Social Media for Hockey Players: Protect Your Name and Build It

Social media can help a hockey player get noticed, and it can just as easily cost them an opportunity. Coaches, scouts, teams and schools may look at a player’s public accounts, and posts stay around long after the moment passes. Here is how to make it work for you.

Start with a clean-up

Before you build anything, review what is already there.

• Scroll through old posts, photos, comments and the posts you are tagged in.
• Remove or archive anything you would not want a coach, general manager or future teammate to read.
• Check your followers and the accounts you follow, and your profile photo and bio.
• Remember that screenshots exist. Deleting a post helps, but it does not erase it.

You are responsible for what you post, whenever you posted it.

Think before you post

A simple test: would you be comfortable if your coach, a recruiter and your parents all read it? If not, do not post it.

• Do not criticize teammates, coaches, officials, opponents or your own team.
• Do not post about trades, injuries, contracts or offers before they are official.
• Keep jokes, group chats and heated moments private.
• Avoid sharing your location, school schedule or home address.

Build a hockey profile

You do not need to post every day. A few things done well are enough.

• A clear bio. Your name, position, team and league, graduation year, and an email address for coaches.
• Video. A short highlight reel or a few strong clips, easy to find and kept up to date.
• Training and effort. Clips from practice, the gym and off-ice work show commitment.
• The rest of you. School, volunteering and teamwork show coaches the person as well as the player.

Some players keep a public hockey account and a private personal account. That can work, but remember that anything on either account can be shared.

Contacting coaches and teams

If you message a coach, keep it short, polite and specific. Say who you are, your position, your graduation year and your team, and include a link to your video. Write to programs you actually care about, not everyone at once.

Rules about when and how college coaches can contact players, and when players can reply, vary by division and change over time. Check the current NCAA recruiting calendar, and see our college hockey roadmap. Parents should be involved, especially for younger players.

Follow team and league rules

Many teams, leagues and schools have social media policies. Read yours, and follow it. It may limit what you can post about games, travel, teammates or sponsors.

Stay safe

• Be careful with direct messages from people you do not know. Fake scouts and agents exist, and some ask for money or personal details.
• Do not pay anyone to “get you noticed” without checking who they are.
• Keep passwords private, and use two-step login where it is offered.
• Parents of younger players should know which accounts exist and who is messaging them.

Common mistakes

• Posting in anger after a game or a decision.
• Leaving old posts and tags up without checking them.
• Sending the same message to dozens of programs.
• Sharing news that is not yet official.
• Replying to unknown accounts that offer opportunities.

How GSM can help

Building a personal brand is part of how we help players, and we can talk through how you present yourself online and how to approach programs and teams. To talk about your situation, submit a profile or call 1-888-300-0476.