Story Summary
Mike Condon has built a second career in mental performance counselling, drawing on the challenges he experienced during four NHL seasons and the conversations that changed his direction as a coach.
The former Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators goaltender now owns Condon Performance Consulting, working with athletes after completing a master’s degree in counselling psychology and sport psychology in May 2025.
Condon played 129 NHL games from 2015-19, posting a 45-58-17 record, a 2.79 goals-against average, a .905 save percentage and six shutouts. He said the mental demands of games were difficult throughout his career, despite the reward and drive he found in competing.
His move towards counselling took shape while he was Northeastern University’s goalie coach from 2021-23. Conversations with goaltenders, including Devon Levi, regularly extended far beyond technical instruction. That persuaded Condon to pursue formal training rather than rely solely on his experience as a player and coach.
Key Facts
- Mike Condon played 129 NHL games across four seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators from 2015-19.
- Condon finished his NHL career with a 45-58-17 record, 2.79 goals-against average,.905 save percentage and six shutouts.
- He was Northeastern University’s goalie coach for two seasons, from 2021-23.
- While coaching at Northeastern, Condon found that planned short conversations with goaltenders could become lengthy discussions extending beyond technique.
- Condon earned a master’s degree in counselling psychology and sport psychology from Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education and Human Development in May 2025.
- He now owns Condon Performance Consulting and works as a mental performance counsellor for athletes.
- Condon appeared as a featured speaker at the 2026 National Goaltending Symposium in Boston in August.
IHM Discussion
Condon’s account is notable because it does not present mental performance as a neat add-on to technical coaching. His route into the field came through recognising that discussions about goaltending could quickly become discussions about pressure, identity and the strain athletes carry away from the rink.
He described a playing career in which the game itself often felt harder to enjoy than practice, and in which a win could bring relief rather than celebration. Condon also said the struggle did not automatically disappear when his playing career ended. Those experiences gave him a personal reason to understand the subject more deeply, but he chose formal study alongside that lived experience.
That distinction matters. Condon said returning to school required him to set aside assumptions, learn established approaches and listen to people with extensive counselling experience. His current work is therefore rooted both in his knowledge of hockey’s competitive environment and in specialist education.
He also stressed the importance of trust in the relationship between athlete and counsellor. For Condon, the value is not confined to a particular theory or pre-game routine; it is the ability to give someone a genuine, supportive conversation in which they can speak openly.
Why It Matters
Goaltenders occupy a particularly exposed role. Every goal is visible, results can alter a player’s immediate standing, and the position demands repeated recovery from difficult moments. Condon’s own experience does not define that of every NHL player, but it illustrates why support cannot be reduced to telling an athlete to be tougher or more resilient.
His comments also place mental performance within the wider demands of hockey life. Players must continue to perform while managing family events, relationships and the ordinary pressures that do not stop when a schedule becomes intense. Condon said the modern hockey environment can place young players on demanding pathways earlier, with more choices, investment and expectation around their development.
By moving from goalie coaching to counselling, Condon has taken a role that may help athletes address those pressures in a setting separate from selection decisions and on-ice evaluation.
Mini Q&A
What is Mike Condon doing now?
Condon owns Condon Performance Consulting and works as a mental performance counsellor for athletes.
What were Mike Condon’s NHL statistics?
In 129 NHL games from 2015-19, Condon went 45-58-17 with a 2.79 goals-against average, a .905 save percentage and six shutouts.
How did Condon move into mental performance work?
His lengthy conversations with goaltenders while coaching at Northeastern University prompted him to pursue further education. He earned a master’s degree in counselling psychology and sport psychology in May 2025.
Coach Mark Comment
The important coaching lesson is that technical work can sometimes be the doorway to a wider conversation. Condon’s experience at Northeastern showed that a discussion which begins with glove position or preparation may reveal a player who needs to talk about much more than mechanics. Coaches do not need to become counsellors, but they should recognise when the conversation has moved beyond instruction and when a trusted specialist may be valuable.
IHM Final View
Mike Condon’s post-playing path is grounded in both candour and preparation. He has not simply recast his NHL career as a qualification; he has added formal study to the perspective gained from competing, coaching and confronting his own difficulties. His work reflects a growing recognition that performance and wellbeing are closely connected, while preserving the need for qualified, trusted support.