MAX Hockey

The puck carrier is cutting across the crease, they have a small opening to get across, your goalie goes to cut off that option….

…and swing and a miss! Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars probably wants that goal back.

The poke check is a great tool for your goalie when the play gets in close. Concealing it as a surprise, it’ll catch the puck carrier off guard and ruin the potential shot or play.

When your goalie is lazy with the poke-check, their five hole tends to open up as they lunge with their stick and their blocker side is now committed to the play. With the stick already displayed in the poke-check position, the puck carrier can see the obstacle and plan accordingly. Thrusting the stick out when your goalie is ready to strike will keep an element of surprise and make it more of an attack at the puck rather than a sweep.

If your goalie’s stick is already exposed to eliminate a passing lane and they are in the position to sweep at the puck, coach them to have the paddle perpendicular to the ice, not slicing it as seen above. It’s a good idea to practice potential scenarios with your goalie where they may poke or sweep at the puck. Also practice when they need to let go of their stick to follow the play, freeing up the blocker side.

Keep an eye out for a Goalie Coach Knowledge post on when and how to use the poke check. It will cover more in depth the technical side of the poke check. But keep thinking for now, the different ways the stick can be used to disrupt plays.