Bratt spoke to Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek about his mental coach's positive influence throughout his career.

"I don't know if I would have been here, playing for the Devils, if it had not been my work with Andy."

New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt has come a long way since that interview with Tim Wharnsby in October 2017.

Since then, the 25-year-old has played 389 career NHL games and earned 276 points (102 goals, 174 assists). During the 2021-22 campaign, he led his team with 73 points, reaching that point total for a second consecutive season in 2022-23.

During a 32 Thoughts: The Podcast interview, Bratt spoke about the importance of working with mental skills coach Andy Sward. The two began their professional relationship in 2017, the summer before the winger made the Devils roster.

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"That summer, I got in contact with him. He worked with a lot of the Swedish league goalies," Bratt said. "My agent brought me in to meet up with him, and as soon as I met (Sward), it all clicked for me."

Bratt is one of many NHL players who works with a mental skills coach. Washington Capitals forward Anthony Mantha shared his experience in an interview with THN's Sammi Silber.

"This is the best game, but sometimes the hardest, you know? ... It's making commitments, making decisions, making goals. So short-term, yes, there are some things you can improve, but it's mostly long-term that the effect actually comes in," Mantha said to Silber.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas is another player who spoke about the benefits of working with a mental skills coach.

"At least half of the game is in your head, I feel like," he said in an interview with Elliotte Friedman. "If you're mentally prepared, I feel like that makes a big difference, and that's one of the things I tried to change before last season, and I feel like it's one of the reasons why I had a good season because I was mentally ready for every game."

One thing that Bratt has implemented into his routine since his first meeting with Sward is writing in a journal. It is something that has since become a permanent part of his regimen. The journals include how the forward prepares himself before the game and how he takes care of himself.

"I write journals before and after every single game," he said. "I've done (this) since my first ever preseason game."

"We have a piece of paper with a bunch of questions that I answer before and after every game." Bratt continued. "At (Sward's) office, he has six books, which is from every single season that I've played, one book for each season."

The mental aspect of the game is rarely spoken about. Throughout an 82-game schedule, an athlete will face adversities and deal with emotional highs and lows. A player's self-confidence can fluctuate from shift to shift and will ebb and flow throughout the season. 

Bratt said things clicked for him after meeting with Sward, who helped change his mindset. His work with Sward paid off as Bratt signed an eight-year contract worth $63,000,000 this summer.

"I think he does an amazing job," said Bratt. "I don't think I would have been close to the position where I am right now if it wasn't for him."