How I Found A New Way To Give Back To The Game
The story of an injury, a forgotten role, and the people who change the game without ever playing it.
Most players never think about this question:
What do you give back to the game… after it’s done giving to you?
I didn’t either.
What's up y’all ! Draps here.
I co-create The Inner Rink—a weekly practice about the psychology of performance, discipline, and greatness—on and off the ice.
I’m a pro hockey player turned writer and mentor—here to be the guy I wish I had when I was chasing the dream.
This one’s a little different.
Not a system.
Not a breakdown.
A real moment. Real moments.
Real experiences that taught me real lessons.
Not about hockey, about life.
This is where today’s practice begins.
When Everything Slowed Down
I tore my ACL.
And for the first time in my life…
hockey stopped.
Not for a week. Not for a couple games.
For 11 months.
Here’ a clip of the shift I Tore my ACL. We scored a goal two seconds after I made it the bench. If I stay down on the ice, ref blows the whistle, play dead. But I get up, hobble to the bench, coincidentally we score a goal. Think about that. That is The Inner Rink. That’s a PlayerMaker. I didn’t make a sick behind the back sauce pass or snipe bar down. I just got up. I wasn’t even a part of the play that created the goal yet I was a huge part in creating that outcome. That’s a hockey player. I don’t play hockey.
If you’ve ever been injured, you know what that does to you.
You go from moving every day…
to sitting still.
You go from chasing something…
to thinking about everything.
That’s where things start to change
The Question That Changed Everything
During that time, I started asking myself something I had never really thought about before:
How am I going to give back to the game?
Because hockey had already given me everything.
Discipline.
Structure.
Confidence.
Lessons I didn’t even realize I was learning.
But I also knew something else.
When I was done playing…
I was done.
No coaching.
No training players.
No staying around just to stay around.
So that left me with a real question:
If I’m not giving back the traditional way… what does that look like?
Where the Idea Came From
Somewhere in that stillness…
the idea hit me.
What if I could take everything the game taught me…
and turn it into stories?
Not highlights or stats.
But what the game actually teaches you.
That’s where Joe’s Icy Adventure came from.
Building Something I Never Planned
Over the next couple months, I built it out.
Three books.
A full series.
Published on Amazon.
And to be honest…
I never saw myself as an author.
That wasn’t the plan.
But this felt right.
This felt real.
It wasn’t about writing books.
It was about creating something that could reach kids anywhere—
and connect them to the game the way I experienced it.
Through lessons.
Through moments.
Through story.
Then Something Came Back
Months later…
after we won a championship…
another story came back to me.
One I couldn’t ignore.
Trevor.
He never scored a goal.
Never had a shift.
Never stepped on the ice during a game.
But he was one of the most important people in the locker room.
And everyone in that room knew it.
That’s when it hit me:
Some people don’t play the game…
but they change everything about it.
🧠 The Inner Rink Realization
Some of the most important people in hockey…
aren’t the ones scoring goals.
They’re the ones behind the scenes.
The ones shaping the room.
The ones stabilizing everything.
The ones making everyone else better.
That’s an Inner Rink role.
Not assigned.
Chosen.
📖 Where This Turned Into Something Bigger
I couldn’t let that story stay in a locker room.
So I turned it into something a kid could hold.
Something they could grow up with.
📖 The Coolest Player I Never Played With
If this hit you…
you’ll feel it even more when you read it.
🌍 Beyond the Rink
This isn’t just hockey.
It’s about recognizing the people who shape you.
The ones who don’t get credit…
but the ones you never forget.
🪞 Reader Reflection
Think about your own life. Who was that person for you?
The one who made everything feel steady…without ever asking for recognition?
🔁 Share This
If someone came to mind while reading this…
send this to them.
They probably never heard how much they mattered.
Final Thought
Some teammates change games.
Others change people.
I thought I’d be done with hockey one day.
But in a way…
this is how I’m still part of it.
That’s The Inner Rink.
Thank yourself for showing up to practice today.
Train your mind the same way you train your body.
I’ll see you next time.
— Joe Drapluk
“The guy I wish I had when I was chasing the dream.”
DISCLAIMER
The Inner Rink shares educational content for athletes and readers interested in performance psychology, mindset, and discipline. It is not intended as medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. Always seek guidance from a qualified health care professional regarding your specific questions and individual situation.