r/hockeygoalies

Son only plays for 1 year as a goalie. Last weekend, they had a chance to play against an AAA team for the first time (well for him almost everything is a first time). We definitely got outmatched in every way but his team fought and fought to the end.

We were all scared coming in to this game (maybe not him but I am). I keep thinking a nightmare scenario, like that oneAAA game where a team beat another by 40-1 or some like that but turns out, it’s not so bad. He made tons of saves but gave up some goals too. First period, he gave up 4 goals (5 holes, rebounds, breakaway). He said he’s not used to the speed, kids were also more accurate than the typical shooters he faced.

Then 2nd period, for 13 minutes, he played like an AAA goalie and stopped everything. He was so aggressive, making adjustment, moving faster. He saved everything and stretch every inch.

Unfortunately, the spell broke (a small mistake in the back) or maybe he got tired, the other team started scoring again after that 13 min stretch.

Luckily he was not upset, he knew coming in that they are a huge underdog. He’s the smallest on the ice but I guess he has a lifetime to prove that the crease is not only owned by the biggest, it’s owned by the fastest too 😀.

We got feedback that he needs to stay tight and in position during the rebound instead of making crazy acrobatic saves. He’s working on it. Any feedback for small goalie is welcome 🙏

Just curious how smaller goalies who rely on 'athleticism' manage to avoid getting beat up high when they spend a lot of time in a low stance?

The best example I can give is Slovak goalie Krnač (see this video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSbHE7RjOhk/?igsh=MTA4MnJ0Nms0cXJhMw==)

He's evidently an incredible skater and very agile/athletic, but I don't know how he's holding such a low stance on practically every shot (even when playing in the crease/on the goal line) and not getting beat high with his size?

I know generally a smaller goalie may play more aggressively to cut down angles, but the video above has me confused as he's not the only goalie I've seen play so low without having size in their favour and also not challenging very far out. I'd have thought the players pick top shelf every time, especially if the goalie sinks into the stance a good few seconds before the shot comes in.

Any thoughts? I'm 5'9 (F28) myself so always keen for new ideas.

Title says it all. Thoughts? I realize the gear is mega expensive and I’d have to be self-taught since I don’t live super close to a rink.

I'll go first: I was switching from roller to ice and didn't know what I didn't know. Worst advice I ever got was "goalies don't use sharp skates. Dull them up before you get out there." So I did. Then I couldn't get up from the butterfly.

Past couple games I’ve got slap shots to the helmet in my coed league. Both immediately caused ringing in the ears and distortion. Minor pain.

Is this really bad? How do I prevent this.

Edit: Bauer Profile 940 Certified Cat Eye Goalie Mask - Senior.

All,

After years of wanting to build it, I finally was able to get it done.

weneedagoalie.com

We all have our favorite goalies we hit up to fill in, but sometimes they are not available... and our second tier is not available, and we often resort to a local FB group, or a larger email distro, hoping to find anyone to fill in.

This site is meant to be that resource. Goalies fill in the rinks they will play in (based on zip code), their age and skill level...

When someone needs a goalie, they simply fill in their date, rink, skill - and the site matches the criteria and sends an email to all goalies who match.

Goalies can then reach out to the person looking for an EBUG. Basically a more selective email distro.

Site is free, not used for advertising or anything, goalie data is encrypted - just something I've always wanted to build to help out the community.

Question from an uneducated fan of the oilers. I think I played goalie maybe 10 times in my life, last time at 14 years old lol.

Anyways, I was curious what people who know the game think of Jarry. To my untrained eyes, he's one of the strangest I've ever seen.

He makes incredible saves all the time, but so often his head is on a swivel, seemingly unable to track the puck. Every other game he played this season seemed to start by letting in 3 weak goals, then turning into a superstar for most of the rest of the game. He'll look like two different people in the same game.

I guess as another general question, why are some super talented goalies strangely inconsistent, like Hellebuyck or Stolarz? Thanks!

All my main groups are off until the fall so I thought why not head up to some public shinny to keep in shape... Normally I avoid these slots like the plague, and for good reason. I think the last public shinny I went to was two years ago or something and someone steam rolled me on a breakaway nearly broke my arm. Never went back since.

Last night I got invited by one guy I know to come out to the local shinny as they have trouble getting goalies, and the amount of close calls I had was just wild... I went to play the puck as well and when I noticed the the other forward wasn't slowing down I stopped before the puck against the board and got body checked, then pushed back so he could get the puck. I was extremely tempted to just drop my gloves and ragdoll him but he was an older guy and I didn't want to open up that can of worms.

I also noticed a lot of high sticks, and rough contact between the players too. One guy even got slammed to the ice off the face off and was just lying there head banged into the ice, while the other guy took the puck and was going towards me to shoot. Just unreal behavior! No stoppages when anyone gets rolled over, or falls and nearly breaks their neck.

Kinda sucks, but I guess there is always stick and skate or stick and puck to do edge work.

Took my 4yo to U6 stick 'n puck. I suit up in my full tendy gear because the kids have a blast scoring on a "real life goalie" (debatable). My kid loves playing both skater and goalie but has only been on the ice 3 times in his goalie gear. I'm 39 and grew up playing local rep and going to goalie school and never once had any useful goalie coach support within my team or minor hockey organization, so I'm well used to being "outspoken goalie kid standing up for myself" and "only person with any distinct goalie training or knowledge whatsover". I'm sympathetic to the plight of young goalies. I also head coached my kid's U5 group and have a year's experience of herding cats on the ice.

First time we went he was a skater and buzzed off with his buddies under another adult's supervision while I stayed in net. There was a constant stream of kids standing at the top of the crease banging pucks at me and I had a great time sliding out of the way and flopping all over the place so kids could score. It was actually a fantastic way to practice edgework, kids had huge smiles, parents were thanking me, and I was absolutely wiped at the end. I'm thinking "parents are having a well-deserved break because I'm an adult having fun with the kids." Cool.

Most recent time, kiddo decides to be a goalie. I give him a heads up it's going to be a lot different from the scrimmages he played in - no downtime, lots of shots, and we'll be taking breaks throughout. I'm hesitant due to how last time went but figured I'd be playing bodyguard anyways and parents would be jumping in this time to make sure their kids don't do anything stupid as a very obviously tiny kid moving very slowly will be in net.

I spent the entire time policing the front of the net, shooing kids out of the way. Parents sat there and watched their kids just stand in the crease and slap pucks. Shot me dirty looks as I told their kid to wait and let my kid stand back up again. Had to engage full coach mode and fully block kids from shooting, push them back from the crease to the slot and group them to shoot one at a time. Even had to tell a kid not to drop a big celly every time he scored. Absolutely no parent involvement or supervision whatsoever, just casually watching their kids with no awareness at all that this is not appropriate. After 15 minutes of parents with their thumbs up their asses doing nothing I "pulled" him, put his skater gear on and let him rip around before he started getting upset.

Even worse: there was a 6yo goalie at the other end of the ice. He was getting similarly caved in, except his dad was just fucking standing there. I went over to play with my kid and I ended up doing the same crease bodyguard routine, shooing kids away and literally saving pucks so he could get set and not get dinged in the bucket while recovering. All the while his dad just sat there blank-faced watching his kid get torched and struggle. I went over to chat and opened with a friendly "oh hey, another goalie dad here, eh?" and he unsurprisingly said "yeah he loves it but I don't know a thing about it, just trying to learn I guess." As directly as appropriate I commented on how he could use a hand with the pacing and making sure he has time to get set and it just flew over this dude's head. This is after I literally physically shooed kids out of the way of his kid. Just absolutely no awareness in the slightest that a 6 year old shouldn't be subject to a shooting gallery and that the grown-ups in the room should be making sure the kids are making safe plays i.e. not 3 shots going off at a tired kid recovering to his feet.

The fuck. It's not just minor hockey orgs who don't know shit about fuck goaltending-wise. Absolutely no one does. I'm not concerned about my kid as much - I can be his advocate, and he's sure as hell not dressing as a goalie at stick 'n puck again - but seeing this 6 year old struggle while his own parent just sat there thinking this was totally cool was absolutely mind-boggling. No wonder there's a goalie crisis in Canada at least - just a complete cultural and common-sense lack-of-awareness surrounding the position. Makes a lot more sense as to where the "goalies are headcases lol" thing comes from - the unmoderated mental impact of playing the position without any support is real.

Hi All! So for some context, I play a no stakes relatively low level beer league hockey and I’m in my mid 40s. I’m also a recovering college athlete and have been working very hard over the last five years that I started playing again to allow myself to just have fun.

That being said, the last couple seasons and all this season I’ve had close to a 1.88 goals against average in the last two games I have let in seven and eight goals 😭. My mental game feels pretty off to the point where I don’t even want to play tonight and it feels like a chore that I’m dreading. So I guess I’m just looking for a little advice feedback on how to shake it off and just get out there and have fun and hopefully play a little a better!

Thanks!!

As a passionate sports viewer who mainly follows american football and hockey (browns and Canucks fan), while intermittently following baseball (even worse lottery but irrelevant) and basketball, I think i’m done with hockey until they remove the draft lottery. It does nothing to stop tanking and only hurts and blesses teams at random. Did Toronto really need to pick first after missing playoffs 1 time? Did the Sharks need the 2nd for only drafting 1 generational prospect in the last 2 years? Nah the Canucks who suck ass can pick 3rd.

In the 17 draft lotteries that the Canucks have been in, they have stayed put 11 times and dropped 6 times. They have never moved up.

Fuck you Gary Bettman.