by Rob Tallas, Florida Panthers Goaltending Coach

Todays’ goaltender is becoming more involved in a team’s breakout than ever before. While the long pass to the far blueline is exciting, it’s the quick outlet pass that more often makes a big difference throughout a game. This short tip will give you more time and space to open up options in your puckhandling.

The Net360 camp in Kelowna each summer is a collaborative setting where coaches, goaltenders and players work together to advance their game heading into the new season. In this video, I worked along with Fred Brathwaite of Hockey Canada on some puckhandling options for goaltenders, demonstrated by James Reimer who was with me in Florida at the time. This simple technique I learned several years ago while working with Ben Bishop, one of the game’s best puckhandlers.

It’s quite simple in concept. Most of the forecheck pressure will come from one side, not straight down the middle of the ice. As a result, after stopping a rim, setting up to look for options directly in the middle behind the net does not afford you the most time or options. Instead, Bishop pulls the puck to setup on the backside post. This creates the maximum distance between the forecheck pressure whether the oncoming player pressures to the backside or around the front of the net. 

The goaltender is given enough time to look up ice and choose the best and safest play while using the net to shield himself from the oncoming pressure. 

This video doesn’t detail a specific drill, instead is gives you a feel for the collaborative setting at Net360 while demonstrating some options this technique creates for the goaltender.