Best Synthetic Ice
Looking to take your backyard ice rink to the next level during the off season? Synthetic ice can help you do exactly that. Or, maybe you’re looking to build a basement ice rink using synthetic ice. One of the biggest downsides to synthetic ice is, it’s nowhere close to the real thing. Before we talk […]
Resources for Goalie Parents
So, you’re a goalie parent. Welcome to the club! We believe that there are two turning points when you have children. First, when they’re born. Second, when they decide to become a goalie. Everything you need to know about being a great goalie parent If there is a single piece of advice we can give you […]
Goalie Nutrition
It’s no secret that goalie nutrition is a critical component of the modern game. Goalies can give themselves a sustainable leg up on the competition by participating in nutrition training, building a nutrition plan, or just generally watching what you eat. Building a plan for yourself is the first step in any proper nutrition program. […]
Simple Positioning Drill [VIDEO]
This is a drill designed to work on one very simple thing. Making sure that when the goalie squares up, he / she is squaring up to the puck and not the shooters body. So many young goalies make the mistake of squaring up to the shooters body, thus aligning themselves out of position. Join […]
The Butterfly in Goaltending
The butterfly. This one word is responsible for everything in goaltending past the early 2000s. And we do mean, everything. From the goalie training methods to goalie gear designs and the game as we know it today, the butterfly position is as critical to the position of goalie as anything that exists. 99% or more […]
Goalie Pad Sizing + How To Measure Goalie Pads
One of the most common questions we get asked is, “Can I order goalie pads without trying them on?” Goalie pad sizing is one of the hardest things to do without actually trying the gear on in person. Luckily, with the advancements in technology today, sizing goalie pads is easier than ever. In fact, you […]
Warrior Goalie Gear in the NHL
Do any NHL goalies wear Warrior goalie gear? Why isn’t Warrior goalie gear worn in the NHL? These are valid questions that we get asked on a regular basis. Warrior Goalie equipment has been used in the NHL in the past. It’s not the fact that the gear isn’t good enough to be worn in the […]
Warrior Goalie RM1 Stick Review + Everything We Know
Warrior is arguably the top goalie stick brand on the market. Most of the NHLers are using them and for good reasons (we’ll get to why). With every new year passing and new goalie equipment coming onto the market, we also get to look at new goalie sticks. So recently, we purchased the newest goalie […]
How To Break In A Hockey Goalie Glove
Breaking in your goalie glove should be your first priority when you get new gear. In fact, for many goalies, the glove determines the entire set of goalie pads they end up choosing. When it comes to buying a new glove, there are certain gloves that come more “game ready” than others. Here are all […]
How To Clean Hockey Gear
How do I clean hockey gear? What’s the best way to clean my goalie equipment? There’s nothing worse than the musty, rotten smell of dirty hockey gear. On top of that, it won’t just smell up your car, it’s actually unhealthy. Dirty hockey equipment is a breeding ground for bacterias that are harmful to the […]
Best Foam Rollers for Athletes
If you’re a goalie and you haven’t yet invested in a foam roller.. you probably wouldn’t be reading this. Foam rolling is a critical component of proper muscle recovery (myofascial release) and each and every one of you should be adding one of these pieces to your gear bag. Every elite athlete should own a […]
Hip Stretches: Increasing Hip Mobility for Goalies
The importance of hip mobility for goalies cannot be overstated. If you’re a goalie, you should be taking your hip health seriously. Take a look at Robin Lehner, goalie for the Vegas Golden Knights. It was announced that he would be out the entirety of the 2022-2023 NHL season because of a hip injury. One […]
3 Shot Post Integration Drill [VIDEO]
This drill has a number of different moving parts, so it’s important to ensure that you’re working with a goalie who can handle every aspect. If you’re working with a younger goalie, it makes no sense to have them add on parts 2 and 3 before they’ve mastered the first part. One big mistake I […]
Lateral Release Drill for Goalies [VIDEO]
This is a super simply lateral release drill for goalies of any age. A lot of folks like to bash the term “lateral release”, assuming it’s a buzzword used by goalie coaches. It’s not just a buzzword. The lateral release is a skating technique used by elite goaltenders at every level to simply NOT overslide […]
Quick Feet Drill for Goalies [VIDEO]
Goalies need to practice constantly, or they face the possibility of falling behind their competition. I like this as a quick feet drill with a handful of different variations. I like this drill as a warmup or at the end of practice when the legs are gassed and the ice is shredded. Join our Drills […]
Lefevre Pads Sliding Capability [VIDEO]
The new Lefevre pads have been making a huge splash in the market recently, here’s an up close clip of how they utilize a minimal foot strapping system to allow more integration with the ice from skate blade to contact. Very innovative, more manufacturers are likely to follow suit. Join our Drills Vault and Get […]
Mindset in Times Like These
There is so much opportunity today. I woke up this morning with an unbelievable amount of excitement. I woke up knowing that I can control how I approach today, tomorrow, the week, and rest of the year. You woke up this morning with the opportunity to change how you spend the rest of your life. […]
Puck Handling Drills Along Boards [VIDEO]
We’re big fans of using down time or breaks between drills as an opportunity to work on puck handling skills. Integrating the boards into your drill is an awesome practice to get into simply because you’re taking a boring drill and making it “game scenario” style. I love that about this drill. You can literally […]
Demonstrating Movement + Body Control [VIDEO]
This clip is just demonstrating some high end movement and body control skills. One of the things that a ton of goalies forget and overlook is learning to move with complete control of your body. This is Mackenzie Blackwood, goaltender for the New Jersey Devils in the NHL. Join our Drills Vault and Get Access […]
These Are The Best Goalie Skates Money Can Buy
Goalie Skates. Besides your helmet, we argue that the goalie skates you chose are the single most important piece of equipment you’ll ever buy. If you can’t skate, you’ll have a tough time getting in front of pucks. If you have a tough time getting in front of pucks, your odds of making the save […]
The Best Youth Goalie Sticks For The Money
In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at how to choose the best youth goalie sticks for your young goalie. If you follow one rule when choosing a youth goalie stick, know that your kid is going to grow quickly. You can afford to buy a lower end goalie stick for a […]
The Best Youth Goalie Pads For Any Budget
So you’ve got a new goalie, hey? Exciting! Buying new gear for a youth goalie is one of the most exciting parts of their playing career. Ask any professional goalie, the chances they remember exactly which pads they wore as a kid are very high. Youth goalie pads have never been more affordable and getting […]
These are the Best Hockey Goalie Gloves Money Can Buy
For a hockey goalie, the glove is one of the most important pieces of equipment you’ll buy. There’s a number of things to consider before buying a new goalie glove, and we’ll take you through all of them. These are the best goalie gloves, or should we say, best hockey goalie gloves on the market […]
Best Goalie Sticks 2024
The goalie stick market has been one of the most disrupted in recent years. NHL goalies quit using wood sticks over a decade ago, while amateur goalies have been slower to adopt composite and foam core goalie sticks. Just 5 years ago, foam core sticks were some of the best goalie sticks on the market. […]
Warrior G5 Goalie Pad Review + Everything We Know
Honestly, it can be hard to keep up with Warrior Goalie from time to time. They released a new helmet this spring, a new stick, and now the Warrior G5 goalie pads. When is the Warrior Ritual G5 Release date? The pads are currently available. They released in the Spring of 2020, you can custom […]
Warrior Goalie R F1 Goalie Helmet Review + Everything We Know
Warrior Goalie is entering the goalie helmet market with the Warrior Ritual RF1. They’ve been on fire lately, with the release of the Warrior G5 goalie pad line. Warrior also released the RM1 Pro+ goalie stick. They’ve been dropping product after product this spring, it’s hard to keep up at times. This Warrior RF1 goalie […]
Vaughn V9 Review + Everything We Know
The Vaughn V9 pad is officially here. Here’s what we know. It’s that time of year. The gear companies are starting to release their new lines. Last year’s gear is no longer the best goalie gear on the market. Vaughn is coming out with the V9 lineup, an innovative pad that should push them up […]
Choosing The Right Goalie Pads for Beginners
Are you a first time hockey goalie? A parent of a youth goalie? Chances are, you don’t need to go out and buy the most expensive goalie pads on the market. You can get away with a great set of gear without breaking the bank. Another advantage to buying goalie pads designed for beginners is […]
Goalie Skating Drill with 4 Pucks [VIDEO]
There are literally endless opportunities for different patterns with a drill like this. One of the things I’d like to point out, however, is not how many times you can mix up these pucks, but how heavily you can commit to maintaining perfect form in a drill like this. Often times with young goalies, we’ll […]
Sergei Bobrovsky Pads
Sergei Bobrovsky has been a polarizing goalie in the NHL in recent years. From his time with the Avalanche to a stint with Columbus and then finally with the Panthers, “Bob” as they affectionately call him, is well known both for his on ice play and his gear. As a self proclaimed gear nerd.. we […]
Marc Andre Fleury Pads
Marc Andre Fleury has been one of the top goaltenders in the NHL for some time. He’s one of my personal favorites to watch, so it’s no doubt that fans everywhere want more intel on the gear he’s wearing. We will update this article every time Marc Andre Fleury switches gear, so check back as […]
Goalie Screen Drill with 2nd Shot [VIDEO]
There are a million ways to work on screens. This is a very basic version of a screen drill where the goalies goal is to try tracking a puck through traffic. I love traffic drills because they’re as close to a game scenario as you’ll ever get. This one shouldn’t teach the goalie to give […]
Poke Check + Puck Stopping Drill for Goalies [VIDEO]
I LOVE drills that accomplish two things. 1- involve both goalies. 2- active recovery drills. For the bystander, this drill looks basic. It’s just a couple youth goalies working on skating, poke checking, and stopping the puck. In reality, this is a drill that makes sense for a lot of goalies at just about every […]
Edgework Pattern Drill for Goalies [VIDEO]
We HAVE to recognize this coach for this video. If he does this without kneepads, what a warrior. Wow. Second, he’s making a pretty hard drill look very easy. Drills like this, while not necessarily game scenario like, are great for working on your edges and building an elite foundation that every goalie needs to […]
Obstacle Course Stickhandling Goalie Drill [VIDEO]
This is a pretty simple stickhandling drill that our demo goalie makes look incredibly easy. That’s because Matt Valtala is a pro in the Kings organization. Despite the fact that he’s a pro, it’s never too late to work on your stickhandling as a goalie. Make sure you’re setting aside time at each practice to […]
3 Puck Skating + Shot Goalie Drill [VIDEO]
First off, these guys are awesome. For a young goalie, I love his speed and overall control. We’re working on a couple of different things here, most notably a big change in direction. When the goalie is working his or her way through this drill, make sure they’re paying attention to their back (trailing) leg. […]
Colored Puck Goalie Drill [VIDEO]
In this drill, we’re working on tracking with colored pucks. The goalie calls out the color when the see it. We want to make sure that as goalies, we are always working towards identifying pucks right off the release point, just as batters in baseball try to track the ball out of the pitchers hand. […]
Goalie Drill [Getting Shoulders Square]
This is a basic drill where the goaltender is working on getting his or her shoulders square. There are multiple variations of this drill that can be added down the road, however it’s important to make sure the goaltender knows what they’re working on right off the bat. Join our Drills Vault and Get Access […]
Back Door Goalie Drill [Video]
In this clip, we’re working on back door saves and recoveries. Get Access to every single one of our Goalie Drills + our Drills APP -> here. View this post on Instagram ?: @seanmurrayvanpfgs — clip from this summer with @sean.bones two back door scenarios and two dead angles. Clipped this one weird […]
Christmas Gifts for Goalies
How To Buy Christmas Gifts for Goalies First off, let’s be perfectly clear. This list of Christmas presents for goalies isn’t just for use during the Holiday season. If you’ve got a goalie in your life, I can personally assure you there are items here that they’ll want. You can use the information assembled to […]
Best Goalie Pads for 2024
The past two years featured more goalie pads news than any in the past decade. From Lefevre breaking ties with CCM to Bauer and Warrior again breaking the goalie pad market, if you’re between the pipes there has never been a better time to buy new goalie pads. There are quite a few new lines […]
Best Goalie Masks (for protection) 2024
Searching for a new goalie helmet? You’ve come to the right place. The team at Goalie Coaches has put together a best goalie mask buyers guide for 2024. This guide is designed to help you find the best goalie mask (for the money and the protection) this year. If you opt to save money buying […]
Mike Smith’s Edmonton Oilers CCM P2 Gear
For the 2019/2020 season Mike Smith is debuting a rocking set of Oilers colored CCM P2 pads. The gear is unbelievable in it’s simple yet bold and striking color scheme. It’s certainly one of the early favorites for set of the year. Buy CCM P2 Gear from Pure Hockey View this post on Instagram […]
The All Hockey Hair Team: Every Video
The All Hockey Hair Team from the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament is one of the greatest hockey traditions there is. In 2019, it was announced that the All Hockey Hair Team tradition would be no longer. We decided to put every hockey hair team video in one place, in chronological order. Check it […]
Warrior Ritual GT2 Goalie Pads Review: Everything We Know
An in depth look at Warrior Ritual GT2 Goalie Pads. Warrior’s latest line of goalie pads, the Warrior Ritual GT2 is available for purchase. The pads released in the Spring of 2019 with both the GT2 Pro and the GT2 Senior lines available. We’re going to be taking the new GT2 line through the paces […]
21 Hand Eye Coordination Drills for Goalies (Or Any Athletes)
Hand eye coordination. It’s one of the biggest things any athlete can do to get better on or off the field. Do all athletes need hand eye coordination? Every athlete, minus maybe runners, needs to develop their hand eye coordination. Whether you’re catching pucks on the ice or framing softballs as a catcher on the […]
Who Will The Gophers Hockey Have At Goalie Next Season?
With the graduation of senior goaltenders Eric Schierhorn / Brock Kautz and Mat Robson signing with the Wild, the Gophers are in search of a goaltender. Luckily for Gophers fans, the 2019 class is a strong one. The Gophers welcome in two NHL draft pick goaltenders in Jack LaFontaine (will be a Junior with one […]
Gophers Goalie Mat Robson Signs with Wild
Former Minnesota Golden Gophers goaltender Mat Robson has signed a two year, entry level contract with the Minnesota Wild. Robson arrived in the Twin Cities fresh out of the BCHL for the 2017/2018 season. Robson took over near the end of that season and went on to start 31 games during the 2018 / 2019 […]
Collin Delia’s 2019 Chicago Blackhawks Mask
It’s been awhile since we’ve written a mask feature on our website, but with our recent top goalie masks article, we’re planning on releasing more and more soon. Collin Delia is one of our favorite up and coming goalies in the AHL / NHL. While still in college at Merrimack, he was gracious enough to […]
Goalie Yoga: The Complete Guide
Yoga for goalies. Yoga is one of the most effective ways for a hockey goalie to take care of their body off the ice. Plenty of NHL goalies are using yoga as an integral part of their off season (and in season) training! How to do yoga for goalies The best part about doing yoga […]
Hand Eye Coordination Goalie Drill
This is a great hand eye goalie drill made famous by our friends at True Focus Vision in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. In the video below, reshared from Goalies Inc Jim, you can see the goalie coach behind the net tossing a ball at a slanted surface in front of the goalie. This is […]
2 Shot RVH Transition Drill
This is a two shot drill that forces goalies to move both laterally across the top of their crease, as well as from post to post in the RVH (reverse vertical horizontal) position. As with any drill, this drill can have a multitude of variations. If you’re looking for more drills like this that we […]
Andrei Vasilevskiy’s New Bauer 2X Gear
It’s happening. Juusi Saros switches to all yellow gear. Then, Casey DeSmith. Andrei Vasilevskiy was spotted wearing a dark blue set of Bauer’s new 2X line. Vasilevskiy went from a white based Bauer 2X set pictured below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Andrei Vasilevskiy (@andreivasilevskiy88) on Jan 27, 2019 […]
Advanced RVH Drill for Goalies
This is an advanced RVH drill designed to working on hinges and recoveries. Want monthly drills, the same stuff we use with our pros? Sign up for “All Access“. Subscribe to Goalie Coaches on Youtube.
Craig Andersons New GNETIK IV Pads
Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson updated his 2018 / 2019 gear setup to the stock graphic offered by Brian’s on their new GNETIK IV line. His latest gear design is posted below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Goalie Gear Nerd (@goaliegearnerd) on Feb 5, 2019 at 9:14am PST Earlier this season, […]
Devan Dubnyk’s 2018 / 2019 Minnesota Wild Gear
Devan Dubnyk wears Bauer 2S pads. Each year, he has continued to upgrade his gear with the latest that Bauer’s digital printing has to offer and this season is no different. Dubnyk has traditionally debuted a few different sets of gear throughout the season. It seems that he introduces a second set of gear halfway […]
Devan Dubnyk’s 2018 / 2019 Minnesota Wild Mask
New for the 2018 – 2019 NHL season, Devan Dubnyk is debuting a couple of masks. Devan Dubnyk wears a Bauer NME VTX mask, typically painted by DaveART. Dubnyk’s masks, in recent years, have featured a matte finish. The matte finish has been popular among goalies around the world and the painters themselves. One of […]
Devan Dubnyk 2019 All Star Game Gear
Devan Dubnyk, goalie for the Minnesota Wild, represented the Minnesota Wild at the 2019 NHL All Star Game. The 2019 All Star Game was a bit different than previous years, this year the teams wore black and white jerseys across the board. While I wish Dubnyk would’ve had time to break in a custom set […]
Best Youth Goalie Masks (for the protection)
Have a youth goalie? Whether your goalie is just getting started, or maybe a bit more experienced (but not yet ready for a pro level goalie mask), it is critical to understand the type of helmet you’ll have your young goalie wearing. Not every goalie helmet is the same and if there is one rule […]
Goalie Mask Painting Ideas
Hockey goalie mask designs are some of the most creative pieces of artwork on the planet. From designs that appear simple, yet reveal detail like you wouldn’t believe up close; to mask paintjobs that are intricate through and through. Goalie helmets give the person wearing them a chance to display things about themselves that no […]
