Time Flies! Future Pro Summer Schools begin again for another year. I have been running camps and coaching at goalie schools for over 20 years and I always get very excited to start another summer of training.

Who knows? I could have the next star learning the game with us this summer. Every time I look at a little gap toothed smile behind that helmet I wonder if they are going to follow in the footsteps of many of our former / current students?

Matt Mahalak, Jack Campbell, Michael Leighton, Matt Hacket………

I owe 99% of our success over two decades to the quality of our staff.

Consider some items:

1) All of our staff from goalie instructors to shooters are paid and in fact we have the highest weekly payroll in the industry.

2) This summer we have Jeff Lerg, Mitch Korn and shooters like Andy McDonald working at Future Pro.

3) We have NHL playing and coaching experience on the ice EVERY DAY!

4) Our weekly staff has a MINIMUM of two Bachelor degrees in Education running the program!

850 Goalies are about to find out what the Future Pro experience is like over the next 12 weeks….

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We all have had a rocket off the mind in games and more likely in one of our team practices. Your ears ring, your head is buzzing and you may even smell the burning rubber that has shed off the puck as it tries to enter your skull.

Many goalies cause unnecessary trauma to their brains by not deploying their helmet properly. The design of the new helmet causes pucks to glance of the helmet and continue on it’s merry way off to the corner or up into the crowd. That can only happen if you keep your mask square to the puck. If you turn your head or tuck your chin down you may get one flat on the helmet. In this case a greater degree of force goes into your head instead of away from your head in a glancing blow.

Try to condition yourself to stare down the head shot and not turn on it… your brain depends on it!

I have been writing for Goalie’s World since 1996.

Check out the new GW with Ryan Miller on the cover.

There is a great breakdown on his game play and my article discusses the uses ( and misuse) of the VH ( post leg up) position.

WELCOME TO GOALIES’WORLD MAGAZINE OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Here we see a pristine example of a reactionary butterfly save. Sabourin reacts by selected one pad to extend, increasing its flare. He gets stick involvement and has proper visual attachment to the puck headed safely out of the kill zone.

The Quebec style “block butterfly guys” rarely make a save like this. There butter fly is always equal flared with respect to both legs. The never have to make a save determination left or right. The simply drop to a standard butterfly for any low shot.

The best goalies resist a pure balanced block butterfly when reactionary time is available.

This is precise, thoughtful goaltending.

http://www.norriscenterproject.com/news.cfm

Norris Center Project “Raises the Bar” for Laker Hockey 02/23/2010
With the announcement of the Norris Center Project, LSSU is delivering a message…..We are on a path to again become a force in college hockey. “The addition of these facilities and programming will create an elite hockey setting equal to the best in college hockey” Stated Larry Westby, Project Chairperson.” We hope that LSSU will continue to recruit the traditional hard working Laker player, and add a few top tier guys each year to the mix. This project will provide the facilities and support to help the student-athlete succeed in academics while developing their game to the next level.”

” Finding top level student - athletes who want to play in a hockey town, where the Lakers are the number one ticket, not competing with football or other D-1 sports, while fitting into the Lakers team concept is what this project is all about. It is designed to support and develop any player who is willing to work hard.”

After a three year process, the donor group felt that to compete consistently for championships in the CCHA / NCAA this sort of major upgrade was needed. “We worked closely with Coach Roque, and other contacts throughout the hockey community to design, equip, and program what is needed at LSSU,” said Mr. Westby “This project is the right one for LSSU and will provide the team the opportunity for success”.

While the donor group members wish to remain anonymous at this time, future announcements and naming opportunities will allow for recognition of key individuals.

Norris Center Project and LSSU to host preseason Goaltending Clinic 03/29/2010
Steve McKichan B.S. Ed will be holding a 3 day preseason goaltending “mini-clinic” at LSSU sponsored by the Norris Center Project.

Steve played for Miami University in the CCHA and went on to the NHL as a goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks. He was the goaltender coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2004-2008. His students have won the Stanley Cup, Vezina Trophy, Calder Trophy, Turner Cup (IHL), Brabham Cup (CHL), Sutherland Cup (JrB), and NCAA Championships.

As a goaltender coach for the Detroit Vipers in the IHL, his goalies set the all time lowest goals against average in the IHL, on route to becoming Turner Cup Champions. He coached Todd Ford as a rookie to a spot in the ECHL all star game, Justin Pogge to a WHL MVP-goaltender of the year in the CHL, and a place as a key player on the 2005-06 Canadian Jr World Championship team. He has been the goalie coach of ed Belfour and Andrew Raycroft.

“To have such a quality goaltender coach spend time with our athletes is tremendous”, said Jim Roque, head coach of the LSSU Lakers “Steve has played in our league, the NHL, and has coached goalies at the highest level. His experience will be something our goalies can learn from. We have had youth goaltenders attend Steve’s camp in the summer, and the feedback was fantastic. I am looking forward to Steve conducting this clinic at LSSU.”

From Steve’s perspective; ” I am well aware of the great history of Laker Hockey. In fact I felt “the sting” personally defending the goal against them in the championship days. Laker Hockey with the current commitment to winning, will again see banners fighting for space in the rafters. In the past 20 years I have coached NHL Hall of Famers, and some of the elite goaltenders in the game. Using this experience, and my singleminded goal of winning, we will again see the Laker anchor regain it’s luster.”

“From the beginning the Norris Center Project has been about more than a building” said Larry Westby, Project Chairperson “We have always planned to add resources that would support Laker Hockey and the Laker coaching staff. Having Steve on campus to work with the goaltenders is an example of the type of suport we can provide. Steve’s credentials and the athletes feedback from his programs are top notch, we look forward to a long relationship with Steve as our goaltender strength & skill specialist in a future program. We are proud to sponsor this program at LSSU”

This elite clinic is extremely limited to assure quality for all participants, but it will allow for development of the LSSU club team goaltender, and is open to other goaltenders in the LSSU student population. Any full time student (12 hour minimum) in the Fall 2010 semester with their own equipment, and a minimum of 5 years experience may apply to attend this clinic. Contact lwestby@lssu.edu. There is no cost for selected participants.

Steves company, Future Pro works with hundreds of goaltenders every year in a wide range of programs. More information on Steve, or his programs is available at www.futurepro.com

I will be running two clinics for the Lakers one in the fall and one in the spring. In addition we are working on an arrangement to be the goaltending coach with the Lakers in season.

I often hear that goalies with a tight 5 hole in their stance have difficulty moving laterally. This is 100 % myth.

Nabokov is an explosive athlete laterally as is Frazee.

I would argue the opposite point. Goalies who place an inordinate amount of weight on the inside edges and achieve a wide stance are typically very weak with long lateral thrusts.

Find your happy medium..

One Hall mark of an immature puck handler is the tendency to rim pucks when their D - man is right there with limited pressure. To improve in this area try to take better looks and develop your oral communication with your D. He needs to let you know to leave it or play it. Communication is key to avoid an unnecessary turnover or a contested puck battle on the half boards.

Every year for the last couple of decades…. I bring one of my lucky students to meet an NHL goalie of their choice.

As you can see here, Ash selected a certain Habs goalie and I teed up the meet and greet and photo shoot…. last night.

Future Pro Goalies have met goalies like Chris Osgood, Garth Snow, Dominic Hasek, Martin Brodeur, Scott Clemmenson, Grant Fuhr, Vesa Toskala, Steve Sheilds, Mike Dunham, Ed Belfour………

Kipper robs Drew Miller here on a point shot rebound.

There really are a couple of noteworthy things on this sequence:

1) Off the point shot rebound he maintains his composure and doesn’t immediately panic, but rather makes a controlled read on where the rebound threat is coming from.

2) He doesn’t QUIT on this puck and battles to finish the sequence with a hilite reel save!

If you subscribe to future pro live you can learn valuable skills and tips from NHL goalie coaches….

We have a new podcast that addresses a very common issue. Goalies sometimes fail to translate their practice efforts and abilities to game situations when it counts. How can we improve our game play and maximize our practice efforts? Premium members can log in and learn from today’s podcast.