Roberto Luongo will be back in Canada’s goal against Russia on Wednesday.

Head coach Mike Babcock confirmed he was sticking with Luongo shortly after he stopped 21 of 23 shots in Tuesday’s 8-2 win over Germany, and took issue with a question about Luongo’s lack of big-game experience compared to Martin Brodeur.

“Didn’t he win a World Cup? Wasn’t he the one that got Canada to the final?” Babcock replied in reference to the 2006 World Cup, in which Luongo replaced an injured Brodeur in the semi-final before giving the net back up for the final victory.

“It’s very easy to always say he didn’t do this or he didn’t do that,” continued Babcock. “I think his bank account shows that he is a good goalie. I know every time we play him he puts up this wall and I’m excited he’s playing net for us tomorrow. We’ve got a great big man in net. We’re going to give up some opportunities, that is just the reality of (the Russians) are that good. But he’s a big man and doesn’t let it go under him or through him and if they put it around him, we’ll line up for a faceoff and get on with it.”

The “under” and “through” references were to Brodeur, who struggled in Sunday’s 5-3 loss to the United States. Babcock pointed out after making the switch to Luongo that some of the goals that found holes in Brodeur’s stand-up style would have simply hit a big butterfly goalie like Luongo. As for the possibility the swift, skilled Russians could exploit Luongo off the rush more than Brodeur, who remains one of the world’s top one-on-one, read-and-react goaltenders, Babcock seems willing to live with that, trusting that his improving defense will be able to limit Russia’s odd-man chances off the rush.

“We need him to be fabulous for us and he has every chance to do that,” Babcock said.

Loungo is relishing that opportunity – and trying to steer clear of controversy.

“Twenty years from now, if we win, nobody will remember who played goal but they will remember that we won,” Luongo insisted, while at the same time calling Tuesday’s game the biggest of his career. “But hopefully it’s not the biggest game this week.”

Luongo is visibly excited at what could be a career-defining moment, one he waited for behind miserable teams in New York and Florida, and has failed to grasp so far in second-round playoff losses behind a better – but not great – Canucks team. He does have a pair of gold medals at the World Championships, including one where he came off the bench to spell an injured Sean Burke and lead Canada to gold. He also has a good history against Alex Ovechkin, going 10-1-0 with a .933 save percentage against Washington since the Russian superstar joined the Capitals, stopping Ovechkin on three shootouts.

Luongo knows, however, that this is different. Not only is Ovechkin surrounded by an incredible cast of offensive stars – Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Semin to name a few – but the pedigree of his own supporting cast, and the long history between the countries means anything less than a victory, no matter how things play out, will be a blight on his record that only a Stanley Cup will erase.

“You have to deal with the pressure and rise to the occasion,” Luongo said. “There’s a lot of history behind (the rivalry with Russia). It’s a big stage, the nerves are there, but it’s a good thing. It gets the adrenaline going it gets you a bit sharper, a bit more focused. I had a lot of fun out there (against Germany) and I’m sure I’ll have a lot more (on Wednesday). They have a lot of skill so we’ve got to play our game, be physical and not give those guys much room on the ice. And as far as I’m concerned just make sure that I play those guys aggressive. I know a lot of guys are shooters and I’ve got to be aware of that.”

Kevin Woodley is a rec-league target and former contributing editor of the Goalie News magazine. He has written about the Vancouver Canucks and NHL for The Associated Press, USA Today, Sports Illustrated and The Hockey News for the last decade, and is currently at the Olympics for AP.

Kevin Woodley is a rec-league target and former contributing editor of the Goalie News magazine. He has written about the Vancouver Canucks and NHL for The Associated Press, USA Today, Sports Illustrated and The Hockey News for the last decade, and is currently at the Olympics for AP.

By now the entire world knows Canada’s Olympic fate rests with Roberto Luongo.

The more interesting question for fellow goaltenders is why? After hearing coach Mike Babcock break it down Monday, the bigger questions may be why it took so long to go away from living legend Martin Brodeur, and does the move maybe come too late?

“We’re in the winning business and to win games at any level you need big saves. You need momentum-changing saves and we’re looking for Lou to do that for us,” Babcock explained of his goaltending switch “He’s a great big butterfly goaltender and if you look at the way the puck went in our nets last night, with traffic and people in front a lot, which is the way the game is now. Sometimes just being down in that big butterfly things hit you and bump into you. We believe Lou gives us a real good opportunity to win.”

In other words, Babcock appears to agree with the inGoal analysis detailed in this space after the Americans beat Canada 5-3 on Sunday, that three of the goals that beat Brodeur on Sunday would have been stopped by most butterfly goaltenders.

It’s true the first one was deflected off Sidney Crosby, a fact both Crosby and Brodeur quickly pointed out after the loss. But it still went in on the far side about eight inches off the ice as Brodeur went into his old school one-pad down technique, leaving no backside coverage along the ice. Deflection or not, that puck hits Luongo or Marc-Andre Fleury in the right pad.

Ditto the second goal, which Brodeur tried to stop with an awkward sliding two-pad stack as ex-Devils teammate Brian Rafalski shot the puck low through a screen. The fourth goal, on another low shot by Rafalski, deflected through his legs, a space most butterfly goalies fill.

Add in the fact Brodeur’s puckhandling, thought to be an advantage with the restrictive NHL trapezoid eliminated for the Olympics, was causing more problems than it solved because his defensemen didn’t know where to go – another detail outlined in this space before the loss – and led to the first two goals, and Babcock had to make the switch.

“I felt going into the tournament we set ourselves up for the possibility of making one change,” Babcock said, adding it was Luongo-or-bust from here “We played both guys the first two and felt if we needed a change we had one, and now we’re making it.”

Why they didn’t make it earlier is a question that may haunt Canadians for years.

If inGoal could successfully predict the problems Brodeur’s style might cause against an American team that pre-scouted him heavily and had three current and former Devils to help break those weaknesses down, why couldn’t the Canadian coaching staff, which is notably devoid of a goalie coach?

It’s hardly a secret Brodeur has bucked a butterfly trend that started because most goals were scored along the ice, and while NHL teams rarely adjust their shooting strategy for one game of 82 in the regular season, they have done so against him in the playoffs, with Carolina shooting pucks into his feet en route to two postseason series victories, and Tampa Bay coming close in another.

“You mentally prepare differently when he’s in net. He’s a great goalie, but a different goalie,” New Jersey teammate and U.S. forward Zach Parise said of Brodeur. “A lot of the butterfly goalies you know they are going to go down so sometimes the upstairs is going to be open, but with him we talked about throwing a lot pucks from everywhere in his feet. When he had the puck to not give him a lot of time to make that initial breakout pass he’s so good at making. We went right at him and caused a lot of turnovers, which is something we talked about before.”

When the Devils hired and fired Claude Julien in 2006-07, Brodeur called it his toughest season, telling the now-defunct Goalie News magazine that the shot-blocking style Julien implemented left him dealing with too many “grenades” as pucks changed direction and came through screens. Brodeur is probably the greatest goaltender in the history of hockey when it comes to reading and reacting to shots, but the Devils have always done a good job of making sure he can see them, clearing lanes and rebounds rather than trying to front screens or block shots. And that made him a poor fit in the Canada net, especially against a U.S. team loaded with players armed with that first-hand knowledge. Think Rafalski walks into the slot unchecked and shoots along the ice against anyone else?

“Playing with him he would always make sure he could see the puck, he didn’t want us standing in front of him, so our forwards got in front of him and we got shots low,” Rafalski said Tuesday.

The problem now is that loss leaves Canada needing to beat Germany and Russian on consecutive nights to even have a chance to medal – and win four games in six nights against the world’s best teams to make it gold. And the real irony may be that Brodeur gives them a better shot to beat Russia on Wednesday because of his ability to stare down shooters one-on-one, as he did on a pair of breakaways against the U.S., and because the Russians don’t appear willing to play the same throw-pucks-at-the-net style that the U.S. used so effectively, and don’t appear to have scouted opposition goaltending as well as the Americans.

Then again, based on results so far, neither did Canada.

Now, I know not everyone is on board with Twitter yet. There’s an impression among some people that it’s a bunch of narcissists talking about what they had for breakfast.

In fact, what it really does is provide a way to get a completely custom stream of information 24/7.

For example, 95% of the tweets I follow are hockey specific and probably 30% of those are goalie specific. I rarely get tweets that aren’t of interest to me on some level, because I can unfollow anyone who wastes my time.

Bottom line, when you have a specialized interest such goalies and enjoy getting news in the moment, Twitter really fits the bill. There are some FANTASTIC goalie-centric tweets to follow out there, and I hope I’ve added to that by starting the official In Goal Magazine AHL Goalie Tweet (https://twitter.com/InGoalMagAHL).

The idea is to get breaking AHL goalie news to you as it breaks, as well as pushing links to any good articles, photos, news, whatever, that I think you’ll find interesting.

So, if you’re already Twitterfied, come follow us, and if you’re not, consider jumping on board. There really is quite a nice community of goalies, most of which are included in my list of “Goaltending Peeps” on my personal twitter feed, if you’re looking for a place to start.

Drop a comment or tweet me if you want to see more or less of something in the feed thus far.

We’re excited to welcome a new member of the inGoal Magazine team today – professional goaltender Mike McKenna of the AHL Lowell Devils. Mike signed with the Devils after playing for the Norfolk Admirals and Tampa Bay Lightning last season. He became the first Lightning goalie to record a shutout in just his 2nd NHL start vs the Islanders. In 15 games with the Lightning he posted a 4-8-1 record and a GAA of 3.54.

Like this one? Check out Mike’s Second Article Complete Guide to Professional Goalie’s Gear Setup and Customization

Professional hockey in North America reaches much broader than the casual fan knows. Teams exist in the Deep South, the Frozen North and everywhere in between. And I’ve played just about everywhere to prove it. My 5-year pro career spans 3 leagues and 7 different teams, despite never being traded! I could be described as many things; journeyman, minor-league veteran, NHL call-up, suitcase…all of which are more or less accurate. What I’d prefer to be known as, however, is a hard-working professional who has not only paid his dues, but improved every season. To me, that’s the ultimate compliment, and what I strive for.

Given my experience, people often ask what the difference is between leagues, namely the ECHL, AHL, and NHL. The short answer is this: money. To put it in quick perspective, minimum salaries for the 2009/10 season are $400/week plus housing expenses in the ECHL, $36,500 for the AHL, and $500,000 in the NHL.

The long answer is quite complicated. Players in each league are highly skilled: there are plenty of All-Americans and high draft picks who have spent time in the ECHL, with mixed results. In general, ECHL teams are comprised primarily of free-agent players. However, NHL and AHL-affiliations are common; clubs generally loan a handful of players – and almost assuredly a goaltender – to their ECHL affiliate. The goal of NHL teams is to develop players for the AHL team, and hopefully down the road, their big club. However, the goal for ECHL franchises (almost all are privately owned) is to win hockey games and make money, and as such, putting the best team possible on the ice is in their best interest.

The AHL, on the other hand, is a bit different. Per (most) affiliation agreements, player’s salaries are paid by the NHL franchise, even if the team is privately owned. The NHL team is also responsible (with very few exceptions) of hiring coaches and hockey operations staff, which in turn gives them almost complete control over player personnel. As such, development is considered paramount: the quality of AHL teams can be directly linked to the ability of their parent club’s draft picks and free-agent signings.

People often assume that there is a huge difference in the speed of the game between the levels. Truthfully, there isn’t much. The ECHL is comprised primarily of players who have been overlooked by NHL teams for whatever reason. Many players thrive in this league yet – due to size, perceived skill level, or age (among other things) – have a difficult time getting a legitimate shot in the AHL (and subsequently NHL). However, this doesn’t mean they are poor hockey players. If you take a quick glance at skills competition results from the ECHL, you’ll find that some players are just as talented on an individual basis as those in the AHL and NHL. Guys can crank the puck over 100mph. They can skate a lap in under 14 seconds.

What they can’t necessarily do is think the game on the same level as those in higher leagues. Therein lays the biggest difference: the speed of the game isn’t that different, but the intelligence and skill of the game is. While the puck may not physically move any faster, the rate at which plays are made and the creativity associated with them improves at every level.

The best way to describe this, from a goaltender’s perspective, would be to envision killing a penalty with the opposing team already in your zone. Imagine yourself, on your goal post ready to explode, puck in the corner and in possession of an attacking player. In the ECHL, there might be one or two viable options available for the opposing forward given their skill set/mental makeup. A top-end AHL player might have two or three options. But an NHL player – whose level of experience and ability to read the play (again think the game) surpasses those in the minors – might be able to create a third or even fourth option.

A great example of this type of player, whom I was lucky enough to grow up watching in my hometown of St. Louis, was Brett Hull. Everyone remembers Hull for his wicked shot, but very few realize just how good Brett was at getting open in the offensive zone. This is truly what set him apart from the rest of the snipers in the NHL: his mental game was every bit as good as his physical, if not better.

That’s not to say Brett Hull wasn’t one of the best shooters in hockey – ever. As you can imagine, each rung of the ladder features players who possess a higher skill set. However, there isn’t nearly the disparity that one might think, although exceptions certainly do exist. Top end players in the AHL can easily play in the NHL; in fact, most have at some point in their career or will in the near future. The same correlation exists between the ECHL and AHL. Becoming a full-time player at any level is ultimately decided by performance: you have to be able to grasp the opportunity and run with it.

When I talk about skill set, it covers lots of ground. Obviously, NHL players are the best shooters in the world. There’s no debating it. However, you also have to remember that the best defensemen play in the same league, a fact that cancels out a fair amount of singular offensive ability. Every team in the NHL has a superstar, but they don’t score every game. Why? Because teams have become adept at shutting down the opposition; systems and video analysis have advanced pre-scouting immensely.

From a personal standpoint, I’m glad that I spent the better part of two seasons in the ECHL before moving up to the AHL on a full-time basis. I got a chance to play for an outstanding team in Las Vegas, something that is invaluable in furthering a career. The bottom line is that NHL teams want winners in their organization. You might be the most technically skilled goaltender to grace the earth, but if you don’t have a worthy team around you, advancing your career becomes exponentially harder. Having played – and won – a number of games for the Wranglers provided the platform I needed to succeed with the AHL’s Portland Pirates the following year.

I also firmly believe that spending a year and a half in the AHL before getting my first taste of NHL action was of great benefit. I was nervous, but also knew that my four-year understudy in the minors had prepared me for just about anything. Overtime games? Check. Shootouts? Check. Playoff runs? Check. Being a backup? Check. Being sent down? Check. Getting pulled? Check…numerous times. Aside from playing against household names in the NHL, the game of hockey hadn’t changed for me.

Thankfully, the adjustment wasn’t huge. I never felt behind the play as some may assume; again, the speed wasn’t that different. During the several months I spent with Tampa Bay, the toughest challenge I faced was staying on top of my crease, especially during penalty kills. I had to trust my skating ability. Although I felt prepared to play in the NHL, I struggled to find consistency, something that many young goaltenders face when they move up to the next level. My fingers are crossed that I’ll get the call again someday. Being an NHL goaltender was always my dream. It still is – only now I’m more prepared than ever.

Like this one? Check out Mike’s Second Article Complete Guide to Professional Goalie’s Gear Setup and Customization

Over the last couple of weeks I have had the opportunity to work with Steve McKichan’s new FuturePro Live subscription site. Steve invited me as his guest to spend time and review his site and I was happy to do so as Keeks has been generous in his support for inGoal Magazine.

For less than $10 a month FuturePro Live members get access to content and expert coaching – billed as “your own personal NHL goalie coach.”

For a recently launched service, FuturePro Live is off to a great start and I would encourage you to check it out. Most of the content is delivered via a forum system—if you’ve spent time on the Goalie Store site you’ll know what it’s all about.

Screen shot of forum section - click for more detail

FuturePro Live might share a similar interface, but the content is vastly different. You’ll find forums with regular postings by no less than seven experienced coaches – three with NHL experience including Keeks, Mitch Korn and Mike Valley. Check out their regular writing, post some questions and look forward to their answers.

One of the most powerful opportunities is the member video reviews section. You post a video of yourself, or your child, and Keeks and his team will get back with answers. Not only can you benefit from analysis of your own game, you can also check out other members’ videos and see what the pros think of them.

This resource is good for a goalie, but it might be even better for a coach. You get to see young goalies and hear what top coaches comment about them. This is a great chance to improve what you do for your athletes.

Mitch Korn (L) and Steve McKichan (R)

In the instruction section of the site you can tune in to weekly podcasts where Keeks interviews a goalie or a coach, as well as see video clips of various teaching situations. The podcasts I heard were very interesting and the videos professionally produced. Most of the segments up now were excerpts from Keeks’ own DVD release; however, there are two original ones Mike Valley has uploaded with Nicklas Backstrom and Brian Elliot. They have lots of video ready to go and will continue to upload new content each week. You can expect to see lots of new videos – perhaps even some that are created in response to users’ questions.

The NHL game of the week analysis is an intriguing section. Steve comments on one of the games, letting you know what he thinks of the goaltenders’ play. It’s a fun way to enjoy the game and learn what a pro like Steve sees as he’s watching. Right now there is only one game up there, but the start is promising. You can tune in while the game is live and also post your own comments. In the future will be able to vote on which game gets covered.

Finally, there is a blog where Keeks posts daily tidbits – coaching tips, pointers to new information on the site – and more often than not great photography from inGoal’s own photographic editor Scott Slingsby.

New York Islanders Goalie Dwayne Roloson by Scott Slingsby

This isn’t just a site to check out information they post – members can contact the coaches directly for advice whenever they want – this ability really makes the connection personal. If you have a question as a member of FutrePro Live you’ll have your own NHL coach effective on retainer – just fire them your question and look forward to the result.

If you drop in for a look there are a number of freely available examples on the site so that you can see what you should expect as a subscriber. I can vouch for the quality of the content, and they have worked hard to see that there is a good deal of initial content. I have had several long sessions on the site and still haven’t made it through everything that is there. Be aware though that the service is new and still growing. In time the volume of material will grow as will the number of members who are interacting on the site.

Considering what we all invest in our goaltending $9.95 per month to get access to great information from top coaches every day is a great opportunity and I would encourage you to check it out.

As the site grows and Steve and his team refine it I would suggest they consider a few things:

1. Look at ways to expand and improve on the current live game analysis. They have a good start but there must be ways beyond the forum to build on this key feature. I could see people subscribing for this alone if I could have my laptop open and hear from Steve while the game is on.
2. I am concerned how they will manage as the volume of subscribers grows. The scalability of their service – to review all the videos submitted, to answer all the questions – when hundreds or even thousands of goalies have subscribed will be a significant challenge.
3. I think there is a significant opportunity to take personal online coaching to another level. Rather than just reacting to questions, I’d like to see Keeks put together a package with him designing personal training programs and guiding goalies directly – similar services in other sports though range from hundreds to even thousands a month – and one could never expect this for the bargain price of $9.95 a month. But it is an opportunity to help goalies and coaches while growing their business.

I understand that they have partnered with iCoach.com, founded by Steve Shields, and will be able to offer some great online coaching tools soon.

FuturePro Live is off to a great start and for a low price you can have access to fantastic and very personal content and coaching. With so many young goalies still lacking in coaching support today, this is an opportunity well worth checking out.

We brought you colouring sheets for all your young goalies and today we have another goalie activity for your kids – or you? Enjoy the goalie word search, and if you’d like to you can download the PDF version.

Guest article by Rob Levin. If you would like to contribute a guest article please send us an email.

Jacques Plante: the man who changed the face of hockey is author Todd Denault’s first book.  As a goalie and as an avid reader, I can recommend this excellent biography of one of the game’s greats.  Certainly it is a must have for anyone who wants to find out more about a man who is described by Ken Dryden:

“There are a lot of very good goalies, there are even a fair number of great goalies. But there aren’t many important goalies. And Jacques Plante was an important goalie.”

I became interested in Plante after the NHL Network’s recent celebration of the night Plante first donned the mask in an NHL game.  I remember hearing many times that Plante had contributed a tremendous amount to the goaltending profession; however, I had no idea what those contributions were.  I have always known that Plante was one of the best ever but didn’t really know why.  The book gives you a clear understanding of how Plante revolutionized the game.  The word revolutionize may be thrown around a bit carelessly at times, but in Plante’s case it is certainly apropos. Plante wasn’t simply the first NHL goaltender to wear a mask regularly (he wasn’t the first; that honor goes to Clint Benedict who wore it for the last 5 games of his career).  Plante was the first goalie head off dump ins by leaving the net to stop the puck.  He was the first to pass it up to teammates.  He was also the first to talk to his defensemen about oncoming attackers and to tell them where to pass the puck.  Denault not only explains what Plante did to change the game but also includes reactions from teammates, coaches, and others.

These interviews make it quite obvious that Denault spent a great deal of time and care researching Plante’s life – you’ll see quite a bit of detail in the book from interviews with Plante, Canadiens coach Toe Blake, and many others.  I found that the depth of research and level of detail was exceptional, but not overwhelming.  If there’s one area that left me wanting more it was in Plante’s personal life; though, Denault does gives a deep understanding of Plante as far as hockey is concerned.  For example, I did not know that Plante was known for being extraordinarily cheap.  He also spent quite a bit of time knitting while his teammates were drinking or playing cards together.  We also learn that as a child he was incredibly poor, and for a large portion of his childhood he didn’t even have shoes.  Where I would have appreciated more detail was his family life.  Only about two sentences are devoted to his divorce, and only about 5 sentences tell us of his son’s suicide.

It’s a minor weakness in what is otherwise a very strong book.  I also appreciate the insight into what hockey was like in Plante’s time.  Being in my 30’s, I don’t have a clear picture of what the game was like in the 40’s, 50’s, or 60’s.  I knew the Canadiens were good, but didn’t realize just how dominant they were.  I also didn’t realize that Plante was traded several times and played in the WHA as well.  Denault gives a clear understanding of what the league was like during that time and how players and coaches interacted with each other.  You also see how the media treated Plante in the various cities he played, including his time before the NHL.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a great deal, and highly recommend it. Any hockey fan, and especially any goalie, will truly appreciate it.

Rob Levin wears a tuxedo jersey and is the Hockey Goalie Coach - hockeygoaliecoach.com

Jacques Plante:
The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey
Written by Todd Denault

Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
ISBN: 978-1-55199-334-8 (1-55199-334-1)
Pub Date: October 27, 2009

Ed. You might also enjoy this interview with the author:

"Johnny Bower you're my hero!" (photo by Dick Shadd, Tampa Bay Times)

The flurry of comments and video highlights of Ondrej Pavelec’s “maskless” save vs. the Senators on Halloween night (and on the 50th anniversary of Jacques Plante’s first donning the mask no less!) caused me to reflect on the whole notion of how or why a goalie loses his or her mask in the first place. For me this query took on a more sombre angle when I watched – and cringed at – the video of Kitchener Rangers’ defenseman Ben Fanelli getting smashed into the boards, losing his helmet and fracturing his skull.

Ever since Plante’s historic night 50 years ago, hockey fans and the goalie community in particular have built a cult around the mask and its symbolism. However, when all is said and done it must be pointed out that the guardians of the net can’t do much guarding if their lid keeps flipping off. When Pavelec lost his mask in that game the big hoopla was about him actually making a rather scary shoulder save on Alex Kovalev before the referee had time to blow the whistle. Whenever a goalie’s mask gets knocked off (just anecdotally I can attest that this happens numerous times every season) it is standard practice to stop the play immediately. This practice, however, apparently isn’t even a rule, and won’t be until the NHL officially updates its rule book in 2012.

Getting back to the mask “malfunction”: most of us can readily attest that the mask, while cool looking (especially with a 500$ paint job of girls in bikinis or loathsome gargoyles), is more of a necessary evil than anything. It is relatively heavy (3 lbs), hot, sweaty and after a season or two, often gives off a villainous odor that has you thinking you are putting your head into a toilet bowl. But we goalies endure the nuisance. The reason why is damned simple: most of us would probably be dead (and not just brain dead as half of us are already) if we didn’t.

That stated, why in God’s name don’t we do up the chin strap?

Here’s a test: go run into the garage and grab your mask. Try to FIND a chin strap in it. Not a chin cup, which is more for fit and comfort. Look for an actual chin strap that buckles under your chin, and when done up effectively stops the mask from being taken off. For example, if you have an Itech mask, especially one of the entry level models (1000, 1200, 2500), you almost certainly have a second set of snaps on either side of the chin where a strap is intended to go. Many of us just loosen this strap or remove it altogether. It makes it way easier to flip up the mask to take a drink, to lambaste the ref or to spit, as all good hockey players do with great frequency and panache. A substantial number of masks, however, have no chin strap whatsoever and are held on strictly by the force of the elastic that squeezes the back plate and the mask itself against your face.

OK, I got it: that means I am trusting my life to a rubber band…

For all the volumes of debate on the web and in dressing rooms about which mask rings the least when hit, which sightlines are clearest and which cage finish looks best, precious little talk is reserved for the humble chin strap, even though it could make a huge difference. While goalies don’t regularly get body-checked (though there are a number amongst us who would contest this statement), the danger of the mask falling off and our heads hitting the goalpost, the ice or an errant skate slicing through space at 25 mph are real. Going back to the tragic incident involving the junior player who is still in critical condition, if one looks at the video, his helmet is already off when he hits the glass, way before his head slams into the ice. Ditto for Andrei Kostitsyn 12 months ago against the Avalanche. Ditto for Islanders Kyle Okposo against Dion Phaneuf this fall. Ditto for Donald Brashear years back in that ugly incident with Marty McSorley. What can anyone conclude if it isn’t the injury being caused or substantially worsened by the bare head hitting the rock-hard ice from 6 feet up?

I am not a football fan in the least, but one thing I admire about the sport is the nuance in its culture. 300 lb. mastodons pile drive each other into the turf, then when the whistle blows they help the other guy back to his feet, not try to rub their stinking gloves in his face. Everybody does their chin strap up the second they step onto the field. Why? Because there is a penalty for not doing so, that’s why. In hockey, for whatever absurd reason, snugging up your chin strap is not cool. Take a look the next time you watch a game on TV. Most of the guys, by my estimation, could slip 3 or 4 fingers under the chin strap it is so loose. I snicker as I imagine an NHL player trying to tell a Hummer-sized NFL lineman that he’s a sissy because he fastens his chin strap tight.

Just for the record, minor hockey does have a rule that goalies must have a chin strap just like any other player (whether it is done up is a different story). Nevertheless, in five years of coaching goalies at that level I have only seen this enforced once (imagine that in an Atom tournament the other team sends over a parent “spy” to watch our goalie from behind our bench. Go figure, minutes later the ref stops the play and after consulting the opposing coach, makes our goalie leave the game because he doesn’t have a chin strap).

I’m not sure if there is any definitive comment to be made about this whole issue. I don’t want to sound like a crusader, since my own goalie mask came from the manufacturer with an unapproved cat eye cage and no provision for a chin strap. Nevertheless, it has saved my life more than a couple of times, yesterday afternoon being the most recent occasion.  In that light, it boggles the mind to think of Jacques Plante and his contemporaries playing every night with nothing on their faces but beads of sweat and a gap-toothed grin…

Last night we launched our Future Pro Goalie School Videos by Steve McKichan Giveaway. Check out the article for more information on how you can get involved.

The comments are rolling in and we have added a scoreboard on the front of the site so we can see the top commenters and where people stand in the competition. This count is unofficial – remember to count you must add something of value in a comment. “Nice article” won’t cut it – we want an opinion, share an experience, or add something that is missing.

Steve McKichan who created the videos and has offered to give a set away is an avid reader of inGoal Magazine and sent me a few notes today when he saw that we had posted the offer last night.

If you are too excited to wait for contest results – you can order them now at this link.

We’ll also be posting sample videos over the next several days – so stay tuned for more great stuff from Steve and inGoal Magazine.

No matter whether we tend goal in the best garage league, with the corporate logo uniforms and the hot-shots who played Senior AA or semi-pro, or in the worst pick-up leagues, where guys wear non-matching socks and those ridiculous square-headed helmets made (in)famous by the Soviet Red Army, we all have dreamed of our 15 minutes of glory. Call me an incurable romantic if you wish; I maintain that goalies in particular understand and cultivate this notion of the dream. Every time we flash the leather, even if it is against a guy who uses masking tape on his antique Sher-Wood 5030 wood stick, for one shining moment, time freezes with the puck in our mitt, and we are in our glory.

Jesus, somebody call George Plimpton. Or maybe a psychologist specializing in delusional behavior.

I just got back from my audition for the TV reality series « La série Montréal-Québec ». 28 standouts to be chosen from 10000 hopefuls doesn’t leave great odds, particularly when you are over 40 and the smell you drink in after the game isn’t that of victory as much as it is Ben-Gay rub and warm beer.

Nevertheless, even if I don’t get called back, I have to say it was fun. We were brought in, on time, by security guards with black uniforms and ear-phone intercoms just like it was a Rolling Stones concert tour. Nervous smiles and waves to some garage league buddies, a file photo while holding our lucky contestant number, then downstairs to dress and stand along the boards watching the forwards and defensemen in action on the ice. I was surprised by the lack of ego in the dressing room; in fairness I think that just looking at our own waist lines with our shirts off was enough to kill any ego trip. But everyone was chatty and in good spirits, with most of the talking done by two guys who were the garage league equivalent of « Fern » from the movie « Les Boys » (Fern is the goalie in the film who can’t stop the puck but who knows every hockey statistic by heart and will never shut up talking to everyone about it).

When the on-ice session began, we found ourselves at center ice with Nancy Drolet (Olympic gold medalist 1998) and Bob Hartley (Stanley Cup winner and former head coach, Colorado Avalanche and Atlanta Thrashers), who quickly put us all at ease with their humour and unassuming manner. Hartley in particular, who told a short story about his working in a factory and dreaming about once day becoming an NHL coach, then having it actually come true. «At 40 years old, you are here strictly because you love hockey. You have every right to dream, and the next 30 minutes is your chance. Enjoy yourselves to the fullest, no matter how short the time is. »

Then he made fun of the guy with the ancient Jofa helmet-cage à la Arturs Irbe (noting that Michel Bergeron made him promise not to pick any hard-luck Russian goalie for his team), as well as another goalie with a Thrashers jersey (saying that from personal experience, anyone wearing that uniform wasn’t likely to win too many games).

Lots has been written about the « brotherhood » of goalies; how the guys who strap on the pads are in a league all their own, which only other goalies can grasp the nuances of. With tongue in cheek I have to say that this tryout seemed to confirm this. Contrary to the players, who seemed more in their bubble, during the three 30 second tests the goalies eagerly cheered each other on, slapping their sticks on the ice and giving high-fives all around. Even the goalie who showed up with player skates and couldn’t do a T-push to save his life got cheers (the fact that he stopped as many friggin’ pucks as me is beside the point).

The guys firing the pucks were players brought in just to shoot. It was interesting to note how easy the first shots were, and how by the last series they were roofing the puck like they had « Brett Hull » stitched on the back of their jerseys. Guess that’s where they separated the men from the boys. I managed to stop 7 of nine shots, but I think there were at least two guys who did better. One goalie faced Bob Hartley himself for a sequence, and he stonewalled the former coach three times in a row, which brought cheers all around. After we finished, go figure, the goalies spontaneously gathered at center ice and did a team cheer. You read right, a bunch of strangers just a-gushin’ with brotherly love. But even I have to admit that if it had turned into a group hug, I would have been heading for the exits. Goalies can be a weird lot sometimes. Guess that’s part of our mystique.

In any case, if I don’t receive news by October 17th, that means I’ll have to go on living the dream in my garage league games rather than on this TV reality series. Apparently the next step is for 100 guys to be invited to a three day training camp. If by some miracle I get the call, I’ll have more news for you…