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Q: How did you get started playing hockey? A: I grew up in a hockey town about 15 min- utes from Boston— Arlington, Massachusetts. My older brother played on the high school team, and I wanted to emulate him. We had a legendary high school coach (Ed Burns) who coached for 50 years. He made it a big deal to play for the high school. Q: Why did you decide to play goalie? A: I started out as a defenseman, but I was always a goalie in street hockey. Once, in Bantams, I g ot to play for real when our g o a l i e g ot s i c k o n t h e w a y t o t h e g a m e . The first shot hit the spot and fell in the crease and was called a goal. A bad omen. E v e n t u a l l y, m y t e a m m a t e o n t h e h i g h school freshmen team, Ed Walsh, left for private school and my class needed a goal- ie. So, I bought all the gear a week before varsity tryouts my sophomore year. Later, when I was at Harvard and Ed Walsh was at Boston University, we played against each other, splitting two games. He went on to b e a n A l l -A m e r i c a n a n d b a c k e d u p Ke n Dryden in Montreal. 32 // JUNE 2023 The Goalie Issue USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM The love story between Joe Bertagna and the game of hockey has lasted a lifetime. The name Joe Bertagna resonates throughout hockey circles. Bertagna's distinguished hockey career has spanned multiple levels of competition, both nation- ally and internationally. The long-time administrator currently serves as Commissioner of the Eastern Hockey League, which provides players direct-to-college advancement. Bertagna is a former collegiate and pro- fessional player and coach. He also is the longest serving hockey commissioner in NCAA history after a 15-year stint with the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Association and 23 years at the helm of Hockey East. In addition, Bertagna serves as the Executive Director of the American Hockey Coaches Association, is a Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Famer, a USA Hockey Distinguished Service Award winner and an author. Bertagna will also be hosting his 50th and final Joe Bertagna Goaltending Hockey School on July 31-August. 4. USA Hockey Magazine recently visited with Bertagna about his illustrious career. Q&A WITH J O E BERTAGNA By TOM & JERRY CARACCIOLI Q : W h a t a r e s o m e o f t h e m o s t d i f f i c u l t aspects of playing goalie from a technical and mental standpoint? A: I always found the mental part more dif- ficult. Maintaining confidence and blocking out negativity. Physically, it is a fairly straight- forward position to play—understand angles, control rebounds, see the whole ice and antic- ipate what is next. Knowing the game, not just goaltending, is crucial. And despite changes in equipment and some techniques, it is still about positioning, rebound control and competing. Q: You have tr uly lived the adage "do what you love" for your entire professional career. Does it feel like you have been work- ing in hockey, and particularly with goalten- ders, for five decades? A: Some days it sure feels like five decades! But seriously, I have been blessed. I have not only spent my adult life in hockey, but I have enjoyed such a wide variety of roles. Professional player, men's and women's college coach, NHL and Olympic goalie coach, college administrator, junior administrator, writer and broadcaster. It has been a great ride.