About

Bloodline Hockey

The Bloodline

Philosophy

For players to reach their full potential, they must make mental conditioning an integral part of their training regimen. By increasing awareness, harnessing your instincts, developing the right habits, and conditioning your mind, you will reach peak performance as an athlete and a person.

The Bloodline

Mission

Our mission is to enable good hockey players to become great players by unleashing their true potential through mental conditioning training.

Our Team

Vinny Malts

Founder / Coach

Who We Work With

Chicago Blackhawks

Danbury Hattricks

Roger Neilson Coaching Clinic

Our Services

mindSET Method ™

Private Coaching

Keynote Speaking

Team/Organization Consulting

Testimonials

Follow Us

What pisses me off about leadership🤔 Watching

What pisses me off about leadership🤔

Watching leaders practice artificial #leadership

Lead by doing what you do.
Not by saying what to do.

It’s as simple as that💯

#play4THATfeeling

#MyHIGH5 🖐️ Before you build any habit, you

#MyHIGH5 🖐️

Before you build any habit, you have to KNOW why it matters to you.

Not what someone else says you need — but what you know from experience, from evidence, from your own truth.

💧 Nutrients: What fuel do YOU KNOW actually helps you feel and think better?

😴 Rest: How much sleep do YOU KNOW you truly need to perform and recover?

📚 Studies: What kind of learning do YOU KNOW sharpens your focus or builds your confidence?

🏒 Skills: What specific skill do YOU KNOW you need to practice each day to keep it sharp?

🤝 Relationships: Who do YOU KNOW brings out your best when you’re around them?

These five are your daily #mindset anchors.

Start by identifying one truth you know in each area — then build from there.

Own your #habit process 👀🧠

It’s as simple as that

#play4THATfeeling

If you truly want to lead—start by learning how

If you truly want to lead—start by learning how to lead yourself.

One of the core frameworks we teach our players and coaches is simple:

Questions → Stories → Conversations

Here’s what that looks like in action:

💭 1. What’s an important question you’re asking yourself right now?
Player: “Why am I not on the power play?”
Coach: “Why aren’t my players responding the way I hoped?”
Parent: “Why is my kid not enjoying the game this year?”

🧠 2. What story are you telling yourself—and what belief is it creating?
Player: “I’m not good enough.”
Coach: “They just don’t get it.”
Parent: “Something must be wrong with the environment.”

🗣 3. Go have a conversation for clarity.
Player: “Coach, can we talk about how I can earn more opportunity?”
Coach: “What are you experiencing in your role right now?”
Parent: “Can we connect on how my kid is adjusting to the team?”

This isn’t about overthinking—it’s about learning how to think clearly.
Because most people won’t clarify things for you the way you wish they would.

YOUR thought process is your RESPONSIBILITY #iykyk

The world moves fast. Most leaders are overwhelmed.

So what if, instead of waiting to be led,
you practiced leading yourself?

What if the greatest gift you could give to any team…
was becoming the kind of person who seeks clarity—
through honest questions, real stories, and courageous conversations?

That’s #mindset work.
That’s #leadership
And that’s how #trust gets built from the inside out.

It’s as simple as that

#play4THATfeeling

When I first started my journey as a mindset perfo

When I first started my journey as a mindset performance coach, I often felt alone in the hockey world. Some of my closest friends thought I had lost my mind, and many people I respected in the hockey world didn’t understand what I was doing…which is still the case with some to this day lol

But just over nine years ago, this opportunity with Coach Dan Muse gave me the confidence, strength, and belief I needed to stay the course. Dan is one of the most generous, thoughtful, and detailed human beings I’ve met in the hockey world. He’s an extraordinary leader, and it’s no surprise he’s now the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

We all need those moments in life — when someone we respect speaks belief into us — to help us keep walking the path we feel called to.

This short clip from that time literally changed my life. I’ll always be grateful to Dan for the conversations we’ve had over the years, and to @chenzo17 for being one of the first coaches to believe in me to make this moment possible🙏❤️ #iykyk

One of my favorite #tbt

Huge congrats to @danmuse12 and the @penguins on a great hire💯

#play4THATfeeling

Most players train skills without ever solving the

Most players train skills without ever solving the real problem.

In this video, I break down why your practice habits might not be translating to the game — and how to fix it. It starts with one question:

What’s actually getting in your way?

We use the IDO Protocol — a practical model grounded in performance psychology and motor learning science — to help our players bridge that game-to-training gap:

👀 IDENTIFY

What outcome do you want in games?

What constraint do you believe is limiting your performance (not just what others think)?

This taps into self-regulated learning — the real foundation of lasting growth.

Confidence?
Emotional shifts under pressure?
Subtle movement breakdowns?
Know your constraint.

🎯 DIRECT

Build reps and environments that reflect those exact constraints.

• Try embodied cues (e.g., stick your tongue out to simulate confidence)
• Examine how your movement patterns shift under pressure
• Face opponents who stress your timing or decision-making

This is how you create contextual interference and apply a constraints-led approach that mirrors real competition.

🧠 OWN

Test it. Track it. Feel it.

This is about building belief through real-world feedback — not someone telling you, but you experiencing it.
That’s where confidence lives: in evidence, not just hope.

Use this framework this offseason. Train the belief, not just the behavior.

Have a question about this process?

Ask below and I’ll answer within 24 hours, so others can learn from our conversation.

Most leaders say they value self-awareness — but

Most leaders say they value self-awareness — but they still make it about themselves.

The emotional cost? Disconnection. Blame. Confusion in the locker room.

A lot of coaches double down on communication techniques or mindset tools… but miss the core truth:

Self-awareness isn’t about managing yourself — it’s about owning your impact on others 👀🧠

Ask yourself: “What did my behavior just teach them about how to follow?”

This is the kind of shift we’re diving deep into inside the Roger Neilson Coaches Leadership Program — and why it’s not your typical leadership clinic.

You did not know a single player on this team…
…and you made friends.

You played at a level you never played before…
…and you held your own.

You were open to some new coaching…
…and you were rewarded.

You were hesitant and weren’t sure if you belonged…
…and you became a #champion

Great effort this weekend Buh Buh❤️

You and the boys played hard💯

Back to work tomorrow #iykyk

Legendary pic with one of the 🐐’s of the game

Legendary pic with one of the 🐐’s of the game🤩

Great seeing you as always @kfraserthecall 🙏❤️)))

#givingback

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