when it matters.

It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being grounded. When everything around you goes sideways, your code is your compass.

3. Identity is built in the gap between emotion and action.

Most players react. Great players respond. That difference lives in the gap between what you feel and what you choose to do.

You feel frustrated—your code says to stay composed.

You feel tired—your code says to take the extra stride.

You feel invisible—your code says to lead anyway.

That gap is where identity is formed. And it’s forged through repetition. When you act in line with your code, regardless of how you feel, you hardwire a tougher, sharper, more consistent version of yourself.

4. Your code outlasts slumps, setbacks, and success.

Form slumps come and go. Confidence rises and falls. Even success can be disorienting. But your code? That stays. It’s what keeps you steady through a long season, a cold streak, or a playoff run.

One of the biggest mental traps athletes fall into is situational identity—letting their performance dictate their self-worth. But if your identity is tied to your code, not your stat line, you stay dangerous. You’re not fragile. You’re not riding highs and lows. You’re steady. And in hockey, steady wins.

Final Thoughts

Anyone can play hard when the lights are on and the puck is bouncing their way. But who are you on a Tuesday night in February, down two goals, after a bad shift? That’s when your code shows up—or doesn’t.

Scoreboards will forget you. But your habits won’t. Your character won’t. Your code will shape everything—on and off the ice.

Play by it. Protect it. And let it be louder than the noise around you.

Next Steps

Want to build an unshakable mindset rooted in consistency and purpose? Subscribe to the Built by Discipline podcast. We unpack how hockey players can live by a personal code and rise above the chaos—one shift at a time.