Skill development consists of on-ice and off-ice components.
Needless to say, skill development is a huge part of goaltending. The position continues to evolve. This is what goalie traning looked like when I first started playing...
Things have changed. Finland set itself apart when it comes goaltending instruction and goalie coach training. The Finnish Ice Hockey Association decided to focus on goaltending development twenty-plus years ago. Canada and the United States have followed suit. Private goalie instruction is available in many cities and hockey towns.
If you are lucky enough to have access to goalie training then you should take full advantage of the coaches experience. If you are not this lucky, there are countless websites, YouTube channels and Instagram accounts from the top goalie coaches in the world. Many goaltenders have written how-to books detailing how they became world-class netminders. Use these resources to build your own training program. Here are 5 things to remember:
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1. Work progressively - break the skill down into manageable pieces;
2. Make sure you understand why the skill is important;
3. Be patient with yourself;
4. Remember proper execution before speed;
5. Work hard, rest & have fun.
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Here are two excellent resources to explore on-ice and off ice skill development components:​
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On-ice Training
Goalie specific training combined with team practices make up all the components of on-ice skills development.
Off-ice Training
Off-ice training consists of a few different areas:​
strength training
nutrition training
agility and flexibility training
hand-eye coordination
yoga
mental strength training
mindfullness
visualization
