Goalie

PURPOSE

Work on long drives to off angle and short adjustments. This drill mimics a puck coming from the corner or behind the net to the low slot then traffic requiring small adjustments and re-setting to the opposite corner. Also good for tips and screens.

HOW TO

• Start on post and drive out to far angle.
• Take two small shuffles along the edge of crease towards the top center – stopping just short of center.
• Pivot and drive back to the near post. Repeat to the other side.

FOCUS

• T-glides need to be aggressive and move to angle with a purpose
• Short, controlled shuffles. These should stop short of center
• When retreating to post, pivot and go, not a drift or skate backwards
• Ensure square to puck and shot

VARIATIONS

• Add a butterfly and recovery at each high point (top of crease and angles)
• Add a post lock-up variation like a post load (post side pad up, inside pad down) or RVH (post pad down, inside post at 30-45 degrees)
• Add butterfly slide from or to posts
• Add butterfly shuffle/lateral adjust where short shuffles were
• Reverse pattern

This drill works both as reading pucks that go from behind the net to out front as well as working on quick reaction tips and deflections.

HOW TO:

Turn the net to face the boards and about 3 feet away. For younger or newer goalies, you can pull the net farther away, for more experienced goalies, you can put it closer. The distance from the boards changes the reaction time and angle of deflection.

The goalie will start on a post.

The shooter will shoot the puck against the boards with the purpose of deflecting it into the net.

The goalie will have to make a reactionary save selection to determine the angle on which they must attack the puck to make the save.

VARIATIONS:

Works from both a near post (goalie and shooter are on the same post) and far post (goalie and shooter are on opposite posts.

Make it random so the goalie has to follow post to post

NOTES/POINTS OF FOCUS:

Determining whether they need to drive to or drive across. The shorter the angle of defection the more a goalie needs to drive to instead of across the goalie line.

Quick, reactionary saves

Reinforce covering pucks that are near them (even though there won’t be pressure)

Also works on eye tracking

There are 5 major angles in goal tending and if a goalie can master the locations of these 5 angles, they can master where to be nearly anywhere on the ice. This drill reinforces those angles and helps with the concept of being square to the puck and “on angle” as well as being confident with an aggressive (top of creases) depth.

HOW TO:

Set out 5 pucks about 1 foot outside the crease (so goalies can be at the top of the crease without touching the pucks). Pucks should be at the top center, at approximately 45 degrees left and right, and not on the goal line, but low angles – use the above graphic for reference.

I always number the pucks from my right to left (goalies left to right) 1 through 5.

Have goalie start on 3 and randomly call out numbers working on short and long movements.

Repeat the drill with the goalie’s eyes closed. Tell them to take a look when they are not on angle, square or have drifted back in depth. If you DON’T say to take a look, the goalie is to keep their eyes closed.

VARIATIONS:

Add butterfly and recovery

Do entire drill in butterfly slides

Do entire drill in butterfly shuffle/lateral adjusts

NOTES/POINTS OF FOCUS:

Concise, clean movements

Good stance and body position

Angle, square, and depth to puck

A great moving drill focusing on getting good, authoritative drive, on both short and long movements using pivots, t-glides, and shuffles.

HOW TO:

Starting to top angle, goalie will pivot and t-glide or one-push shuffle to post and lock up.

Then they will step out and drive to top of crease at the center of the net.

From here, they will pivot and t-glide to the opposite post and lock up.

The last movement is to drive out to the top angle.

Then reverse course and draw the W in the other direction.

VARIATIONS:

Add static butterflies to each top spot in the W

Add a Reverse VH instead of a standing post lock

Add post load/VH instead of standing post lock

Use latteral adjusts for every move of the W

Add a shot at the very top center spot (no rebound)

NOTES/POINTS OF FOCUS:

Keep goalie moving through the W. They will want to pause and stand up at each spot. Reinforce “game like situation” as this is a great drill that mimics teams that play a high-low-high style and most PP/PK systems.

Make sure they pivot to their posts not drift straight back. They need to understand that they are acting like they are tracking a puck down the boards or into the corner. Backing in will open up the short side. It’s also just good for them to open up their hips and work on driving to a spot.

If adding a shot, shoot to teach not shoot to score. This means making most shots a saveable shot with some work and extension. Trying to go bar down and sniping all the time will NOT help them.

One of the most basic moving drills for goalies to accomplish. This drill helps them focus on proper balance and stance while using the most common skating movements of goaltenders. For weaker goalies this can also function as a strength and cardio exercise as they need to stay in their stance and link the movements.

HOW TO:

Have goalies move from one designated point to another (eg boards to boards, goal line to blue line) using shuffles/parallel slides – 2 out and one back. Make sure they are facing the same direction as they were out bound for the return trip and staying down in their stance.

VARIATIONS:

2 shuffles, 1 t-glide

2 t-glides, 1 t-glide

2 butterfly slides, 1 lateral adjust

2 lateral adjusts, 1 lateral adjusts

Nearly any other combination you can think of, but these are the most common

Can also do drill around circumference of a circle which emphasizes a slight hip pivot to keep square

NOTES/POINTS OF FOCUS:

Make sure their shoulders are always forward or parallel with the line they are on

Butt down, chest up and gloves in a neutral, slightly forward position

Make sure they are linking the moves not resting between each one (or even each half!). This is the strength and endurance aspect of this drill.