Sam Jones Hockey Performance

Life & job update since stepping away from 9 years of professional hockey…

It wasn’t an easy decision. Hockey has taken me around the world, put me in locker rooms with incredible people, and taught me more about standards, accountability, and doing hard things than anything else ever could.

But the game gives you a window, and mine has closed after a number of concussion problems.

I’m excited to announce that I’ve joined as their Coordinator of Player Development & Training in Kelowna. I will be working within the On-Ice Development division, focusing on program quality, coach development, client experience, and building the systems that keep standards high.

I’m also grateful that RINK has been supportive of my continued involvement with — the company I co-founded with Noah Philp in Canmore, Alberta. What started as two guys on the ice has grown into a team of 10 staff delivering summer programs to serious young hockey players in the Bow Valley.

That work continues, and I’m proud to keep building it.

Hockey gave me everything. Now I get to give it back — on a bigger scale, with better systems, and with the same standard I held as a player.

When it comes to a situation like this, I don’t know what to say.

It’s sad to announce that I’m retiring from professional hockey.

After speaking with specialists, it’s believed I have cervicogenic vertigo—caused by disc problems in my neck. Unfortunately, there’s no way to fix the underlying issues, and my neck will continue to tighten up to protect the damaged discs, making the vertigo symptoms worse. There seems to be no path forward that keeps me playing.

I look at the last 8 years of pro hockey as bonus years. I had mentally quit at 20 years old. If it wasn’t for my now fiancée convincing me to play one more season in the UK and go to Swindon, none of this would have happened. I look back on these years grateful for what I’ve done.

Because of Tia, I’ve played 8 seasons of professional hockey. I’ve won a gold medal with Team GB, played against the best countries in the world in front of 19,000 fans, and won multiple trophies.

Every place I’ve played was a massive part of my journey.

Swindon made me fall in love with the game again.

Fife gave me a shot when no one else would.

Sheffield was the first place since I was 18 that truly felt like home. It’s where I grew from a boy into a man, where I overcame more challenges than I thought I was capable of, surrounded by people who felt like family. I ended my time there on the highest of highs with a group that had more resilience and overall character than I’d ever been a part of.

Brasov helped me build confidence and grow as a player and a person.

Despite my troubles, the Guildford Flames treated me with nothing but respect and understanding.

Belfast leaves a bitter taste. I only wish I could have done more. I’m thankful for my time here, but wish I was able to do more to help this group win trophies for an incredible fanbase.

This isn’t how I wanted it to end, but I’m excited for whatever this new chapter brings.

Thank you, hockey. ✌️ It’s been a pleasure.

This summer with .canmore was special.

Our first real year of running the program, and all of the hard work paid off. Over 100 athletes came through our three programs—and they all made the rink a place we looked forward to walking into each day.

To all the athletes—thank you. The effort, the attitude, the way you showed up day after day… you turned training into something way bigger than just icetimes and workouts.

Our elite program is one-of-a-kind. Not only do myself, , and Noah coach these athletes—we train alongside them. That respect goes both ways. They pushed us. They competed with us. They made us better as much as we made them better.

I couldn’t be prouder to bring this to the Bow Valley. This is home, This is community. And this is just the beginning. Next year—we’re coming back even bigger!

I lost 15 pounds my first year of junior hockey…

There were many factors behind it—but the third one was the most important.

I was always focused on eating only healthy foods. I thought I was helping myself, but in reality, I wasn’t.

The problem with playing an 80-game schedule is that it’s nearly impossible to get enough food in.

When you’re playing three times a week, that’s three times you’re burning 1,500–2,000 extra calories.

And on game days, players often eat less to avoid feeling weighed down. That leads to a massive calorie deficit every single game day… and those add up.

Is it better to eat 100% healthy foods all the time? Yes, of course.

But if a player needs to get 2,000 calories in after a game (and that’s on the low end), how realistic is it to do that with just chicken, rice, and vegetables?

I’ve adopted the rule that post-game, the goal is to get 1,000 calories from high-quality foods—and the rest can come from things I enjoy, even if they’re not the healthiest.

Eating enough food is far more important for athletic performance than eating only healthy foods.

80% of your diet should be high quality, but sometimes, calories are the priority—and it’s okay to eat less “clean” if it means getting enough fuel.

What do you think?

This past year was one of the hardest of my career… on paper.

I took the jump to play in Brașov—not knowing what to expect.

New country. New team. No guarantees.

After 3.5 months, I made the decision to leave. There were off-ice issues that didn’t sit right with me, and sometimes you have to draw a line.

I moved back to the UK and signed with Guildford.

Six games in, I took a hit that kept me out for three months.

Persistent concussion symptoms made life hard—mentally, physically, emotionally.

As I always say, you’ve got to have something outside of hockey that gives you purpose. Something to pour into when the game isn’t going well. But with a concussion, even that felt impossible.

At that point, all my energy went into recovery.
I worked with a concussion specialist and, thankfully, was able to return with 10 games left in the season—and finish strong.

Here’s the truth: the same tools I give my athletes were the ones that got me through:

✅ Journaling when my head wasn’t clear
✅ Focusing only on what I could control
✅ Resetting daily intentions instead of chasing outcomes
✅ Treating rehab like my full-time job
✅ Staying connected instead of isolating

When things felt chaotic, I leaned on routine.

When doubt crept in, I leaned on presence.

That’s not just mental training—that’s mental conditioning. And like physical strength, it’s built one rep at a time.

I’m proud of the year I had—not just because of how I played when I did, but because of what I worked through to get there.

Five years ago, I wouldn’t have handled this the same way. I would’ve spiraled, shut down, and struggled daily.

This year was proof that the mindset work I preach actually works. And when you’ve got the tools, the setbacks don’t break you—they build you.

If you’re trying to build a career in this game, developing your mindset isn’t optional.
It’s non-negotiable.

Comment NEXT LEVEL to start training to move well on the ice, rather than just to lift heavy…

If your body moves like a robot, it’s not a grind issue—it’s a neuromuscular one.

Hockey is a reactive, multi-directional sport that demands coordinated joint sequencing and motor variability. Yet most players still train in fixed patterns with zero intent to adapt.

- You’re reinforcing stiffness.
- You’re limiting motor learning.
- And you’re slowing your ability to express power in unpredictable scenarios.

Fluidity isn’t soft. It’s high-level control.

If your training doesn’t include:
— Open-chain patterns
— Reaction-based drills
— Variability under fatigue

…then don’t expect it to transfer when the game gets chaotic.

The goal isn’t just to get stronger.
The goal is to move with purpose and react under pressure.

Earn the right to move freely.

I trained like a machine my second year pro… but on the ice? I played tight. Hesitant. Overthinking every shift.

The truth is, strength and conditioning means very little if your mindset isn’t locked in.

✅ I wasn’t playing to win—I was playing not to screw up
✅ I let coaches, ice time, and stats control my confidence
✅ I didn’t have a system to build mental toughness

If your training’s elite but your game still feels off…

It’s time to train your mind like your body.