The Last Line of Defense
By Carlynn Claypool
Mar 11, 2025
Goalies can’t win hockey games by themselves. But they are crucial to the success of a hockey team. Adam Scheel is the newest addition to the Colorado Eagles goaltending unit. Since his first call-up to the Eagles, Scheel has started 11 games and has an 8-1-2 record.
Scheel has developed a winning mentality starting from when he learned to play goalie, so his older brothers had someone to shoot on, all the way to playing at the University of North Dakota.
“I mean, it’s just such a profound program. You look at all the guys that have come through there, the coaches, the coach staff there is amazing,” Scheel said. “They teach you how to be a pro, they teach you all the right habits, what to do on the ice, away from the rink, and they really teach you how to win. It’s a very winning culture there. You know, it’s pretty contagious, so just so proud to be an alumnus of that university.”
In his three years with the Fighting Hawks, Scheel put up a .915 save percentage with a high of .931 in his final season with the team. After that season, he finished the 2020-21 season with the Texas Stars. Scheel spent three years in the Stars organization, jumping between the AHL and the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. He helped take the Steelheads to the Kelly Cup Final in the 2022-23 season, which the team ultimately lost to the Florida Everblades.
“That year in Idaho was one of my favorite years of hockey. We had such a good team, so it was just an honor. It’s such a great organization there,” Scheel said. “I wish we would have won the whole thing, but still a lot of good things to look back on from that year.”
Every athlete has good games and bad games and games they wished turned out differently. That’s why it’s important for athletes to have strong mental games. Goalies are no exception, and they might even be the embodiment of athletes with strong mental games.
“I just try to live in the moment, really, it’s one of my biggest things. I just try to work as hard as I can and be a good teammate and usually the rest falls in line,” Scheel said. “There's always going to be ups and downs throughout a season and throughout each game. So, it’s really about finding that neutral ground, you know, kind of staying level, keeping that even keel mindset on.”
One tactic Scheel said he uses a lot is breath control. Having controlled breathing helps keep him in the game without overthinking. Breathwork is a big part of helping Scheel stay on top of his mental game when he’s on the ice, but another big part of helping him stay sharp mentally is his what he does post-game.
“It’s kind of just staying consistent. Having the same approach leaving the rink after a good game, after the best game, bad game, worst game,” Scheel said. “So, it’s really once you leave the rink, you kind of leave everything here, go home and I’ll talk to my girlfriend or whatnot, just do a bunch of things that make me happy and try to leave work at the office.”
Living in the moment - whether it’s on the ice or away from the rink - is a big part of staying mentally strong and at the end of the day, hockey is meant to be fun. Scheel says winning is the most fun part of hockey for him but advises goalies to just have fun playing the game, regardless of the outcome.
“Biggest thing I always tell kids is just have fun. As long as you’re having fun, the rest really takes care of itself,” Scheel said. “No need to put too much pressure on yourself, it’s a game, it’s a great game, it’s an awesome position and as long as kids are having fun, then it’s the best.”
