Minnesota Hockey Journal

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M 15 "Goalies don't spend enough time working on their puck- handling skills. The ability to handle the puck with the stick is a difference maker. It's an important skill to have." Playing in the proper stance makes goaltenders more efficient in stopping pucks. Carroll recommends having someone take your picture in net to see how much space you're covering and figure out what adjustments could be made. W hen goalies are in a bad stance, their feet can end up too far apart, and, often, you'll see a "lazy blocker," one that drifts over in front of the leg pad. "That 's double coverage," Carroll said, "and you're not ma ximizing the space you're covering." Have someone take a picture of you so you can see what you look like. Are you cov- ering all the space you can? Some bad habits can be fixed with prop- erly fitted goalie gear, including stick size and paddle size. Carroll encourages youth associations that have the resources to invest in the "latest and greatest" equip- ment, not only to get their goalies the right fit and ability to play in the proper stance, but to get those players excited about wear- ing it and trying the position. EYE ON THE PUCK Hand-eye coordination is such an important part of athletics, and goaltending is no dif- ferent. Goaltending isn't a guessing game—in most cases you need to see the puck to stop it. Carroll said playing other sports like baseball or softball, tennis and golf, can help with those skills and that focus. Kids who specialize in one position in one sport often miss out on developing good hand-eye skills. Back on the ice, Carroll said goalies need to watch the puck before, during and after the save. "Watch it in, and watch it out," he said. "Watch it come into your body, and watch it go away from your body." If you give up a goal, know where the puck went in and why. Don't guess. Do this in practice drills and in games. Make it a habit. "It's a simple concept," Carroll said, "but it can get lost in the system a bit." PL AY THE PUCK A goaltenders' No. 1 job, of course, is to stop the puck. But they often have to handle the puck, too, whether it's stopping a hard wrap along the wall behind the net, tapping a puck to a teammate or, in some cases, shooting it to one and starting a break- out—"doing something productive with the puck," Carroll said. "Goalies don't spend enough time working on their puck-handling skills," Carroll said. "The abil- ity to handle the puck with the stick is a difference maker. It's an important skill to have." Just like w ith any other player, you can work on these sk ills on the rink or of f of it, in season or out of season. Use a goa lie stick. Wear your catcher and blocker. Speaking of goalie gear, this is another skill in which it's important to have the proper stuff—and a proper fit. Sometimes, Carroll said, goalies have the wrong-sized catch glove and have trouble catching and controlling the puck, which can also lead to problems with puck handling. RETHINKING THE POSITION Carroll said it's time for youth associations and coaches to make goalie development a priority during the season. Young goalies can be in a tough spot and face a lot of pressure playing a position so different, yet so important to the team. Treating goalies as you would other players, like in the skating tip above, can go a long way toward growing the goalie game. "We're trying to get coaches to rethink how to play their goalie during games," Carroll said. "Instead of a full-game rotation, they should split games in a way so their goalies play in every game. No one signs up to be a backup goalie when they register for hockey. "We're trying to get people to think differently about goalie recruitment, retention and development."

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