Episode 9 Kay Whitmore, Henrik Lundqvist and Frederik Andersen + CCM Jetspeed FT2 Skate

Intro

Hi. This is Kay Whitmore, and I certify this podcast is regulation length, correct size, and I'm definitely signing off on it.

As the unofficial voice of goaltenders worldwide, InGoal Radio, the podcast is now officially compliant by way of the guru, Kay Whitmore, who also goes by the Senior Director of Hockey operations operations with with the the National National Hockey Hockey League. He is one of the the most powerful men in hockey, especially when it comes to goaltending, and he will be our featured guest on episode nine of InGoal Radio, the podcast presented by the Hockey Shop Source for Sports, the hockeyshop.com. I'm Daren Millard. This is access you simply will not find anywhere else offering a conversation with the likes of Henrik Lundqvist in this episode. A listener question answered by the number one goaltender of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and that is just part of episode nine spending some significant time with Kay Whitmore, catching up with David Hutchison, and and, of course, sending Kevin Woodley out and about.

Kevin?

Yeah, Daren. This is, week three of the Hockey Shop Source for Sports as the title sponsor of the InGoal Radio Podcast. That means another week I get to head into the shop, little slice of goalie heaven, talk to Cam Matwiv. This week, we're gonna talk about the new CCM JetSpeed FT2 goalie skates with their XSG holder, which is, of course, the the first CCM goalie skate that has no cowling. And Cam broke it down for us, all the new custom options, which may be just as exciting once you get to know about the new fit and and the new build on the skate, as exciting as the fact it's got no cowling.

So we'll we'll go over those details with Cam. Of course, I'm lucky. I get to go to the Hockey Shop Source for Sports out here in Surrey in the Lower Mainland Of Vancouver in person. They've been in my my backyard, and there's a reason I go there for all my goalie needs, an entire floor dedicated to the position, a staff that all plays the position, some of the best skate sharpening in the Lower Mainland. People drive for hours to get Cecil and his crew to sharpen their skates.

Not everybody can come here. Not everybody gets the opportunity to visit in person. And for those, I would recommend you head to the website, thehockeyshop.com for all your goaltending needs. They've got the latest. They've got full reviews up on the CCM EFlex 4, on the Bauer two x pro line, and, of course, on what we're gonna talk about today, the CCM FT2 goalie skates.

They've already got on ice testing, on ice reviews on their website. And, of course, whenever we have new product, that means sale on the old stuff. So make sure you check out the hockeyshop.com. If you can't visit in person, check them out for all all your goaltending needs.

KW, thank you. David Hutchison also has needs. You have a lot of needs. Most of it involves ointment and and and making sure your body feels good because you, David Hutchison, are one of two goaltenders that are over the age of 50 that we will hear from in Episode 9, you and Kay.

50 is the new 40 or 50 is the new 20. Yeah. I feel much slower. Much slower. I we're super looking forward to, to listening to Kay today and, and your chat with him.

We read so much about the regulations. We talk so much about the changes to gear over the years, and now we actually get to hear from the guy, behind the scenes. And for me, it's it's fascinating just because, obviously, this is somebody who's I mean, he's played the game. He loves the game. He cares about the future of the game.

And so to hear the perspective that's behind all the changes that he's making, that he's not really just the Grinch who stole goaltending. He's he's out there trying to make the game better for everybody. It's it's gonna be really fascinating to hear hear what he had to say.

And he still plays, and and that was part of the conversation that that I thought was important to get across.

In in compliant gear, I understand as well.

One of the two goalies Yeah. In that skate. But yeah. And and the fact that he really feels it's it's it's important. So Who's

who's the higher skill goaltender when you guys are facing each other, Daren?

Well, you know what? I I don't like to brag, but I did win the last time that we played. But we didn't switch teams when we when we got to five. We just kept on going, and I had a much better team.

Who who did you have? Who are you playing with there that's good?

Just just a just a few different guys from from around the the NHL office. They're all young. They're all college guys or or junior guys or pro guys, and and it's a it's a really good skate, way above my pay grade. Kay is really, really good, but I had the much better team.

And you've got And the non compliant gear.

Oh, yeah. Yeah. I cheat in in in every aspect. And the guys even laugh about it. They and you know what?

When you're skating with these guys that know all the rules, you just step on the ice and they're going, yeah. Nice job with the toe. Nice job with your straps. I'm like, yeah, yeah, exactly what I do. I'm I'm cheating.

Well, and it goes down to personal preference. Right? It it varies from all the different manufacturers. The one constant, Hutch, is that there's that little KW on each piece of pads or gloves or chest to your pants that's worn in the NHL. That is your it is your stamp of approval from Kay Whitmore.

And we got the green light to chat with Kay about his time both playing goal in the National Hockey League, actually going back to his earliest days tending the crease, and now his current role as he patrols the position in the National Hockey League. I've never had the opportunity to talk to you about certain things. One is, who's your hero when you were growing up?

Feature Interview - Kay Whitmore

Goalie wise?

Yeah. Who got you? Captured your attention from a goaltending standpoint?

That's a good question. I think hockey wise, it was a young age with Bobby Orr, but I know where we're going with this question that didn't lead me to wear number four like certaIn goalies do nowadays. They have idols like 19 and stuff like that. But I think I grew up you grew up in Northern Ontario and I went to a lot of junior hockey games. The Sudbury Wolves are the local teams.

You went and watched. I remember way back watching Jim Bedard play. I was really young at that point. I was probably one of 600 people at the games. There was nobody there.

But when then Don Beaupre came along, and Don Beaupre was someone I loved watching play. I loved his butterfly. I loved his gear. And it was just I guess I was a guy I kinda followed when I was younger. And just because it was local, I got to see him live.

It was just one of those things. And, obviously, he he had a great career. He had a great run-in Washington, Minnesota, all these places, and it was I think that was a guy that I looked up to. I think I was fortunate enough at the time living at home with my parents that I go they took me to enough games, but my also my Aunt and Uncle living in Kitchener, they had billeted some players. They billeted Brian Bellows.

They had Wendell Young was a good friend there, Al MacInnis. So these guys, I think one night after a game in Sudbury, they came down and had some pizza at my mom's house, and and you got to meet some of the best players in the NHL at the time. Scott Stevens was there. Al MacInnis, these guys are all, you know, guys that you end up starting to play with once in a while against. But at a young age, you got to see and be around a little bit.

But like I said, was a guy. Wendell Young was a player. You watch him play in junior. You got to know them a little bit, and you kinda you idolize them a little bit, and they you wanna do what they were doing.

You're you're almost in the perfect job because it's hard to find a picture of you that doesn't that doesn't have the good gear. Like, you were always color coordinated.

I think, yeah. I think that's funny because now if anyone if I ever get a set of gear, they wanna do retro old brown and stuff. Like, no, no, I had enough of that stuff early on. But, yeah, they're I think in the Hartford days, the green and blue and the white patterns, the mask, I could never settle on you know, you can see some of my old cards. I had a different blocker from catcher, and my pads changed from one card to the next.

But there was the years we went to camp, and you I wasn't quite sure what I was gonna wear. And it wasn't about the money. It was just about getting that feel. But, yeah, you know, you never think of it at the time, but there was some pretty cool looking gear.

When you look back at some of those cards, the backup goalie towel is is into is is in a lot of them. And Mike McKenna pointed this out, like, your one of your cards is was his favorite card because of the backup goalie We're trying to bring it back a little bit.

I think that's I I'm surprised that it went away because I thought that it was a great way to stay warm.

Mhmm.

It fit right underneath your jersey and kept you warm when it looked good. And unfortunately, I think there's probably a large percentage of my hockey cards have me skating around with the backup towel on and my partner snowing up the crease getting ready to start the game.

You still play. Do you think that's an important part about your job? Because you still get out there and you're you're active in in in playing, so you you get to experience the gear and the changes and the shots and the sticks and and everything that goes along with it?

Yeah. I think I think it it does. I think I tried to stay current with it for a long time. I think I probably didn't play for fifteen years after retiring, but the last two or three, I thought, you know, as you get further removed from playing, it's important to try to to build the talk the talk. You gotta be able to wear the new skates, wear the new pads, you know, loosen your pads, have them rotate, have a toe you don't have the old toe buckle on and that get bent and breaks all the time.

You try to try to wear what today's guys are wearing and get a feel for what it's like. Obviously, you're not playing at that level and the speed that they face and the way the guys shoot, but I it just gives me a better understanding of what's what they're going through in a sense based on the equipment. I always try to pride myself and I'll say that to the guys when I talk to them now. It's it's important to stay current. I never wanted to be the guy that forgot what it was like to to have played or where you came from.

So, you know, getting opinions of today's players that, you know, I haven't played in seventeen years. It's a long time ago. The game's changed a lot. So getting, you know, honest opinions from today's guys, I value a lot of the guys that I talk to all the time. And having to being where the gear and, you know, seeing how guys can shoot even at a lower level with the stick technology and all that stuff.

I think it gives me a better understanding in what I can talk to these guys about and, you know, on a lower level anyway.

So did you have that moment with the new way people wear pads? I'm almost there.

I still I still am prone to tightening them too tight. And guys are like, you gotta loosen some of them. Man, they're gonna fall off. So I'm I'm kind of in between. I've almost got it perfectly now where I can I get them to rotate and the pad actually does the butterfly for me without my hips and that like they used to, but I'm getting close?

It's funny, even though you haven't played a long time and we play what once every couple of weeks at the office and that with those skates that you come to all the time or a couple of alumni games, it's still how do you get that feeling of when your gear feels great, you feel great. And you don't play enough. It's easier when you're on the ice every day. But now, you know, every couple of weeks, it's harder to get to that point. But I'm telling you what, I'm almost there.

Did is the mask that you you wear was your Flames mask that was from your last stop? Yeah. Was that the same exact mask that you wore the entire time, or do you did you have a few different ones?

Same manufacturer. I I had a few different ones. Was Different ones? Unfortunately, they weren't as good.

Because John like, John Garrett, he just painted over his mask all the time.

Well, I know that happened a couple of times. I think I had one or two I had painted over. The teams weren't as generous or I didn't ask as much in those days. You kind of took your mask with you. Then, you know, one time, you know, I think I was in Boston or somewhere.

It just was painted black. It was in Providence. Put a couple stickers on it. You paint over it. You know, it's unfortunate.

You lose the artwork. But now they've become such a, you know, a keepsake for guys that you wanna keep it on your bar. You wanna keep it in your office. But, unfortunately, the flames one I wear now is still a Greg Harrison. I still won't go on the ice without it.

It fits me. It fits well. It's in great shape. Obviously, I was only in Calgary one year when I got it. It was my last year.

You played one game for the Flames in that mask.

One loss for the Flames. Yep. I spent about a month on the bench when Vernie had a bad groin, and I think Roman Turek had a couple injuries. So I got to spend a little time there. It was a great experience with those two guys, but we won one one loss on my record for the flames, three one to to Tampa Bay, I believe it was.

Martin St. Louis scored. I think Jason Cullimore might have scored. I can't remember the other one, but it was, it was a fun trip because I think the the most noteworthy part about that was we'd had a big dust up a couple games before that against Anaheim where almost all the guys on both teams get thrown out. So I think Greg Gilbert was a coach at the time. He was suspended.

So Al McNeil was coaching. He probably didn't know my name and stuff at the time. No. Al's a great guy. I'm just being funny, but it was funny because we had a bunch of guys suspended, and you're just out there playing, and you get the call that, well, hey.

By way, you're playing tonight. He was like, oh, okay. Great. I haven't played in a while in this league, but it was, yeah, it was it was nice to get one game in there.

Who's your first win against? When you're

a Whaler, there's only one team you really wanna beat, and it was against the Bruins at home four two. Really? Yeah. It was the guys the guys played great. Like, I I always remember the the first game, like, yesterday because I think I was sitting in the dressing room between Dave Babych, Jon Andersen, and you gotta think of the characters that were on my team.

So a of facial hair. Lot of facial hair. Just guys that they weren't gonna let you be too nervous. They're just keeping you light. Ron Francis is your captain.

You go Randy Ladouceur is there, Joel Quenneville, Ray Ferraro, Samuelson. You think of all the guys that are still in hockey and either broadcasting or coaching. There's a lot of them in that room that day, and we went out, and we we beat the Bruins four two. I, you know, I remember both goals like yesterday. I think Craig Janney banked one in from behind the net off the back of my knee, and I was first one I'd ever give it up in the league.

And then I think the other one was a beautiful cross corner dump. Bruce Crowder skated into a one timer, hammered it off the far post. It was one of those ones where probably not stopping that ever. And, you know, it was good. It was a good start, and, it was fun.

It was obviously playing at home against the Bruins, and, you know, you've you've been drafted fairly highly, so people have, like, some high expectations. And to get that first one was great.

Are you relieved that this year is is almost over in the sense that you've now Are we through the adjustments, do you think, in equipment, in the tweaks and, like, the major changes? We've done the pads. We've done the pants. We've done upper body and chest. It seems like we're through it.

Like this and this might have been the biggest challenge for you was was the the chest and arm.

Yeah. I I think by far. I think the pants took a little longer than we wanted. We had a couple mistakes along the way manufacturing wise where some padding was omitted, we had to put the brakes on and obviously implement mid season wasn't ideal. There wasn't a lot of happy goalies when we did that, but, you know, we it was what we had to do at the time.

But the chest protector was something that we, know, I wouldn't have thought it was gonna be this difficult, but there are a lot of parts to it. It is one of the pieces that goalies change the least that they're most particular about, and it's obviously protects a lot of vital areas. And I think to make any mistakes with the protection in this area was gonna, you know, be catastrophic. So we took our time. You know, we're working with the Players Association.

Matthew Schneider was very supportive as were Rob Zepp and Dave Sinclair who've worked hand in hand with me the whole way, and it's been a collaborative effort. But we wanna make sure if we're gonna do this right, we're gonna get it right one time, not try to, you know, unroll it out and have problems. So we took an extra year, and, you know, we learned a lot of things the first time. You know, you you you play on the manufacturer's experience and their knowledge to say, hey, can you do this? This is what my vision is.

We want it to look less square. We want it to fit better, not as wide, contoured, you know, slope here and this and that. But, you know, you get these dumb looks like, how do you want it done? You know? So you go back to drawing board.

You know, I always have these buddies that engineers and architects, these people, some of the work with the military and they do You're smart buddies. Yeah. I got smart buddies. I try to try to associate with smart people. It makes me feel a little smarter.

But, you know, you're sitting at all star and you're like, I don't get it. What's so difficult about your chest protector project? Just spec it out. Spec Spec it out and build it. You know, like this guy's working in the military and building things that save people's lives and you're sitting there going, spec it out.

Alright. You know, it's like and even Coley said that. It's like, we just tell these guys how to build it. But at first, you're trying to be careful and say, I don't wanna go too far out here and say how to build it. And if it doesn't work, I'm not an expert in designing equipment.

I've wanted a lot, but I'm not I don't wanna get ourselves in trouble here either. But once we learned, you know, we went through this process of, like, you know, we see this 3D scanner thing I saw once where they try we were doing a project on shoulder pads. So the the player had shoulder pads on and they did a scan. You could see where the body was in relation to shoulder pad and they were projecting way outside the body. We're trying to determine what the proper size shoulder pad was and if there's too much projection, will it cause, you you know, more more or less concussions, and is it better for the hitter or the hitty and all these different things.

And I looked at that picture, I'm like, hey, why can't we do that with a goalie chest protector? Because, you know, the hardest part is to sell people on when you're reducing something. It's like, well, it's easy to sell if I show that this piece of the shoulder is is 18 inches outside the body. It's not protecting anything. You can see, you know, a three d rendition, you know, of the body underneath it.

So that's where we started. And we took all the existing units that guys were wearing a couple years ago and put it through this process. And then we try to refine what we wanted our standard to be based on what was in existence, what we liked, what we didn't like. All of them were acting, you know, doing a good job of protecting guys. You know, it's kinda how we came to a standard.

Now that's the new way of doing things. We you know, you put it on a mannequin. The mannequin's the same every time. You do the same scan by the same company, by the same people, and all of a sudden, the companies adapt. And now they know when they build a new model, it has to go to this process instead of just coming in and Kay has the eyeball test and sometimes Kay's eyes aren't as good as they used to be, and you get into a unit where you're like, oh, man, I wish I would have never approved that.

But, you know, the rules were seven inch wide floater here and seven inch elbow. Everything else was kinda, well, it's close. But now I think we we buckled down on the rule and put a lot more, you know, you know, a lot more teeth in the rule. And it's harder to get around, and it's easier to to police and maintain and implement. And I think that's how we got here.

But I think to your point, yeah, I think the early part of the year was rough. You know, I think, you know, getting it rolled out to getting it to the guys as early as they ask for, and I really want to, it never happens because I we have little control over the, you know, the That's manufacturing. Manufacturing is even if it's a new year for pants, chest protectors, they still have the way they're gonna do it. They're gonna build their pads. They're gonna build their gloves.

They're gonna build you're gonna fit this stuff in when they can and, you know, yeah, they wanna get the guys their stuff, but they don't really you know, it's not that big a priority to them. So that leaves you answering questions. Well, how come I didn't get mine till July you know, September 1? But, you know, we got some guys in them in August. We got some companies got their units out for some of the big camps, like the one in Kelowna and that where there was some instant feedback.

Some of it not really good, but it helped, you know, spur the process on. So any feedback at when something new is coming out is good, so then we can address it if there's, you know, underprotected or anything like that or the guys were finding problems, and it just started to evolve. And we got you know, once camp started, we got guys in them, and every company started to get their scent and some earlier than others. But, you know, there's guys that were more proactive. I remember middle of August hearing from New York and say, hey.

Hank might get hit in the tricep here. Can we add a pad? Yep. Never heard from him again. Like, this so we try to address every goalie's is concerned one on one face you know, just do it personally.

There's been a there were some conversations on FaceTime with guys that said, hey, my my new one. I can't even take my mask off. This what's going on with this thing? So I think we worked through all that in August, September, October, you know, then the

season hands couldn't reach

Couldn't reach their mask. They thought it was too stiff.

Like, they

they actually wanted a smaller unit. So they were just guys that were because part of this thing when you make changes is some of the older guys have been in units since they were probably in midget or junior hockey, and they they stayed in it. Their comfort level was there, and it may have been, you know, the same size as I tried to create, but the company that they were wearing decided not to build that old model anymore. They wanted everyone in the new one. So we had to find remedies for these situations.

And, fortunately, we had five or six companies building units at the time, so the goalies had a lot of choice, and the union supported that. Hey. If you don't like this exactly, try something else. And I think the equipment managers that were very proactive with this as well ordered four or five different companies for their goalies and had them in the backroom. And the guys would come in and play around, and they'd try it and go, yeah.

I really like this. I don't like this. About this part on this part? And, you know, then we got into some Frankensteining things where guys like the arms on this one, the shoulders on this.

Yeah. That that freaked me out. Didn't see that one.

That was you know, I should have known it was gonna come because if you go and see player shoulder pads, you can see a certain kind of cap here, a certain vest here, different parts over here. So players, you know, you find a comfort in that, and we had to find a way around it, but it went back to the same process. If you wanna take one guy's shoulder floater with a different arm and someone else's chest, let's send it, put it on the mannequin and make sure it, you know, meets the slope and with the criteria. And if it does, then I'm okay with that.

So you had to test the whole unit together, not just approve arms and approve. So if if if manufacturer a's chest and arm was approved and manufacturer B's chest and arms were approved and you put them together, laying some Frankenstein arms and and chest, you still had to put that on the mannequin to make sure

Yeah. It fit. Didn't wanna I didn't wanna go out on a limb and get back into the soup where we were before where all of a sudden someone's doing it because they found a way to make Yeah. Take the biggest parts of each one, which is it's my biggest fear is always if one company is so much more popular than the others Yeah. It means there must be something to it from a goalie's but that's my my my antenna going up.

But or it could be just that they did a better job, but you gotta kinda sift through all that and say, okay. Unfortunately, there was a lot of it was spread out. So I'm like, that's comforting because maybe, you know, the playing field's pretty level. Guys are are migrating to where they feel they like. And if one guy likes it stiffer, one guy likes softer, one guy likes this, but they're all within the same sizes, then we're accomplishing the goal we wanted.

But I didn't wanna take a chance if, you know, company a's full unit was approved and you put something from company b on that a, I didn't wanna take that chance. So we just went through the same process, and it was quick. It was like, yep. That floater works on that one, and, oh, by the way, those arms work on that one. So we have several of those.

You know, I know it wasn't an ideal situation, but I don't think the goalies were doing it in any other reason other than to try to find that comfort level that they had in prior seasons. And I think that was I'm I'm okay with that. Was there

a point during the year where you thought we're we're through this? Where where the the the talk, the chatter kinda quieted down?

Yeah. I think I'm trying to think about when the chatter was at its you know, was at a fever pitch there for a while, whereas every day you picked up the paper and there was six or seven guys, the similar guys, and a lot of guys that I'd already talked to, and, you I think some of the some of them were legit. Some guys were wearing units where we yeah, we changed the geometry of the arm, but we didn't ask them to change the the protection level, and some foams were inadequate, and that's we had to work through those really quickly. And then there were others where guys just weren't playing well. There were some guys that didn't like their statistics, and I'm sure if I let in five or six and you interviewed me after the game about my equipment, I'm probably not gonna be overly Yeah.

Happy to discuss it. And I think there's a lot of those, you know, I took a lot of the quotes that I read out of they were out of context a little bit because I had previously talked to the guys, I followed up with them after. And the conversation after wasn't exactly what was said in the in some of the articles and stuff like that. So I think the guys were good. I just, you know, tried to get out in front of it, and, you we know, try to be transparent through this whole process.

So if someone had a concern and they thought we did something wrong or they were unhappy, you know, hey, here's my number. Call me anytime a day, and let's work through this. And if it's legit, we'll fix it. If not, then, know, because we've got a lot of other guys that are playing, playing well, and not saying a damn thing. Right?

There was a lot of quiet, you know, nobody it's but it's not a sexy story to go ask a guy in Detroit or in wherever he's playing. You love your chest protector? Yeah. Nobody's gonna say that. It's just it's it's

Squeaky wheel.

Squeaky wheel, and you're all in the same kind of you know, you're all goalies, and you're why why do that? Why step outside the box when you don't have to? But, you know, the silence also made me feel good that there's a lot of guys out there that are playing really well in various various companies' units, and we're gonna get through this. And, you know, even talking to the Players Association, Matthew said, hey. This keep dealing with it.

You're doing a good job. Keep dealing with the guys one on one. This sooner or later, this will go away. And I don't know. We got through November or so, and then it just becomes the new normal.

And then Yeah. Companies have taken these ideas or the concerns that the goalies had and implemented them into generation two models or gen three models, and now they've got exactly what they want. And then so when you start to see repeat orders coming through, it's a good feeling. And the guys start to you know, they just they they've settled in, and and they just continue to play.

Some bruising, I'm sure, but nobody got hurt. That that might be the maybe the biggest surprise to me is you got through without any injuries. I mean, surprise might be the wrong word, but relief or whatever you wanna wanna use, but there wasn't any of that. There were some guys complaining about getting hit in some soft spots.

Yeah. No. I I think to to be completely honest with you, Daren, I think that was a concern every night. I think when you do something like this, a serious injury or an injury period could derail the whole project and we go back to say, hey, you know, you know, I think there were some guys thought, you know, with some of the bruising comments and that, there's just gonna be an arbitrary, hey, this is it. We're we're we're backing off.

Put your old units on. But it was like, no, we're not changing. Yeah. I've got a lot of pictures. I've seen some bruises, but the converse Has he sending in bruises?

There was it's three equipment, man. Yeah. There were guy it's like one guy was like, well, thought I was supposed to send these in. Was like, well, who told you that? Like, was just like and the funny part about the one bruise I got was it wasn't even an area that we changed.

You know, like, the chest itself, the the vest was the the ribs in the blocking area, the blocks on the on the chest protector wasn't something we changed. So I was like, why did I get this picture of a guy's bruised ribs? It doesn't make any sense. But I think, you know, that was you know, it just was part of the whole thing. And but when you have conversations with some guys, there's still a lot of guys who like, hey, It's occupational hazard.

You're gonna get bruised. You're gonna get stingers. You're gonna get hit in all these things. It just you know, the topic of

the your era. Right? Right. It hurt. It hurt a little bit.

Yeah. You you know, you that era when you went from the two piece, the the arm and the chest were separate.

Yeah.

There was a lot of bruising under the under the armpit and all those areas, and the companies have done a great job of adapting. Like, when you were a young kid and you got your first John Brown, you didn't get bruised anymore. You were like, oh, I might have a chance to make it. Mhmm. Right?

And I think you're even though you built the best stuff nowadays, there's still gonna be some shots. You watch every night and you go, wow. What a shot. Guys are shooting so hard. They're they're coming right up to the white tees and they're banging one off the guy's shoulder.

But, like you said, we we try to we track the injury data, the lot you know, the contusions and bruises, and there was no spike in that through all star. There was no spike in through the March meetings. There was no spike earlier in the season when when everyone was talking about it. And I, you know, I think anyone that needed a little bit more got what they needed without altering the shape. Then there were guys that were taking a padding out because they felt like they couldn't move.

So the that's the part that it's You crazy. It's hard to explain to people is that there's I don't know if it's discomfort level or pain threshold or what, but there were guys who wanted to take the floaters off their chest protector, or they wanted to take the

thickness Are they allowed of the do that? Yeah. Really?

As long as yeah. Like, I've I've never been one that would stand in their way of removing things as long as I felt it didn't put them in harm's way. But I think some of the we had this discussion in Nashville at All Star when we were really getting into this project was, like, is the floater really necessary over your shoulder? Because the vest blocks and all that stuff are so thick that you could probably survive without them, but it's become part of the unit. But, you know, we had a guy that tried without it, felt like he moved better.

So, you know, as long as he's not getting hurt, and it's his choice. Right? So it's it's it's not believe me, it doesn't happen very often.

Yeah. So somebody took they play right now without a floater?

Yeah. Wow. Yeah. So it's it's an interesting look, but it sure is it sure makes the slope of the shoulders and the width of the hit look great, you know. So

So are you through it now? This whole multi year, multi equipment transition?

Well, I I think the the big part was the size specific or the the fitting the guys properly with the chest and the pant. Was that that was one that was kind of tied together from the get go. I think we're through that now. I think we've resized the pants. We have fit one, two, three, four, small, medium, large, extra large.

We have the same in the chest. We have, you know, we have units now that are new that are coming in and they get scanned and they're off by three quarters of an inch on each side. We're down to we're down to jaywalking now. So I think we've got it down where the this part is great. But

But between pads, pants, and upper body, this is how goalies are gonna look for a few years.

This is probably yeah. I think, obviously, you you this the the minute you stop, somebody finds something else because I think goalie coaches are incredible. I think manufacturers find different ways to improve their products, but I think this is we've set this the way these are gonna be, but, you know, you gotta keep monitoring. When we did the pad length, pads, you know, sat on top of the skate. The toe strap was fairly a decent length.

There were boot straps underneath your skate or across the back. Then we have the evolution of the the loop at the back of the skate. This the boot the boot strap, Carrie takes it off, so everybody takes it off. Yeah. Then the toe lace gets a little longer like Condo had in Montreal.

Montreal. Like, so now the pad drifts a little bit more up the leg, so you have to be concerned with, hey, is this pad going back to where we took the two inches off before? And because you, you know, there's no directions on how to wear this stuff. When you send you make a rule, you use, know, the understanding is the pad sits on the laces of your skate. Well, you look at a lot of them now, they're touching on the toe, the increased boot angle now takes the pad and goes straight up the leg, which we accounted for with the measuring system we have now because, you know, boot breaks a boot break at 90 sits nicely on your foot, which would have been a nice rule.

We should just put a 90 degree boot break in. But that was that kind of limited, you know, some of the design ideas and, yeah, I would probably put more rebounds back in the slot, not the corner because that's kind of one of the big ideas behind the boot break being so steep. But it also ran you know, it took a 38 inch pad when you measured it the old way and ran it way up the leg. So we had to if you wanted a steep boot break, you had to cut your pads down. But now if the pads aren't worn tight and they're moving, is this something we have to look at again?

Now you get the calf strap at the back of the calf. Some guys use it to keep the pad high off the leg and then but someone a kid the other day told me he needs it because he finds the pad travels too much, and he's falling off his knee lift. So six and one half dozen of the other, but I think the thigh rise thing is always something we'll be kicking around. You know, I'm not to say we wanna go back, you know, when you see the old pictures of Kelly Hrudey or what it used to be like, but I think the argument would be between the current measuring system that takes two leg measurements, the lower and the upper, and says, is this really necessary? Like, at what point is your knee covered and your pad is starting to go so far up your leg that it's a pant issue?

Mhmm. Right? So, you know, are we giving the taller guy with the up you know, most guys that are six six and up have a way bigger shin than you and I. You know? Yeah.

If you're at twenty and I'm at twenty, some guys like that are 24 inch shin, 23 and a half inch shin, you're looking at a four inch longer pad already if you just base it off shin size. And then if your upper thigh is big as well, you're getting another advantage. So sometimes the amount of pad above your knee blocks could be as much as 14 inches. Right? So the argument from some guys, you know, active players today, like, should we cap the thigh rise?

So everyone's thigh rise is the same. And that was that was a discussion back with Glenn Healy when he was at the union when we created this whole system about the proportionality thing. So I think that's something that will always, you know, be in the on the back burner. And would it help? Because the guys are protected and everyone, you know, the playing field's level, everyone has the same amount of pad above the leg.

You know, does this, you know do you see more goalies maybe that five nine, five ten? You know, does everyone wanna draft a six seven goalie now because, you know and I'm not saying it's because of the equipment, but it's also because they're damn athletic and they're incredible at that size. But does would this play into, you know, making the, you know, this is the under six foot goalie come back again? But these are conversations that I have with myself every day because I look at these things and I see I know that I've cut my way down because I can't move in them, but guys find a way to do it. But I think this is something that, you know, I've been talking I've talked to goalies before where some agree with it, some disagree with it, and, you know, if it ever got you know, it it came to it might be a discussion point at some point at the competition committee level.

Do you inspect every piece of equipment that that is worn?

Yeah.

So there's not it's it's not just like random they submit it and you you look at three or four. I I was just from a pure time sense, your office just must be full of gear nonstop.

Yeah. I I think I forget whose idea this was in the first place. The clearinghouse process seemed like a great idea up front. It might have been Kingers as he was handing the goalie torch

Yeah. Off to

But guys were getting two, three pair of pads a year and it was manageable. Then, you know, I think last year we had a guy with 13 pair of pads. 13. You know, think it's, you know, as soon as it's soft, it gets in your head. Soft means weak.

Yeah. So every two and a half weeks, I need a new pair of pads right away and, you know, get a guy with 36 catch gloves already, you know, into March here. So the the amount of equipment we're approaching, probably 5,000 pieces of equipment a year because you're talking not just the 60 some NHL goalies, but you got their counterparts and their system in the American League, and you've got the guys in the coast and, you know, sometimes even, you know, get the southern professional all these different leagues, usually sometime at some point, the gear starts coming through. And it's great because some nights, you know, you get you've heard all these situations where you got an emergency goaltender or

Do they have to wear approved gear? Yeah. The emergency The

emergency backups don't. We've had enough we've had a hard enough time getting emergency backups, like, to throw that now now that another wrinkle in there would be a big problem.

But What if you're an emergency call up, like, from major junior?

If you're an emergency call up, yes. So you take, for instance, in Vancouver when DiPietro came

up.

They had a pair of pro gear for him that was made in camp. So there's been situations like that. I remember one year, I think a kid got called up in Pittsburgh. They were in Vancouver, and his two options that day were to wear a pair of Fleury's pads or a pair of Brent Johnson's pads.

You're right about that.

And he went in and forget which pair, but he

let the

first shot in, and then he stopped the next 19. He was third star of the game, but that the guy that was the rules. Like, it's at the end of the year, all I I have to answer to the teams is, like, we missed the playoffs by one point, and that point was by a goalie that wore an illegal pair of pads. I don't want that. No.

You know? So I think that's the that's why it's a lot more work to clear things through the office. But to know you know, I think one of the first years I was on the job, and I it involved Adam Burkholder, who works for Vaughn now, is that Atlanta had, like, six or seven goalies hurt. And the seventh goalie was coming up to play, and we needed to make sure that his equipment was correct and accurate. And lo and behold, I think they were playing the Leafs.

Leafs were in Atlanta, and, of course, my phone's ringing off the hook. Hey. So and so's got these red pads on and say, hey. Relax. We had a pair to them by game time.

I guess, like, there was a lot more juggling back then. But now, if we have everybody in the right size pads playing wherever they are and sure it takes me a few more hours a month or a week to get through that stuff, it's it's comforting to know when I hear, you know, Samuel Montembeault is playing for for Florida tonight. It's like, great. I've seen all his gear. It's it's all been signed off on.

Does it take a long time? Absolutely. But, you know

Is it easier the pro like like, physically, how to measure the gear? Have you got that down? You've got the equipment. Are you still using tape measure? Are you using a model?

Or I've got a tape measure. I've got a gauge that I put the pads on to check the height. I've got a a mannequin for the chest protectors to make sure. Like, I don't send everyone for a scan, but if there's any doubt in my mind, I've and the companies know that random scans will be done. I've done a couple randoms where I've found, you know, the shoulder caps were an inch too wide on a couple here and there.

I'd send them back. So my quality control is better than it's ever been. Mhmm. But I guess you get it down to a science. You just get the tape measure out.

You open the boxes. You start ripping through it, and before you know, four hours is gone. Yeah. But, you know, you know it's never going away. So if you just just to have it sit there and you also understand what the goalies are going through.

They need their gear as fast as you can. So if you try to get it in and out the same day, which doesn't always happen, but the next day or so, it's a good feeling when that room's empty. And there's about 60 boxes going out. Saying that the challenge is from middle of August to the middle of late September, that that's never happening. It's just every day and try to do that out of the 11th Floor of an office building, the courier guys aren't crazy about it, especially parking down on Bay Street

Yeah.

After some of the parking regulations. Yeah. And there's a lot of challenges to the system, but, you know, you think about and the cost it adds to the teams to get this gear to them approved. But I think it's a gives you that's the first step in policing this whole thing. And then when you randomly check them when you're at a game or something like that, chances are they're probably in another set from they change their stuff so much, but at least you have that comfort level that you know you've already seen it.

Because to go back to where it was when we didn't do this, you'd have to you'd be on the road every day. You just have to check-in, there's just too much unknown and Yeah.

Because you used to stop by the

teams. To You go to camp and see all the guys and you'd you'd see all the teams two or three times a year and you'd be constantly, like I think last year I did one where I was 30 gay 31 teams in 30 teams in thirty one days or something. If you look at the schedule, it's it's doable, but it's just it's exhausting. You know? And then you come back to an office that's got 300 boxes in it.

But you don't have like, there's not an assist you don't have an assistant?

Not yet. I think there's been talk about that, but sometimes

Do I apply? Like, do I apply to Gary or Kanger or or or You

have to apply to Colin, I guess. I think there's talk about, can you hire, like, a former goalie to go out and do these inspections? Well, yeah, but it's there's a way to do it, and there's, like, and do you hire someone random that's never done it? Because maybe they'll do a better job because they'll be harsher, but there's there's things that you need to know. Like Yeah.

You know, when you when you go in a team's dressing room and the guy just lost because he got stuck behind the net, and you lost two one in New York, and you're in his dressing room, and he's yelling at a foreign language, you gotta know under understand how to give him a couple minutes, keep him in your sight, make sure he doesn't change his gear, but then he'll come and talk to you. Like, this guy after you're doing it for a while, you respect them a little bit. They respect you. It's it's like, that's the hardest part of the job. It's like, you wish every guy you were inspecting won five nothing because they're in a great mood and they all wanna sit around and talk like Marty Biron.

Like, that's the best. Marty Biron had the long spot checks ever because he just loves to talk. Right? You know? And I just So you

still do the spot checks?

Yep. You know, I was in Chicago last week and it's important to like, I'd never met Colin Delia to met to talk to him if he ever has questions to these guys to know that, you know, pick up the phone. Go on the equipment manager, grab Troy's phone, and you guys all call me together. Let's chat. And I think that's the best part is when, you know, they talk to you one on one or you got, you know, you get the obviously 40 home games in Toronto, try to get down there and talk to the goalies every time.

And, you know, it's it goes a long way, especially when the young guys. It's not always just about scaring the crap out of them that you're checking their gear. It's just like, do you understand? Do you have a question? Why we do this or why you do that?

And sometimes it's educational. And I don't know. I think that's I know when we talk to the guys at the player association, some of the young the goalies think that's just as important as doing it as is making sure that you're around.

Equipment managers. Great. Daren Granger doing his two thousandth game. Yeah. LA Kings.

One of the best guys. One of the best guys. When I was there. Was he? As an assistant to Patty O'Neill.

Yep. I got to know him a lot.

Same midget hockey team.

Really? Yeah. He's he's a button down guy. He does a great job, and I joked with him. I sent him a text today.

Hopefully, this isn't there's a lot more to go. He's not that old. No. Two thousands only he's just tip of the iceberg for him.

But equipment managers must be like, oh, this is great because they could say no to people. Like and and you don't have to answer that, but that that's what I was thinking was people come to them for tweaks and stuff. They they can say no. One thing you said before, I wish I hadn't approved that or something like a piece of equipment. Do you have regret like every now and then regret something where you see and you go, I I should take another look at that or

Yeah. I think the the one I was referring to was a chest protector. But I didn't like the way the corner stuck out and made goalies look square. And then every time I got a call about it, I was like, had that chance. Yeah.

Because I didn't that was my gut on that was, but I try to also be like I said, where did it fail? Like, it's all like looks like I don't like it, but seven inches here, seven inches there. It's It's I need more criteria. It fit and it's protecting guys, but it just looks different than these other guys. And then I hear it from some of the other goalies where they're seeing the same thing too.

And they're watching everything. And they're watching. Yeah. So I think that's touch wood is the best you know, the part is the whole chest protector thing started sitting at a meeting in at Kettler, the capital's practice facility prior to the Sochi Olympics with The US goalies. Was, you know, Corey Schneider was there because he's part of the competition committee.

I think, you know, Craig Anderson was there and Ryan Miller, but they had to leave. But Jonathan Quick and Corey sorry, and Jimmy Howard sat in with the meeting, and the big discussion centered around, if I'm two thirty and that guy's one seventy, why do we look the same? So that was always what we were trying to accomplish was to to make guys look closer to what they look in real life. And I think we've accomplished that to a sense other than the fact that these guys are way bigger than people think. Like, you you try to make Anders Nilsson look small.

If you've ever met him and Robin Lehner off the ice, you'll know what I'm talking about. These guys are the probably biggest guys on their teams. Like, physically, like Physically, just muscular barrel chested They're like Like, Dave Babych type guys. Yeah. You know, like those guys, like and Wayne Babych and those kind of guys used to play.

Like, there's more of those guys that are goalies now, I think, than are forwards. Obviously, there's still some big strapping wingers and stuff out there, but you look at some of these goalies. Like, I was like, Tampa was in the other day, you know, I've talked to Louis Domingue in his gear before, but I saw him out of his gear. And he's way, way bigger than I thought he was. Mhmm.

You know? I thought it was all gear. It's not gear. It's he's just a big these guys are big. You know, they're almost six three, two hundred pound guys.

Every goalie. That's what the average is. So it's that's a it's a task in its its own right to try to make someone that big look smaller than they are, but I think that's that was the that was the mission from the goalies themselves. And when the best goalies is some of them that were sitting at that table was their idea that and they stayed involved in the process the whole time. It helped, you know, help push things along because that's what people would say.

What's different this time? Why are you gonna get it right this time? Well, because, a, Rob and Dave from the PA are with me every day. We've gone to these factories. We've been on every call together.

We've seen every goalie together, and the best goalies in hockey continue to support it. And if we don't get this done quick, they're gonna unsupport it, and they're gonna go back to the wild, wild west and say, Christ, you couldn't do anything about it. We're just

gonna wear whatever we wanna wear.

What's the tallest pair of pads you ever measured or ever saw before before there was regulations that you remember hearing about?

The most I think the ones I hear about, and I I was cleaning out the old drawers and desks, there's a lot of pictures of Snowy in there. Mhmm. There's some bigger pads, and I see Dave Dryden in some chest protectors and some MOs and stuff like that. But I think they were right around 40. 40.

40 with a steeper boot break. So it probably played like a 41, 42, but that's a massive pad. Yeah. Think about it.

Come a long way,

It's come a long way, but I think we were so far behind. I think we've we've turned the corner and now, you know, I think things look it's it looks proportional. It looks proper. You know, you can never quantify how many more pucks are going in. But, you know, when you do a project like this and you get it up and running and then the NHL is having a resurgence in scoring, it makes you feel

It's come a long way, but I think we were so far behind. I think we've we've turned the corner and now, you know, I think things look it's it looks proportional. It looks proper. You know, you can never quantify how many more pucks are going in. But, you know, when you do a project like this and you get it up and running and then the NHL is having a resurgence in scoring, it makes you feel

So goals being up is still is good for you. Right?

Yeah. I I think goals being up is great for me and Stephen Walkom. Because whenever goals drop to, like, 5.1, the goalie's your phone is massive and the referees are terrible. Yeah. You know?

So I think those were kind of kindred spirits in that sense, but, you know, I can honestly say, I think at the end of the night, if I go home and I'm I work out the scores, like, if we average six, I'm pretty happy. I think Mhmm. Whether I I I know.

But you still hate being scored on

I still absolutely hate scoring on, but I I love watching like like, people like, you watch Toronto Philly game. Yeah. There's a crazy amount of goal scoring. I don't know if I'm crazy, but people seem to like scoring. Yeah.

You know, Heels used to say that when he said, give the people as many reasons to stand up and cheer as you can. Yeah. There's gonna be some nights, but, you know, you you make what did Bob make? How many saves are the night? 48 saves?

Shout out? Yeah. Well, I think he earned that. That's still pretty exciting too. Right?

There's gonna be nights like that where it's not all about scoring, it's about scoring chances, and this is the debate all the time. You're nuts. But, no, I think it makes you I think we never thought that one piece of this would would increase scoring or whatever, but I think there was a meeting, a competition committee meeting at the Park Plaza in New York where the list of ideas ideas under the umbrella of what affects goal scoring. One was coaching. One was style of play, goaltender equipment, officiating.

So then you have a tweak to the slashing standard. We do some work with equipment, and that was where Ed Snider made you know, he was also part of the process where he gave a real passionate speech to everyone in that room. Matthew and I took it personally. Was that, can you guys take one more crack at the shoulder pads and chest protector thing? And, fortunately, he didn't get to see it this year come to fruition, but I think he was a big driver of, you know, as when it comes from the competition committee level and, you know, no one said one thing would make a difference, but, you know, the sum of all the parts can you know, I think it's a great game right now.

And, obviously, probably most of the credit goes to the players because they're this talent pool is incredible. They're fast. They're talented. And they they've been, you know, probably scoring on this style of goalie since they were 10. Mhmm.

So there hasn't been that overlap where the new goalies confuse the old shooters and you know? But I don't know. There's a lot of good things going on.

I love the Snyder and mister Snyder comment because no franchise has had more maligned goaltending issues than him, and he still wanted he still put the overall product ahead of his own team. And and he took his own team seriously. Before we let you go, do you think we're now at the stage where people are gonna start cheating trying to cheat again? Where goal where goal is gonna start tweaking it? Because that that that's a sign that we're really that everything's taken care of.

When they when instead of stopping trying just to comply, they're trying to bend the rules. Or have we have we never left that area?

No. I think, like, I think Coley always says, he drives me crazy when he says it, is if you're not cheating, you're not trying. Yeah. But this you you heard Ray say it on the broadcast, you know, you're knocking the net off. Are you doing this or doing these things?

I do think it's probably as a goal you know, the old goalie, I mean, looks at this objectively now and says, there may have never been a more but then I I I you know, it's is this the most difficult time it's ever been to play goal? Because it's wide open. The skill level is incredible. The game's so fast now. It's hard to shut it down.

You know, obviously, it was wide open in the eighties, mid eighties, late eighties too. So some of the old goalies would probably argue with me, you know, the good ones that came out and, you know, when Grant and Byron came out about the goal interference, you know Yeah. When the goalie goalies were complaining. Like, yeah, I think every era is hard to

I did that interview.

Yeah. That was great. Yeah. I think some of the you know, to compare errors is hard, but I I think you may be on like, I think if it gets harder and harder to stop the puck and scoring continues to rise, then inevitably, guys are gonna be looking for an edge. Right?

You're always looking for some sort of edge, whatever it's gonna be. So what's the next thing? Where's where do where are the new thigh boards coming from? Or where's the new something? What's it gonna be?

Like, that's you're always trying to be on top of that and see where where are we going from here. I'm sure other sports. I would imagine Formula One, NASCAR, when they have 14 guys overlooking each car before a race inspecting them, I'm sure there's things that those mechanics find how to get, you know, so And

they NASCAR just put big penalties in.

Right. So they though those they're always looking because the the sport's always evolving. I think we have to be cognizant that what is out there and what's coming next. The the goalies work harder than anyone in the off season with their coaches. Who's gonna find something next?

Right. So they though those they're always looking because the the sport's always evolving. I think we have to be cognizant that what is out there and what's coming next. The the goalies work harder than anyone in the off season with their coaches. Who's gonna find something next?

What's the new pad now? You know? Yeah. And what's the there's no straps left on the pads. They rotate better than they ever have.

All these things.

So I I stuff's illegal. Right. Like, guarantee. All of it's illegal. Do you use all approved stuff?

Like, would all your stuff be approved?

I yeah. I figured I probably should set a good example. Like I'm not

and the skates that we've that we've been out together, I'm fully on board. I am and if I can get better like, more legal stuff, I will.

Yeah. You that's good. You you they would welcome you with open arms in the KHL.

Well, the KHL exactly.

We're scoring is very low, but no. Yeah. I no. I I try to be as legal as possible. Yeah.

Actually, part of it is because I think it sets the right example, but also it's just because I can't move. It's too much work wearing the other stuff. I I really like a 32 inch, 10 inch pad.

You still do skate saves.

I do.

You got time.

It's dangerous, though. It is. Yeah. It's especially if you that's why I didn't go to the new skate. Really?

Yeah. I realized that it's a habit you can't break. Yeah. Like, you know, like, I think what Vasilevskiy broke his foot

Yeah.

Doing something similar that I would do 25 times 25 times a game. Right. And I think there's still nights where the puck's coming in a way that you know you probably shouldn't do it, but you do it. So I think I better keep a cowling on my skate for for the rest of how much more however many more alumni games I have in me.

Congratulations on on getting through it. It's been a process. You've been under the the fire of of critics at times, goaltending, and and coaches and managers, and you've withstood it all. So I'm I'm really happy for you that you got through this whole thing. Like, it and it has been a process.

I I hear about it at work almost every day. It's kinda calmed down now because I think there were people that didn't think this would get done. Yeah. But I I know that I think the one thing I'm proud of that I you know, when I got drafted by Emile Francis is pretty high in 1985 was he was they were expecting probably more things as far as wins and championships in Hartford. But I think what I learned over my career was you have to be resilient as a player.

And I didn't realize how much that would come in handy after the fact when you stop playing. Just, you know, know everybody it seems like some days, you got nobody's on your side.

You got beat down pretty good.

You get beat down. You're just this is a mess. There's been there were meetings when I started this job where you were challenged every day, and they're and they were tough. There were guys who were tough, and it just taken year after year, keep working and chipping away, chipping away, being honest, being showing integrity and doing it. And then you're you're in the respect of the managers after a while to the point now where you make a suggestion there and say, hey, we agree with that.

You get beat down. You're just this is a mess. There's been there were meetings when I started this job where you were challenged every day, and they're and they were tough. There were guys who were tough, and it just taken year after year, keep working and chipping away, chipping away, being honest, being showing integrity and doing it. And then you're you're in the respect of the managers after a while to the point now where you make a suggestion there and say, hey, we agree with that.

But it's taken a while, like you said, it's been it's been a process, and I'm sure it will be continued to be a process. But I think it's it's one of those things that, you know, it's like, you gotta you always go look to the next save. Mhmm. That's one of those mentalities that I guess, you know, some things you learn in school that you don't ever get to do again, like calculus or some of different things. I think looking to the next save or, you know, we talk about, like, the other night with that goalie's mentality, it's what was Freddie makes that big save.

It doesn't matter when that big save is. It doesn't it's only it's not only a big save when you win two one. Yeah. Yeah. It's still like I mean, Glen Hanlon was great that way with me in Vancouver.

It's like, hey. That save when it was seven seven was great. You know? Came back to help us win the game, but those are those are the things that I guess you you learn along the way as a player, and you you can apply them sometimes.

Now you can go on to other issues. I don't know what those are gonna be, but and

I think They're always goalie related issues.

A lot of video tape. Thanks, K.

Thanks, Daren. My pleasure. It was enjoyable.

You know, all the stuff that we talked about with with Kay Whitmore, there's one thing about him that stands out, and that's that's those initials on the equipment. And the first time that I wore gear that that had those initials, I I felt I felt kinda special. I'm I'm not gonna wear them now because I I'd rather cheat and and take up more net, but but you did feel like you were you were in an exclusive club with with those initials on your equipment.

Yeah. For sure. I I remember the first time I I saw a set, it didn't really realize what I was looking at, and then it then it came to me. And, and now every time we see a a game on TV and there's a close-up of a goaltender, you can you can see that little KW often, top of a blocker, bottom of a pad, something like that. And, yeah, you feel like you're part of a secret society or something because you understand what's going on there.

So what what was the piece of equipment that you had?

Well, I you know, I'm not sure what the first one was, but, an interesting story about that. We we had a CCM sent us a set of Roberto Luongo's, pads and gloves, probably a pro return set or something that maybe he wasn't happy with the color. I can't remember. Shipped it out to us, and it was a bit of a rush to to get something into the magazine for an issue that was coming out. And so it actually arrived, Boxing Day.

I think it was Boxing Day, and it was delivered by a courier later. And I got a notice that it was in the warehouse and and that we could go pick it up. I guess they didn't wanna deliver that day or something. And, so I went down to the warehouse and and said, listen. I think I've got a package in there if you guys wouldn't mind checking, and I guess it's probably close to the end of the day on a holiday and everybody would rather be at home.

So, somebody went into the back room, looked around, and came out and said, no. It's not here. And and, you know, I I was pretty certain from the tracking info I had that it was in the shop. So I said, you know, this is kinda weird to say, but do do you think you could just have one little more look? Because it's, it's gear from Roberto Luongo, who was sort of at the height of his fame with the Canucks at the time.

And, all of a sudden, everybody's ears sort of perked up, and they ran into the back and and looked really hard and magically came out with the gear. So it had been there all along. And, and then, of course, I had to unbox it right then and there for them. And, all the guys from the warehouse wanted to come out and get their picture taken with with Luongo's gear. So that was, that was a lot of fun.

And, so one of those pads and gloves is still still sitting upstairs in my son's office or my son's room.

Name dropping. Bobby Lou.

That's that's as close as I can come to name dropping. Nobody would ever do it for me.

Hey. What's your favorite piece of equipment new equipment to get?

Yeah. Interesting.

Because we heard a lot about about Kay going through gear upon sets of gear for the same people. And so I I imagine sometimes you get you get a little old.

Yeah. Getting the pads is always fantastic because I remember the first set I ever got as a kid that were that were really sort of pro level stuff. And, so every time a new set of those comes in, it's it's really exciting, without a doubt. Just even though we've probably had a chance to see it somewhere else and have our hands on it somewhere else to to see that order you put in realized right in front of you, It's always it's always really exciting. And, so in terms of getting something new, it's definitely the pads.

I think your favorite set of piece of gear. I'm gonna guess if we ran a poll, maybe we should. It would be interesting to see what everybody would say, but I would guess that the majority would say, the glove. It's sort of our bread and butter. It's what the windmills are made of.

Love it. But, but at the same time, I don't say it's my favorite one to get out right away because at the level I play, it takes a a long time for a glove to get useful and and usable. I'm not facing many many shots that are all that impressive at at my level in local beer league. So it's probably, honestly, a couple years before I really settle into a glove and feel good about it. So I thought it was fascinating to hear Kaye say that, that there's a guy in the NHL this year who's been through 36 gloves.

I just I I can't imagine it. I can't imagine something being so perfect that you wanna that you wanna use it right out of the box like that.

Oh, there's a sports psychologist making some money right now. Yeah. There there there's no doubt about that. Well, I there's there's so many people listening to this podcast who would think unpacking New Year every day, what a dream job. And Kay gets to do it, and so does Cam at The Hockey Shop Source for Sports, and that's where we're gonna send you for this week's Gear Segment brought to you by thehockeyshop.com and The Hockey Shop Source for Sports.

Gear

Here, once again, is Kevin.

Alright. We are back at The Hockey Shop with Cam Matwiv.

I think you said it right.

See? There's a first for everything. I told you I would get it eventually. Eventually. And this week, we're gonna talk about the new CCM JetSpeed FT2 goalie skate, which I think the first thing that jumps out for people is and there's probably an element of finally, CCM has a cowlingless goalie skate, and it looks like it's gonna be a good one with lots of options.

Why don't you walk us through some of the features, Cam, with this new skate?

Yeah. We I just wanna reiterate the fact that finally, a cowlingless goal skate from CCM. What so far looks and has felt like a fantastic skate and a great addition to CCM's lineup. I mean, there's quite a few things to cover, but one of the biggest things that, you know, a lot of guys have highlighted recently is the weight of the skate in particular. Before you even get into any tech and specs, we're talking about what is one of the lightest weight cowlingless goalie skates that we have on the wall.

Yeah. And we'll play the audio in a minute, but he was a Canuck for about a week. He's in the AHL. Again, Marek Mazanec was the first goalie I saw wearing this holder, the XSG CCM XSG holder. He had it on a pair of AS one boots, and that was the thing he said too.

He was actually coming from a true skate, and I was a little surprised that he said he switched over. But to him, the weight savings were significant. Definitely.

A little foreshadowing with the AS 1 there. We'll get to that in a second. But that said, again, weight aside, the skate continues on what CCM has done in the past with their full one piece boot construction. Their big, big highlight of that note is there is that there's zero energy transfer lost with that, especially between that, you know, when you as soon as you have an outsole of a skate, there's another connection piece of it. There, you can have that extra assembly piece where, a, something could go wrong with your skate, or, b, again, you have that shift.

Here, all energy is transferred to the ice in your push.

How does it how does what's the difference in terms of a feel and a fit for for one piece skate? Full disclosure, we've got a set on the way ourselves, went through the full three d scan process that you'll get into to make it a custom fit. But in general, if you're just buying it off you at the Hockey Shop Source for Sports here, off the rack and on the foot, how is some what's what's that gonna how's that gonna feel different, that true one piece construction that CCM has in the JetSpeed FT2 that they also had in the AS one last year? How does that feel different? Is it more of a wraparound the foot than than a multi piece construction?

I think you you hit it on the head right there with the word wrap. That wrap fit really provides that responsiveness inside the skate. That lack of shift when you go to go push, you know, a lot of that is about sizing, which is what we're here for. But that said, you don't feel that skate kinda buckles really the wrong term, but we're gonna go with it anyway of it buckling and moving. It's a it's a consistent plant push.

So no give, basically. Basically, what you're and and we've heard this with the true line as well. This is what the goalie is like. What their foot does, the blade's responding immediately on the ice. There's, as you said, no lost energy transfer.

So, walk us through then JetSpeed FT2, some of the, some of the features with that XSG holder.

For sure. So overall with the holder, a, we got that removable steel extremely easy. It's basically just turning it, which I believe you guys have a video of. Take it out. You can pop that new steel back in.

Super easy, which is also a carbon blade steel and also a three mil steel, which is something completely different from CCM who has always previously been four mil.

And, of course, 3mm versus 4mm, that's basically a weight savings thing. So, again, when we hear guys like Mazanec who are early into it say how much lighter it is, part of that is is the three mil steel. As far as the, you know, sort of that black steel or or that carbon edge blade, at least our experience and other brands too because other brands have adopted this. For example, with with the Bauer, two s pro we've been trying, consensus is it's it's roughly cuts your sharpenings in half. It'll hold an edge roughly twice as long as standard steel.

So nice to see CCM with they've had this before. Nice to see them bring it along with the FT2.

That that echoes feedback that we've gotten here in the store as well. It's just that, like, this steel feels sharper even at a you know, what was my regular cutting or regular stainless steel blade without the carbon. It's fantastic addition, and I

think it it makes the skate just perform that much better. Next features as we walk through the skate. And the other thing too, and CCM has talked about this a little bit with me on the side, the idea of having, that dial on the heel to unlock the skate is instead of you have to dial it a fair bit before it unlocks, the idea being the trigger function of a quick unlock blade has led to some malfunctioning in other products where the where you actually lose the blade while you're playing. And, you know, we see the goalies panicking and in case turning his blade into a shiv and then throw throwing it across. I thought he was gonna kill a referee that day.

So the idea here being you're able to change the blades, for goalies that we know goalies love to come here to the Hockey Shop Source for Sports in Surrey for sharpenings from Cecil and the crew. Sometimes they'll come as far an hour as an hour away, so they'll buy multiple sets of blades, get them all sharpened at once, and then they can do the quick change. That way, they've got multiple sets. They they don't have to come back all the time, but they're always sharp. So, again, the idea is it's an easy change, but not so easy it's gonna happen to you on the ice.

Ideally, yes. You don't have a blade flying across.

Not that that happens often with with the other products. It's pretty rare. It just tends to be spectacular enough that everybody notices it.

And on National Television. Right. That all aside, one of the other things that I really wanna talk about is the asymmetric flex that the skate can take. Now it seems like a big flashy word, but really it's about that forward flex while you're just standing inside the skate. It allows for great rotation of that skate now coming down to the ice and picking itself back up and out and setting you into a stance without having what I call almost that little bit of a stumble forward.

You'll see some goalies, they go to go see cut and they catch and they almost kind of trip forward before they before they stand back up properly in their stance. This is

You've watching me fall all over the place evidently.

I must have been watching some game from from Kevin Woodley, all I will say. But it's

just called that's not the skates. That's just called bad goaltending, folks, just so you know. But but the idea here is there is some forward flex there, and so you're not you're not restricted too much in your movement.

Correct. But, again, rewinding back to the blades that can be a little bit attributed to the front of the blade. Now I'm gonna lack a terminology moment for this, and the best way I can kinda say it is is just the way the blade is cut, so it tips up a little bit, allowing for a little bit more stability and also an additional, place for your toe to push off of. Just some extra steel, and I think you got a bit of that that was talking

about. Yeah. Marek Mazanec talked about this actually, and it took me a while. You you mentioned the terminology. It's tough because I didn't know what he was talking about.

He talked about it being angled, and I wasn't sure. You can check our Instagram. We'll make sure we highlight this for people before they listen to this. But it's actually where the holder rather than the holder running straight across at the heel and the toe, the holder cuts up. So you're right.

There's more exposed blade, and Mazanec felt like you know, especially pushing when you're pushing off the toe, he felt it was even easier to grab an edge using that XSG holder.

Definitely. I like, so far, again, I haven't tested the skate out myself, but, our early tester, Jonathan and Jono, most of you know him as, he really noticed that, and he actually did call it out in the review of the skate, which is up on our website as well.

Hockeyshop.com. Thehockeyshop.com is where you can see that early review. Okay. Let's move over. If there's no other features right now to go through, let's let's move over to the the custom side, because there's two options in custom for this new skate and this new cowling less option from CCM for goalies.

Let's you know, there's kinda two walk us through the first one, and that's, you know, that's the three d mold custom. Eight to ten days delivery they're talking about right now. What does that involve, and how is it different from me buying it off the rack here and getting it heat molded on-site?

Yeah. So how that differs from, again, what you mentioned there is that basically, you know, what what CCM is doing is or what we would do first is actually scan your foot. We send that into CCM. CCM builds a three d mold of your foot, takes a stocks gate, and molds it around it. And then that gets turned around.

And again, it's about that we'll call it about a ten day process.

And so that is they're actually taking again, you so you get a 3D scanned in store. Correct. They take all that information, that 3D scan of your foot, and they create a mold, basically an exact replica of your foot in the factory. And I think one of the the key points that they stress to me is unlike some other molds, they actually go right up over the ankle bone. And so they're creating not just your foot, but right up over that ankle bone.

So any sort of uniqueness in terms of, you know, if you've broken it I mean, I have guy who's broken my foot multiple times, got a few places that stick out here and there. That three d scan's gonna capture it. That mold they make is gonna capture it, and then they heat mold around that all the way up to the ankles. And so heat molding there versus heat molding in store on the floor here, if I were to buy it off the rack from you, just allows them, as I understand it, almost to, like, heat it up more. It's like a super mold, really make sure that that mold is kind of created to your foot and stays that way.

Correct. I mean, our our process in store is basically what what is five minutes in the oven and, you know, about ten minutes on your feet. Whereas there, you know, I I don't know how long they heat it up for or how long they leave it on, but, I mean, keep in mind, this is now set on an industrial scale to a point. Right? So you you're getting A lot hotter.

You're not putting your foot in this one.

Exactly. Exactly. So it's a fully molded, fully wrapped around. So when we go and try on that skate for the first time, it should fit like

a glove. And, obviously, when they heat it up that much, you don't wanna be sticking your little foot. Now the one thing I have, I gotta admit, when they explained this to me the first time over a year ago, and tell me if you went through the same thing, I'm kinda picturing, like, this giant, like, pile of, like, old foot molds behind a factory after they use them. But evidently, they keep it, and they keep the molds on file because they figure once you like it, especially if you're not growing anymore, you're probably gonna order more in the future.

So I think you you predicted the future with your vision because in theory, that's what their warehouse is gonna look like. They're have a bunch of all these foot molds Feet. Exactly. Exactly.

Okay. So this sounded a little creepy, and in my mind, it's a little creepy, and you may have nightmares about it, people. But your feet are gonna thank you. Because, evidently, the fit talking to Marc Andre Fleury, who went through this for his AS one skates last year and is still in them. Mhmm.

I'm talking to Marek Mazanec, who went through this process. They both really like the way this fit. Now that's not the only the three d custom mold is not the only process. There is a full custom that you can get as well. That takes four weeks instead of eight to ten days, gives you some more options.

Can you walk us through some of those options in CCM's full custom program for this year?

Okay. So the initial process is the same. Same scan idea, same fact that they're gonna build this three d mold of your foot.

They're gonna make a fake foot.

But this is where it now differs because now they're constructing that skate completely around that last of, what we'll call it a last of the foot.

They're just molding the skate around it. They're building it.

Building it. That's correct. So now rather than again having some areas punched by, again, the mole of the foot, they can literally pre punch that area, add more foam where you're going to need it. You get the options for changing your tongue. You get better dialing in terms of for sizing.

You know, a lot of us have one size foot that's bigger than the other. This can accommodate for that. Quarter sizes? Exactly. Exactly.

So we we really do take it to that next level. And we wanna stress that that's again for, you know, especially that have people that have unique features in their foot. This is this is what this is just for for sure.

And the full custom also gives you little little little perks like, for example, if you want your name or your number stitched onto the tongue, little perks like that that come in the full custom. Four weeks. The other thing you can do in full custom that you can't in in the three d molded custom is you can get the a s one boot with the XSG no cowling holder. And I think there are you know, again, depending on how your foot scans, there might be a little bit of a different, fit between the two. You may your foot may be shaped better for the a s one.

That may be one reason you go that way. Also, just a lot of people that had the a s one skate really like the fit of that boot. So that'll be an option on that side. The one caveat we got from CCM, you may have people that look at that and say, I really love my a s one boot. Why don't I just take off the cowling that I had that I bought last year and slap an XSG holder?

Would not recommend it. The a yeah. The a s one that they're gonna build for you this year comes with a reinforced toe cap that, of course, wouldn't have been needed on last year's because it had a cowling around the front of the toe. And, also, just the the footbed has more support in the full custom AS one boot to allow that XSG holder to be bolted on there and and firmly. So you're not you know, what's the point of having a skate where you don't lose any energy transfer if you lose it in the bond between the skate and the holder?

So if you're thinking about, hey. I can this is a DIY project for me. I can make my old a s one boot onto a new XSG holder. Twice.

Yeah. That's correct. And especially, let's not forget about that toe cap being double molded specifically to go with the cowling less design. So, you know, quite a bit different from what the stock skate is on the wall.

Alright. April 26 is when we'll see this in store. Correct. And give you a couple lower price points that we'll go over later as well. Not not quite as many bells and whistles, not quite as many features, but some other options.

But in the meantime, you can check out a full review of it. John has had it on the ice. He's been able to match what we just told you in terms of tech specs to how he feels in it on the ice or to match how it's supposed to feel which with how it does, how the features are supposed to manifest themselves to how they do on the ice. So make sure you check it out as I I believe it's actually the first on ice testing I've seen, of the JetSpeed FT2 with that XSG holder. That's at the hockeyshop.com.

And, of course, April 26, you come in store or contact them, order yours. In store here in Surrey, The Hockey Shop Source for Sports. Cam Matwiv, and I got it right. Look at that twice in the same podcast. Woo woo.

Thanks for joining us today.

Thanks, Kevin.

I have trouble with this one because I feel like I'm overselling it, but molded this this 3D molded boot for goalies. It it it's it's life changing. I I I have one, not not the CCM, but the true. And it it feels like slippers. And it's also interesting hearing what Kay said that he didn't go to a a because he still makes skate saves and he didn't want didn't wanna get hurt.

But but Hutch, do have have you tried this new way, whether it be true or CCM or the Bauer or whatever, this new molded?

I I personally haven't had the chance. We we have our order going in for for a set of the new CCMs and really excited to to try them out. I I I was on the ice last night, and one of my feet was really hurting because it just the skates aren't quite quite there. And, it's, for me, about the most distracting thing that that can happen. And you combine that with, coaching in the summer where you're on the ice for four or five, six hours a day, I I think this is just a game changer.

There's nothing that needs to fit well more than than a pair of skates. I I can't wait.

And it'll blow people's minds when you when you go down a size or half a size. Mhmm. And you think, how can I do that? I've worn the same size forever, like the the adult guys. And but but it's so you you realize how much space you're really wasting on the traditional sizing of skates.

Well, and your two feet are always almost always slightly different size, so they can accommodate that. I've got these crazy wide feet, so they're never comfortable in anything. Yeah. I every everybody is unique, and yet that's one one piece that we haven't really looked after very well over the years, I don't think. Although, I really miss my old Lang goalie skates.

Anybody ever used those? They were they were plastic on the outside, and they squeaked, a special way as we walked down the hallway. But they had this really, really soft foam in them that probably would have caused all sorts of, you know, force transfer issues today or something, but they did make them feel a little bit like a pair of slippers.

I imagine those things, walking to the ice, would have sounded like what the stormtroopers did walking down the hallway. Yeah. All the squeaks in the in the plastic and and the foam and all that kinda junk. Absolutely. Henrik Lundqvist was was through Vancouver recently, the New York Rangers and their transition.

Feature Interview 2 - Henrik Lundqvist

And it's interesting to watch what Hank has done because there were some questions about whether or not he would be able to survive what the New York Rangers are attempting to do. And what you're going to to get out of a a conversation that that Woody had with Hank is that he's not only surviving, but thriving, and and he's all in. Here's Henrik Lundqvist in conversation post practice with Kevin.

The one I wanted to ask you a little bit was patience, Henrik. I mean, it's I mean, I I'm watching you in practice. I'm watching you on shots that I know 80% of the league goes down on, and your ability to sort of hold edges and and and hold skates on shots. Where does that come from for you? What do you think the keys are?

Key for for me, really, when I play my my my game is to be patient and read the shot. And I play pretty deep, so it gives me also extra time to read the shot. When I'm too aggressive, I think the only option I have is to go down. But when my stance are high and I'm deep and and confident, I usually I'm I'm I'm more patient as well. So then especially on the high shots, I wanna be able to stand up.

Key for for me, really, when I play my my my game is to be patient and read the shot. And I play pretty deep, so it gives me also extra time to read the shot. When I'm too aggressive, I think the only option I have is to go down. But when my stance are high and I'm deep and and confident, I usually I'm I'm I'm more patient as well. So then especially on the high shots, I wanna be able to stand up.

Usually, that's a good sign for me to stand up on high shots. It means I'm I'm patient enough, and I'm making good reads.

How would you teach that to a kid? Like, if you were you know, if Henrik Lundqvist changed hats to a goalie coach

Yeah.

I mean, how would you try and manifest that for a kid, get them to learn that type of patience?

Well, I a lot of a lot of it is trust. Trusting yourself that sometimes it feels like your gap and your five hole is so huge that you have to always go down and close it, but I think you have enough time to do so. It it comes down to trust that you stand up and you wait for the shot. And if he happens to go low, you're gonna have enough time to close it even though you you wait for that release. And but a lot of times you you it's also reading the stick.

You know? I'm I'm reading the shot more than waiting for it to come at me. So sometimes when they've missed a shot, that's when it really fools you. So, you know, sometimes in practice, I actually have to ask guys. I read the shot high, stand up, they miss the shot, he goes five hole, and then right away, did you try to go five hole?

Because I need to know if my read was right. And for the most part, you know, they they they come clean and say they fanned on it and that's why it went low. But for the most part, I think, especially now over the years, learned how to look at the stick and the release and you you get used to a certain angle on the stick, and then you know if it's gonna go high or low. But, of course, you you do make mistakes, and it's not always the players shoot exactly where they wanna shoot it as well.

We've seen deception too. These young kids are learning to show one thing and deliver another. Are you having to stay even more patient following that puck right through the release of that stick play?

Yeah. But but like you said, it's it's getting hard. Guys are really good, and they they make you believe something and then do something completely different. You know? The the way they released puck today have developed so much over the last five, six years.

You see the young kids coming into the league, now how fast they can shoot and how hard they can shoot it. And, obviously, the technology and the sticks have have made a huge difference as well. But there's no question the skill level now in the players are are really high, and it makes it pretty challenging to be a goalie, I would say.

Last one. Benoit Labbe told me in your I think it might have been your first season that he knew you would be good. That's easy. It would be easy to say now, but he said this after year one, because of your ability to learn things quickly and adapt. Where does that come from from you?

Has that always been part of your game? And what what would you say over all these years? What's the biggest one?

Well, I would say one thing. I grew up without a goalie coach, really. It was more when I turned 17, 18, 19. I started to work with a goalie coach. But before that, I was very open minded how to play the game.

I watch other goalies. I watched NHL goalies, Swedish elite goalies, and I just pick stuff that I like. So I've always been pretty open minded of learning new things and try to, yeah, just try new things in practice. I don't think there's one way of playing goalie. You know?

There there's a lot of different ways. You just need to commit to a certain style, I guess, but there's always room for learning and, and also change. The game changes. So you gotta be open to change your game as well.

Is it constant for you? Like, still ongoing even now?

Yeah. I I try to adjust certain things, but I also try to stay true to my own game. You know? I know what I need to do to have or to to play my best game. But like I said, the game has changed, so I try to, adjust to that.

You know? But there's definitely certain things that the new kids in the league are doing really well that I can't do, and I just gotta accept that.

Henrik only had a couple minutes for us, on this trip. He had some friends he had to catch up, and he was late for a meeting in part because he stayed out for the full hour of an optional skate at age 37 with only eight shooters in a season in which the team has been out of the playoffs for probably more than a month, which to me, you know, we had it on our Instagram. You saw the work ethic. Never stopped battling in that practice. To me, that says a lot about why he's gonna be in the hall of fame, why he's coming up and maybe at four fifty by the time you hear this.

450 wins. Only the sixth goaltender in NHL history to do that. So he's a little pressed for time. We did manage to get five minutes, went into the stick room for a little bit of quiet, away from the scrums of the locker room, but he promised us we'd catch up on the phone and maybe do a longer interview. Now, to me, the things that stood out watching him on ice, and that's what led to the questions about patience and about his adaptability, were just how often he made saves standing up in practice.

It really was remarkable to watch, guys. The patience that this guy has is is not an accident. And you heard him talk about the keys to it, but it really is a treat to watch, and not just in games. You'll see him where he doesn't default down. He'll drop one knee.

Sometimes just stand up on both skates. It really stands out in practice and watching the rangers practice just how hard he works on that patience. When you see it in a game, it is not a fluke. He puts a lot of effort into it every time he's on the ice. And then the question about adaptability was one that came from an interview I had with, his goalie coach, Benoit Labbe, years ago.

We had it, we had it in in Goal Magazine as a feature on him, way early in his career. And what Benoit said is he reminded him of Tiger Woods. Henrik did early in his career, and that's why he knew he would be great because he was always able to adapt and change his game so quickly. And in in the words of Benoit Lair to him, that's what that's what truly makes the great goaltenders their ability to adapt. So that's why I asked Henrik that.

It was interesting to hear his response in terms of, you know, not having a goaltending coach growing up.

He's a hard worker. He's you're not gonna say there's he's so passionate. He's so intense. But Woodley being able to take you inside a practice like that and how much Hank, left out there and and how much he focuses on on the changes in the game is is also what jumped out at me.

A common theme that keeps coming up for us is deception in shooters today, and it was interesting to hear, Lundqvist talk about that and the skill that all these young guys coming into the game have. And and maybe the fact that things are are changing fairly quickly here in in those terms, in terms of the skill that the young shooters have, might explain why some of these young guys are being so successful so quickly as they, come in to face some guys that haven't, haven't grown up with that. And and also interesting what a student of the game he is, that he would stop a a player in the middle of practice and say, hey. Were you intending to do that so I can learn my read? Yeah.

And then then just Kevin talking about the amount of work that he's putting in at the end of practice, I thought it's an optional skate. But if you're Hank's back up, there's no optional skates. I mean, if he's putting that work in, you have no choice.

I also love the part about standing up, and we all know, like, if you're standing up, then you're reading the release. You're sort of you're you're you're in a higher level of of the zone, because you're able to track the release and and make those saves with your with your hands or your upper body without going down. But he but the the part about trusting that you can get down into your five hole, but sometimes it just feels so big that you have to just default to collapsing. Every person's been there, every goalie.

I we of course, we had the luxury of hearing this interview a little bit earlier. So I was on the ice last night, and, it's funny. I had it rolling around in my head because I would go down and a puck would sail over the net, and I thought, why am I going down on this? And all of a sudden, the next one I'm making on my feet. And so little tips like that can transition into your game really quickly.

Parent Playbook

Hank also touched on his experience with the goalie coach or the absence of one early in his time tending the twine. That topic spills over to this week's listener question. Back to Kevin.

This question comes from Carl Popper, who's the goaltending coach for the women's hockey team at the University of Minnesota and actually a guy that I've met before at the network goaltending symposium back in Madison. So the a special apologies here, Carl, if I've mispronounced your name in any way, shape, or form. That's that's a 100 on me. But I'd be honest, I'm not that bright. We are, however, honored to get a, you know, a question from a goalie coach already working at such a high level.

So it's a good one, though, so let's get to it. Carl wanted to know what the importance of the goalie coach goalie relationship, even when it comes to stuff off the ice, and what the importance of truly knowing your players and whether it can really make difference in their performance. You know, he said he was most interested in hearing about Mitch Korn's influence with the Islanders, and we have heard from and we heard from last week, Robin Lehner. He talked about Mitch having an innate ability to know people and get the best out of them and wondered if that was one the reasons Islanders goaltenders are performing as well as they are this year. And, you know, I can tell you that the unique personalities that Mitch has there, how he works with them, how he manages those personalities in terms of workload and what buttons he pushes.

It is you it is different for each guy, and knowing that is very important. I know, you know, also that's something that one of his disciples, Steve Briere, has talked about in the past, you know, to the point where he actually does a personality test on each of his goaltenders before he starts working on it, learns how they learn. What are their strengths? Are they visual learners? Do they need to hear things?

Personality, strengths, and weaknesses, and sees how their personality actually matches his personality as a coach so that he's cognizant of of that when he goes into working with them. Unfortunately, Carl, both those guys are off limits to the media. Both guys we have good relationships and talk to on a regular basis. But in terms of on the record, Mitch on the island with Lou Lamoriello in charge and poor Steve Briere now in Toronto despite Lou leaving and Brandon Shanahan taking over is totally off limits when it comes to on the record conversations. But we did have a chance to ask Frederik Andersen about the importance of that relationship.

And it's probably not a surprise to you, Carl, but might be to other people. To him, the goalie coach relationship is not just about the x's and o's and drills on the ice. It's almost more important that he's like a sports psychologist in terms of that back and forth and having his back and the way you build that relationship off the ice.

I think that you're using it now that it's it's 99% of of what goaltending and goal goalie coaches is really is. It's the it's the relationship, and it's it's the way you work together. It's not about what drills you your goalie coach gives you, and that's such a small part of it because especially at this at this level, you're you're already you're already made it to this level, and you're you're you're maybe trying to perfect some things, but you're you're not trying to change your your whole way of playing and your style. And so you really just wanna make sure you get work done and and get into good habits. And that's obviously the goalie coach.

I think that you're using it now that it's it's 99% of of what goaltending and goal goalie coaches is really is. It's the it's the relationship, and it's it's the way you work together. It's not about what drills you your goalie coach gives you, and that's such a small part of it because especially at this at this level, you're you're already you're already made it to this level, and you're you're you're maybe trying to perfect some things, but you're you're not trying to change your your whole way of playing and your style. And so you really just wanna make sure you get work done and and get into good habits. And that's obviously the goalie coach.

One of his jobs is to look at the games and and look to the opponents of how how they maybe, yeah, would come and attack you, and and then you you you do some work to make you feel confident and and ready to go for the game. But but like you said, it's it's just just as much as the mental part is is just keeping your, yeah, keeping your fresh and keeping, yeah, keeping the confidence high and and making sure you're, yeah, you're ready to go.

Woody, so we've got, goalie coaches doing drills, lot of repetitions, some video, and and they're also a sounding board. And that may be the biggest part of it. It's it's fun listening to these guys take us through all these questions from the from the listeners.

Outro

Don't forget to keep sending us those listener questions so we can take them into the locker room and have NHL goaltenders, answer them for you. We're gonna get Hutch to give you the, the email address here because I'm an idiot, and I always forget it.

Not an idiot, Kevin. That's podcast at ingoalmag.com. Podcast at ingoalmag.com. Keep sending in the questions.

And we got some big names coming into town next week, guys. Ottawa senators are in town. Craig Anderson, Anders Nilsson, of course. I got to know while he was here with Canucks for a year and a half. David Rittich and the Calgary Flames on the weekend, and Sergei Bobrovsky, one of my favorite, with the Columbus Blue Jackets coming in on the weekend.

And then we wrap her up. Guys, we're gonna have Ryan Miller in town. We're gonna have a chat with him in the coming weeks. The winningest goaltender among American goaltenders in in NHL history, Jonathan Quick, who's not far behind him, Ben Bishop, he's healthy, and Martin Jones. So lots of great guests coming up on the InGoal Podcast.

Make sure you send your questions to us so we can take them into the locker room and get them answered by these guys. And for next week, though, guys, an interview I'm really looking forward to, and I'm sure everyone's gonna get a lot out of it. It promises to be powerful. We're gonna talk with Clint about all his efforts, both about his career on the ice, but about all his efforts in terms of helping people sort of deal with and manage mental health since he's retired in the past go and and in the past couple of years.

Yeah. I'm really excited about Clint coming on the show. As you know, quite often, these guys, we we grab them sort of I don't wanna say last minute, but, it says people pop through town, we might or might not get an opportunity. But arranging to have Clint on the show with us has been going on now for for quite some time and finally realized for this week. So I've been looking forward to this for a long time.

I was I was watching when when the incident happened in his career that he's so well known for, And, and I've watched from afar all his efforts for mental health over all these years, and it's, of course, becoming a really, important topic for goaltenders everywhere. So I'm I'm really excited to to see what he has to say. And and as you say, we've got some fantastic people coming through Vancouver this week. So gonna be a great show next week, Daren.

And and a similar to a conversation that I had with Theoren Fleury on on the Trip Podcast was was we kinda we we're so drawn to Clint and Theo's roles as ambassadors for mental health and and awareness for that that that their careers themselves become have become totally overshadowed. So I wanna talk to Clint a little bit about his time actually playing in the National Hockey League and Absolutely. And what went into that and and during the the parts of his career in a couple of different stops. Thanks to Hutch. Have a great week.

And to to Woody, for his contributions. And, Kay Whitmore from the National Hockey League, Freddie Andersen, Henrik Lundqvist, and, of course, you, the listener. This is InGoal Radio, the podcast presented by The Hockey Shop Source for Sports and thehockeyshop.com. Check it out now. I mean, really, like, go check it out now.

We're done. TheHockeyShop dot com. Go. Check it out. We're finished.

Be good. So so did you go do it? Hockeyshop.com. Bye.