MAX Hockey

Your goalie has those big, cushiony pads, why can’t they just stay down on the ice the whole time, and just flop around like a fish?

Let’s start off with a video below on Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks working with legendary goalie coach Ian Clark.

So what did you notice during all those drills, a lot of footwork? Thatcher Demko is constantly moving on his feet and when he’s moving in the butterfly position he’s utilizing strong edges to move quickly and precisely. His footwork, his ability to use inside and outside edges is allowing him to move where he needs to be and make the save.

An extreme example, but a good video demonstration of when a goalie can’t move on their feet. Darcy Kuemper of the Colorado Avalanche looked like a fish out of water without his blade, he could not move to make a simple save.

But how does your goalie get better? You might roll your eyes at this, but it’s simple, practice. Keep practicing the basics. Even at the NHL level, goalies are practicing the simple movements constantly to remain a consistent goalie. Shuffle, t-push and c-cuts. Keyword is “consistent“, another topic for another day, but it’s one of the most important aspects of goaltending.

No crazy, outlandish drills in Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens’ practice. And some excellent drills to copy as well. Everything is fluid and not rushed so the goalie can focus on fundamentals. Footwork was apart of every drill.

If your goalie is new to skating, or new to the position and struggling to move. Simple skating drills similar to player skating, without their pads on, may help them get more comfortable on their edges. The goalie position works from the ground up. Edges first and everything else will follow.

Hopefully you’ve found this article helpful and motivational to get back out there with your goalie. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks for reading!