When the Prince George Cougars hired sports psychologist Dr. Saul Miller to help turn around a moribund franchise, they knew they could count on him to see them through some troubling times.
Considering they're up against the Kelowna Rockets tonight and Saturday at CN Centre, the difficult task of taking on one of the top major junior hockey teams in the country on successive nights wasn't lost on the Cougars management and the team's new ownership group.
They arranged for Miller to come to Prince George to spend this weekend with the players, knowing they'll need all the help they can get to defeat a stacked Rockets team that's lost just twice in 20 games this season.
For those who need a reminder, the Cougars hosted the Rockets on their opening weekend at home Sept. 26-27 and were blown out of both games, losing 7-2 and 8-2. Motivation won't be a problem for the Cougars. The challenge, says Miller, is convincing themselves they are good enough to beat the Rockets.
"If your goal is to be the best player you can be, whatever comes up you have to use it," said Miller. "If you don't use it, it can work against you. If you're playing one of the top teams in the country and you want to play at the highest level, that's exactly what you want. Either you compete well against them, which builds our sense of what we're capable of doing, or we see some elements in our we have to work on to be better. So bring them on. I love to play good teams because they challenge us to be our best."
The power of using key words, mental imagery and breathing exercises to help athletes get psyched up to perform at the highest level is not lost on Cougars head coach Mark Holick. He's known Miller since he was an assistant coach with the Langley Thunder of the BCHL and his work with Holick's South Surrey Eagles helped them win the 1998 Royal Bank Cup national junior A championship.
"I'm all for it, I think mental health is something that's taken for granted," said Holick. "If you get cancer, you're going to the doctor and if you need help between the ears, why not? Hockey players don't want to come in and talk to the coach, that's an old stigma that it's a sign of weakness, and we don't believe that here.
"It's by design that Saul's here. These are the big boys coming in and we want our guys in the right frame of mind. We want them focused and driven and to realize that there's no reason we can't compete and win a game of two this weekend."
Miller, a Vancouver resident originally from Montreal, has a PhD in clinical psychology and has worked extensively as a performance specialist the past 25 years with WHL and BCHL teams. He's helped pro athletes in the NHL, Major League Baseball, NBA, NFL, CFL, PGA, and European elite sport, and has worked with Canada's Olympic and national team programs. He gets hired as a corporate consultant, engaging employees in team-building exercises, and helps actors and musicians deal with the stress of their professions.
As the author of eight books on performance and well-being, Miller's latest work is Performing Under Pressure: Gaining the Mental Edge in Business and Sport. Through his website, hockeytough.com, Miller offers coaches tips on how to understand the mental side of hockey.
Before he joined the Cougars, Miller worked for nine seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers. Coached by Willie Desjardins, the Tigers endured five straight seasons of missing the playoffs got to the Eastern Conference final in 2003 the following season they were WHL champions.
The Cougars haven't made the playoffs since 2011 and Miller sees a similar turnaround coming. The local owners have invested money in the team, the fans are coming back to the rink, an experienced coaching/scouting staff is in place, and now it's up to the players to prove they can get the job done and take the team where it's never been before.
"What Willie Desjardins did in Medicine Hat every year at the start of the season was he said: 'We have two goals, to win a championships and for you to sign a pro contract.' -- those were very meaningful goals for guys who play hockey at the junior level, but the guys believed we had a chance," said Miller.
"Now [with the Cougars], we're saying we want you to go deep in the playoffs and we want you sign a pro contract. We're moving towards that goal to win it all."
Injuries, slumps, family troubles, an under-appreciating coach or a lack of icetime can negatively affect a player's attitude and Miller says it's up to the individual to rise above those obstacles.
"We have some talented guys here and they have to believe they can, and make that commitment," said Miller. "A lot of these guys know how to prepare physically, but what are they doing to get ready mentally. It's about attitude and it's about commitment. To be successful you have to have an intense passion for this game. You have to have a strong work ethic and you have to be able to deal with adversity. Mental toughness is that ability to stay focused on what you want, no matter what."
As part of the Cougars' New Ice Age mantra, Miller was introduced to the players in September at a three-day team-building retreat at the Educo Adventure Camp near 100 Mile House. Players broke off into groups and were given challenging physical tasks while competing against their teammates. One of their first exercises was to run through a marsh and using only a saw and a rope build a log raft to float across the lake. How they performed in those drills established a level of trust among the players and helped the coaches identify their captains.
"We wanted to send a message out that there's a new approach to it, a new page, and I think that's what the organization has been doing, and it takes time," said Miller. "You're a resource, and it's about really helping them to perform under pressure."
Miller will travel to Prince George for player consultations several times this season and also meets with the Cougars when they travel through Vancouver. Two months into the season, his methods appear to be working. Holick can see the difference Miller has made with 19-year-old defenceman Joseph Carvalho, who is showing his ability to jumpstart the offence, with nine assists in 19 games, a far cry from his 15-point pace through 65 games last season.
"He's been a huge help with turning Joe Carvalho's game around," said Holick. "Joe was struggling early and struggling with his identity and he speaks with Saul regularly on Skype and on the phone. He's available to meet with kids individually all the time.
"He's a huge part of our group and moving forward."
The Cougars will be missing two key veterans tonight. LW Chance Braid will have to sit out for one more game to complete a two-game suspension for his check from behind in Friday's game against Victoria which left Royals winger Jared Dmitriw with a concussion. D Marc McNulty remains sidelined with an upper-body injury he suffered last week in practice.
