USA Hockey Magazine

H appy wife, happy goalie. New Detroit Red Wings netminder Alex Nedeljkovic is ready to put that idea to the test as he and his wife, Emma, will finally get to live together under the same roof for a full season since he was traded this offseason by the Carolina Hurricanes. The Parma, Ohio, native has lived in the Metro Detroit area for most of the past 10 years having played his youth hockey with Belle Tire before moving on to compete with the Plymouth Whalers. And while Nedeljkovic was backstopping the Hurricanes to the playoffs last year, Emma was attending nursing school at Michigan State University. "She was ecstatic, probably happier than I was that I'd be staying home full time," Nedeljkovic told the Detroit News. "Because she's been doing school the last few years, we haven't been able to spend the entire year living together. We're really excited just to be together year-round." The Hurricanes traded Nedeljkovic for Red Wings goalie Jonathan Bernier and a third round pick after the two sides couldn't agree on a new contract. After the trade he signed a two-year deal with the Wings for $6 million, but was still sad to leave the only NHL organization he had known. "I've been in Charlotte [the Hurricane's minor-league affiliate], been in Raleigh, my entire career since I got drafted. Being in the organization, it really started to feel like home and we loved being down there," said Nedeljkovic, who was a Calder Trophy finalist who went 15-5-3 with a 1.90 goals-against average and .932 save percentage with Carolina. In the playoffs, he helped the Hurricanes advance to the second round, where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Even their dog Zeke, a black Lab was excited about the move. "He is very happy with the trade," Nedeljkovic said. "Me being home for the whole year now is going to be pretty exciting for him." B ET W E E N T H E P I P ES P R E S E N T E D B Y Ned Is Seeing Red AUGUST 2021 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 17 GOALIE TERMS THAT COUNT Falling Off The Puck: When a goalie makes a save selection and the majority of his or her body moves away from the puck side. Goalies and goalie coaches use a precise language to communicate. Here is another term to help parents, coaches and young goalies speak the same language. There's Really No Rush To Put Youngsters In A Pair Of Goalie Skates k Britani Dunbar, a goalie development leader in Massachusetts, recently posed an interesting question: at what age does a youth hockey player need to wear goalie skates to play the position? We asked USA Hockey's goalie guru, Steve Thompson, who had a few thoughts on the subject: "One of the main reasons why kids are attracted to the position of goaltender is because of the cool equipment. From the painted masks to colorful pads, you not only get to be in the center of the action, you get to wear these awesome pieces of gear. "With that said, we don't want the finan- cial burden to get in the way of playing the position. That's why we really don't encour- age parents to buy their sons and daughters goalie skates until they reach the 12 & Under age level. To be honest, we really don't find much benefit to wearing goalie skates before then. The blades are different and goalie skates provide more protection than most kids at that age really need. "Regular skates are lighter so a young goalie can move better. And at this age the protection you get wearing a goalie skate is not going to make much of a difference." CREASE CONUNDRUM Alex Nedeljkovic Ready To Return To His Youth Hockey Roots With A Move Back To The Motor City PHOTOS BY Credit Here

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