Steve Davies Goalie Training

Author: Steve Davies

  • Glove Position Debate

    In recent years, there has been a growing tendency for goalies at all levels to hold their glove hand high and in “a fingers up” position as opposed to the more traditional waist high 3 o’clock position. The rationale for holding the glove in the former position is that it takes the top shelf away and most easily intersects with the trajectory of the puck. This is all very nice in theory but in practice it simply doesn’t work very well. Even those goalies who start with their gloves in this position (Henrik Lundqvist) rotate downwards to the 3 o’clock position before making most glove saves.

    So, why do I make the assertion that the fingers up / glove high position doesn’t work very well? I think the best way to explain myself is to look at the basic rationale for holding the glove in this way. First, does the high position actually take away the top of the net? The answer to this is simply NO. To understand exactly what the glove is covering it is necessary to put your face on the ice directly behind the puck and assume the vantage point of the puck at ice level. After doing this you will discover that the high glove position isn’t covering ANY net at all… in fact, it is covering glass. To make matters worse, the goalies are covering glass while giving up EVERYTHING from the crossbar down. Goalies that hold their gloves at the more traditional 3 o’clock position are ACTUALLY covering the top shelf while making it easier to catch pucks 18 inches off the ice.

    The second issue is intersecting with the trajectory of the puck. The high glove, held in a fingers up position, requires the goalie to move the glove against the trajectory of the puck. This turns the glove into a blocker as opposed to a catcher. Another complicating issue is that the glove often rotates down in a counter clockwise motion which results in dropped pucks. The lower more traditional position allows the goalie to move up with the trajectory which is actually a quicker move because it requires muscular contraction and allows for more glove control.

    I don’t really think that I will have changed many minds here. Those who believe in the high glove will come up with all kinds of fallacies to support their position. I once heard a goalie coach say that coming down on the puck was quicker because of gravity. REALLY? Watch any great glove save in the NHL and there is ALWAYS an upward arch to the save which means the glove had to start in a low position. I have seen precious few glove saves made from the high position unless the puck simply hit the glove… which means that the puck was probably going over the net in the first place and the goaltender’s glove was “locked” in a blocking position instead of moving with the puck.

    As in all cases, the best teacher is experience. If you find that your glove hand is a static blocker instead of a dynamic and active catcher of pucks, you might take a look at where your glove actually starts the catching motion. Take a few moments a go on NHL.com and watch the NHL goalies making glove saves, hit the freeze button at the point when the puck is released and you will see that the glove hand actually starts its motion from a low rather than high position.

  • In Goaltending… Patience Is a Virtue

    Many years ago, as the Director of the Goalie Program at the Okanagan Hockey School in British Columbia, I had the opportunity to work with a number of NHL goalies. For the most part, they were celebrity guest instructors, hired to attract students, pose for pictures and sign autographs. Goalies like Pete Peters, Daniel Berthiaume, and current NHL commentator Kelly Hrudey were regulars. I should not have been surprised that each took their coaching duties seriously. I think they understood how much a word of advice from them meant to their awestruck students.

    However, one coach in particular stands out in my memory for his quiet disposition and his sage advice. Andy Moog spent 18 years in the NHL, playing at various times with the Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars and the Montreal Canadiens. He is probably best known for his years with the Oilers where he won three Stanley Cups. Even by the size standards of the 1980s and 1990s, at about 5’8”, Andy Moog was an unimposing figure, but his diminutive stature was rarely an issue because he simply knew how to play the position. Moog played a quiet, positional game that allowed him to shrink the net, he had quick reflexes with great hands and feet… but above all of these… he knew how to wait out the shooter. In other words, he had learned the virtue of patience.

    When working with Andy, I was always impressed at how he never shouted or raised his voice when working with the kids. In many ways, his approach to teaching the position mirrored his playing style. In this, he reminded me of the legendary Paul Titanic who coached one of the best groups of kids to ever play in the OMHA. His teams consisted of players like Steve Stamkos, Michael Del Zotto, Cody Hodgson and many others. Like Andy Moog, Paul never raised his voice, not so much because he had great players, but because he understood that the best way to communicate ideas is by speaking them to his players instead of shouting at them.

    Often, after observing a young goalie who seemed too tightly strung, dropping on everything, lunging around the net and biting on the first deke, Andy would quietly glide up to him, place his hand on his shoulder and say, “Be patient… learn to wait… don’t make it easy for the shooter”. This simple message, coming from a player like Andy Moog, had instant credibility. It is a message that still applies today.

    So… what does it mean to be patient?

    I’m sure it can mean many things to different goalies. But I always took it in the most basic sense of not over-reacting to any situation on the ice. In other words, don’t bite or drop on the shooter’s first move. Dropping early often means that you give up the top of the net and lose the ability to follow the shooter if he holds onto the puck. Essentially, successful goaltending hinges on your ability to control three factors: time, net and ice. Playing a patient game will allow you to wait out the shooter because he will eventually run out of time, it will allow you to control more net by staying on your skates longer, and it will allow you greater control of the ice because once you are down and out, the ice (and everything else) belongs to the shooter.

    Obviously, all of this is easier said than done… but as your skills develop so too will your ability to stay under control and resist the temptation to commit too early. Every great player, whether a forward or goaltender, knows the importance of applying the proper skill at the proper time, and sometimes the most important skill is that of waiting.

    So, whenever I see young goalies playing the game on their knees and sliding around unnecessarily, I often think of what a three time Stanley Cup winner like Andy Moog would say. I have a feeling that he would quietly tell them that over-reacting is as bad as not reacting… and that sometimes the old adage of “less is more” is really true. However, I have been around this game long enough to know that wisdom is best gained through direct experience. Like any other skill or lesson in hockey, acquiring the wisdom of patience requires a great deal of patience.

    I hope this helps some of you… May all your dreams come true.

    sd

  • Getting Cut Isn’t the End

    On April 15th and 16th we conducted our Goalie Tryout Sessions for the York Simcoe Express. The goalies participated in a variety of drills that hopefully gave each of them a better opportunity to show their skills to the coaches in attendance. Before adopting this procedure, prospective goaltenders were given limited action in scrimmage sessions where they often came in “cold” and had little opportunity to show what they could do. Following the sessions completed last Tuesday, the coaches will now bring a more manageable number of goalies to the team scrimmages. The process seems to work well and I hope it was a good experience for everyone involved.

    At the end of the last session, I called all of the goalies into a huddle to tell them that even though they played well and may be good enough to play Triple A, the decision may not go in their favour. Should this happen, there will naturally be an initial sense of disappointment but they must not let this linger into discouragement. There are very few goalies that haven’t had a coach shake their hand, look them in the eye and say, “thanks for coming out”.

    I can think of one goalie in particular who heard those words several times while trying to break into Triple “A” hockey. However, he continued to play for the love of the game and he never stopped believing in himself. Finally, at around the age of fourteen or fifteen, he finally made one of the YSE teams and proved he belonged in Triple “A” hockey. When it came time for the OHL draft, his talents were again overlooked as goalies with less ability heard their names called.

    Undaunted, our young goalie attended many Jr. “A” tryouts in the OPJHL. The teams he most wanted to play for in this general vicinity gave him the old “thanks for coming out” line he had heard so many times before. It was not until he skated with the Ajax Jr. “A” team that his talents were recognized and he signed his first Jr. “A” card. The Axemen, as they were called, were one of the weakest teams in the entire province but it gave this young goalie the opportunity he needed to show what he could do. While in Ajax, he faced an average of 45 shots a game and gave up lots of goals. But every shot and every goal was a learning opportunity and it wasn’t long before he won the attention of some NHL scouts. In the NHL draft, our young goalie was the last player to be selected. But, that didn’t matter… his talents were finally being recognized.

    Just before the start of the next season, the University of Wisconsin found themselves in a dilemma. The goalie they had recruited was declared ineligible by the NCAA. They resolved the problem by putting in a call to the Ottawa Senators to ask them about the goalie that was the last pick in the previous draft. The Senators reported that they thought this young man was a diamond in the rough and that he was an excellent candidate for a full scholarship. So, it was off to Wisconsin to play for one of the best teams in the NCAA. It took two seasons before he earned the starting job and led the Badgers to an NCAA Championship… the young prospect was also a finalist in the voting for the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in the NCAA. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, he went on to star for the Ottawa Senators and last year, as a member of the St. Louis Blues he was selected to play in the NHL All Star Game.

    By now, most of you know that the goalie in this little story is none other than Brian Elliott. Brian is an outstanding example of dedication and perseverance. He never gave up on himself and when a door closed in his face he looked for another opportunity to play. So, when someone tells you, “thanks for coming out”, just remember that Brian Elliott had those words spoken to him on numerous occasions. He continued to play because he loved the game and made the most of every opportunity presented to him. So, although being cut is often difficult, remember that no one knows the future. Use every opportunity to hone your craft and be the best goalie you can be every time you step on the ice.

  • A Trying Time for Coaches, Goalies and Parents

    A Trying Time for Coaches, Goalies and Parents

    With the hockey tryouts just around the corner, I know how difficult it is for everyone involved. The coaches have the challenge of putting together the best team possible and making sure all the pieces of the puzzle fit. The youngsters trying out for the teams will be paraded out onto the ice to strut their stuff and hopefully catch the attention of the coaches perched in some lofty nest where they can speak freely without fear of being overheard by parents. In my region of York Simcoe, it is not uncommon to have as many as twenty goalies trying out for a Triple A team. During the ensuing drills and scrimmages, each goalie gets about seven minutes to show what he or she can do. Often, the coaches are so pre-occupied with the task of selecting skaters with both obvious and subtle skills that they don’t even notice the goalies. During scrimmages, the goalies play “musical nets” as they race from the bench to the net and back again, often changing on the fly, hoping to make a big save and dreading the thought of letting in a bad goal. Unless one happens to be an incumbent or a goalie with some reputation, everything hinges on those precious seven minutes. Welcome to the life of an aspiring goalie during tryout season.

    This year, the York Simcoe Express chose a different venue for goalie selection and we think it worked very well. Instead of going into the regular team tryouts with an unmanageable number of goalies, the association allocated 4.5 hours of ice on two consecutive evenings for goalie assessment. On the Monday evening, for example, all the Novice, Minor Atom, and Atom goalies were put through various station drills that were set up to allow the goalies to demonstrate their skills. These were followed by the Minor Pewees, Pewees and Minor Bantams. The final session was for the Bantams, Minor Midgets and Midgets. While this was going on, the coaching staffs for the various age levels had a much better chance to focus on the goalies and offer some valid insights as to why a goalie was selected or not selected to advance to the scrimmage round of the tryouts. In fact, many coaches compiled detailed reports that they shared with the parents.

    Of course, this system isn’t perfect. Some goalies show better during games and often times the drills are so choreographed as to take the anticipation factor out of the assessment. Still, it gave the goalies a chance to demonstrate their skills in a controlled environment. How well these skills translated into game conditions was left to the next round. In the final analysis, the coaches were very pleased with the process and the parents and goalies knew that they were given a better chance to “strut their stuff”. That’s about all anyone could really hope for at this trying time of year.

  • Steve Davies: Zen and the Art of Goaltending

    I have often heard it said that at the highest levels of athletic competition, the determining factor in winning or losing is not always superior skills. Of course, skill is very important and in many ways skill levels can be observed and measured. We have all seen competitions during the All Star break that attempt to break the game down into specific components. These competitions are entertaining but more often than not, they are rarely won by the athletes who are considered to be the best “players”. So, what is it that differentiates the best players from those who are simply very skillful?

    There are many different answers to this question. Some will say that the best players have that indefinable quality called “heart” or the will to win. We have all seen the determination in the faces of players like Steve Yzerman and Joe Sakic. Their eyes tell us and their opponents that they don’t know the meaning of the word quit; it is simply not part of their consciousness. This quality of character forces the athlete to demand the best of himself in the most difficult circumstances. This will to win is not only courageous but it is contagious; it can be caught by the entire team. When this happens, teams can achieve beyond all expectations except their own.

    This will to win is absolutely critical for goaltenders; however, the focus on winning can sometimes become a distraction and be counter productive. Ultimately, the goalie must understand that winning is a byproduct of many factors that are beyond his control and relatively few that are under his control. Obviously, the goaltender cannot score goals or set up plays or call penalties. All a goalie can do is stop pucks and even this is sometimes determined by a lucky or unlucky break. Pucks can be deflected at the last instant or his defense might not pick up the open man and suddenly the puck is in the net. On the other side of the equation, goalies can be completely beaten on a play when the shooter misses the open net or a pass hits an ice chip and skips over the opponents stick. Often, the difference between a great game and getting pulled is how these random intangibles play out. The only thing a goalie can do is “stay in the moment” and focus on stopping pucks. This is easier said than done and it is the greatest goalies who consistently find their path to the moment when they are one with the game.

    This lack of control over these game determining intangibles can sometimes be so overwhelming that the goalie freezes under pressure and loses touch with the moment. They can drain the goalie of the confidence needed to react with the play rather than after it. These intangibles plant seeds of doubt that can prevent the goalie from finding that level of consciousness that allow him to consistently make that “unconscious” save. Often, the attempt to exercise some control over these nagging factors is too much for a goaltender to handle alone. In an attempt to silence the “thinking mind” where these doubts reside, some goalies resort to superstitions and idiosyncratic behaviors. Perhaps the best known of these is Patrick Roy’s refusal to step on lines and his pre-game dialogue with his goalposts. These are not unlike the various religious rituals used by ancient communities to prevent natural disasters or achieve victory on the field of battle. More to the point, I suspect that these “superstitions” were used by Roy to maintain the level of concentration that was necessary for his considerable goaltending skills to emerge. Not to perform them would have contributed to the uncertainty of every play. Knowing that each ritual was performed properly contributed to his sense of confidence and this allowed him to play in the moment.

    Just last night I watched the pre-game telecast of the game between the Flyers and the Canadians. The dressing room camera showed Martin Biron sitting in his stall staring down at his gloves and mask that were neatly aligned at his feet. His focus on them was steady and almost meditative. His attentive state was reminiscent of that achieved by students of Zen as they empty themselves of every unessential and enter the mental state called Satori or no-mind. Those who caught this moment were privileged to witness an almost sacred pre-game ritual; any deviation from it would disturb Biron’s journey to his optimal mental state. One can only speculate as to what other focusing techniques this outstanding goaltender uses throughout the day prior to arriving at the rink.

    In closing, I don’t make any claims of expertise in the field of psychology. However, I vaguely remember what it was like to play the game and what it was like to find that empty moment when I and the opponent were one. I only wish I could have found it more consistently. What is it that they say about those who can’t end up teaching?

  • When They Pin It on Your Size!

    When They Pin It on Your Size!

    Every year during the spring tryouts I get calls from coaches asking me to help in assessing the goalies trying out for their teams. I usually decline the invitation on the grounds that I frequently coach a number of the youngsters trying out and if they were to make the team there would always be the suggestion of bias. This would be unfair to the youngster and cast aspersions onto his or her accomplishment. Over the years, however, I have sat in on a number of goalie selection meetings at the minor hockey, college and Jr. “A” levels. I have to admit that I frequently left these meetings knowing that the better goalie was not selected.

    In my thirty years of coaching goalies, it goes without saying that the position has changed or evolved considerably… and not always for the good. I remember the days when the issue of size was never a consideration in which goalie to select. Today, it often seems that being a certain size is a prerequisite and “smaller” goalies are written off arbitrarily. This emphasis on size is something that I find both baffling and disturbing; especially when the smaller goalie who is about to be cut is far more skilled and tenacious than the larger one. Yes, the cliché that “you can’t teach size” is true; but that does not mean that bigger is better or that one should disregard technical skills in favor of size.

    So why do some coaches sometimes miss or ignore the technical skills that are so important to goaltending? In some cases, they simply don’t understand the position or the skills required to play the position effectively. Without digressing too far, this is why coaching certification programs at all levels should include a component on goalie skills, drills and assessment. Over the years, I have worked with some “higher” level teams where the coaches readily admit their complete ignorance of the position. I have seen these coaches almost drool when “bigger” goalies show up for tryouts. It is little wonder then that minor hockey coaches sometimes place such an exaggerated emphasis on size. Even if a minor hockey coach has some understanding of the position, the tryouts are often short and the coaches are preoccupied with picking other positions. Towards the end of the tryouts coaches may devote more attention to the goalies but at this point, the decision can be somewhat rushed and under the pressure of a deadline it is based on something that is apparent to everyone… goalie A is bigger than goalie B.

    So what does one say to the smaller and more skillful goalie who was released because he didn’t “measure up”? No doubt, there are many answers to this question. One might try to explain that adversity makes one stronger or even refer to the work of Dr. Elizabeth Kubler Ross in helping her patients work through the five stages of disappointment from denial to acceptance. Somehow though, I don’t think the aspiring goalie would find these very pertinent… even though at the deepest level they probably are … but that should be saved for another time. Personally, I would try to tell the young goalie that even though he didn’t make the team, he is not alone in this type of disappointment. Almost every great goalie has experienced the dejection that comes from not making a team. Curtis Joseph is but one who was cut by almost every team in his region before finally landing a spot in Richmond Hill. All he needed was an opportunity to prove his talents and when that opportunity came along, he was ready to seize the moment. What enabled him to seize the moment was his love of the game and the challenge of being a goalie. So, to the smaller goalie, all I can say is keep working on your skills. They will serve you well in the long run. Eventually, they will shine through and you will be ready to seize your moment when it arrives.

  • Some Advice to Goalies Leaving Home to Play Jr. Hockey

    Some Advice to Goalies Leaving Home to Play Jr. Hockey

    Some of you young goaltenders will begin chasing your dreams in earnest as you leave home for the first time to play Jr. Hockey. Several years ago, my son ventured to Pembroke, Ontario to play for the Lumberkings. His hockey dream ended last year at the age of 24 when, after several years of college hockey, he decided to hang up his pads and pursue other dreams. What follows are adapted excerpts of a letter that I tucked into his luggage when he left. I pass this along to you in the hope that it might be of some help.

    May all your dreams come true!

    1. Keep your eyes and your ears open and your mouth shut. Say very little about yourself and never say anything unkind about others. In time, you will earn the right to speak. First, lead by example and then with words.

    2. There will be great days ahead and some difficult ones too. Life in hockey is a roller coaster. Just remember that every experience, whether good or bad, is something to learn from. You will learn much about others but most of all, you will learn about yourself. During difficult times, always remember that they will pass and there are always better days ahead.

    3. Trust your training and your instincts. You are well prepared for the challenges ahead. You are an excellent goalie. In time, you will show your stuff.

    4. Always deflect praise and always praise your team-mates. No matter how well you play, your team-mates have contributed to your success by putting themselves on the line for you. There is no greater calling in hockey than to play and sacrifice for your friends. Always remember that.

    5. While at your billets home remember to mind your manners. Always say please and thank you and remember to clean up after yourself. In time, you will be like a member of their family and every family has rules. Respect their rules and you’ll get along just fine.

    6. It’s natural to get homesick, all hockey players have gone through it. In time, it passes. You will make lots of new friends and they’ll keep you busy.

    7. Always remember that your parents are as close as the phone. Call home often and remember that they need to hear from you more than you more than you need to hear from them.

    8. Finally, enjoy every minute of your time in hockey. Chase your dream as far as your talents and good fortune can take you. Your Mom and Dad will cheer for you all the way. And when the chase comes to an end, they will be more proud of you for who you are than for what you have accomplished in hockey.

  • On Ice Session

    On Ice Session

    Here’s an example of some drills we run during a private on ice session. The tempo is high, and the so is the quality of shooters.