InGoal Radio Episode 69: Florida Panthers Chris Driedger
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Chris Driedger posted a .938 save percentage for the Florida Panthers in 2019-20, more than eight years after being drafted by Ottawa in the third round. Despite spending time in the ECHL as recently as 2017-18, Driedger credits lessons from Roberto Luongo and Sergei Bobrovsky, along with a disciplined game-day routine and mental focus through pre-game anthems, as keys to his NHL breakthrough.
- Driedger posted a .938 save percentage for Florida in 2019-20, establishing himself as an NHL-ready starter over eight years after being a third-round pick.
- Embrace drills designed for goalies to fail — Driedger explains how to extract value from practice situations that feel unwinnable.
- Driedger details his full game-day routine, including specific mental strategies he uses to maintain focus through the national anthems before puck drop.
- Spending time in the ECHL as recently as two seasons prior to his breakout taught Driedger concrete lessons about professionalism and perseverance at the professional level.
- Learn what Driedger absorbed from two elite NHL mentors: Roberto Luongo's experience and Sergei Bobrovsky's ongoing influence on his development.
Chris Driedger was in the midst of a breakthrough season when the NHL shut its doors two months ago, establishing himself as an everyday option by posting a .938 save percentage for the Florida Panthers more than eight seasons after being drafted by the Ottawa Senators.
Feature Interview
presented by NHL Sense Arena
For Driedger, who turns 26 this month, it hasn’t always been an easy path from third-round pick to NHL regular but the journey, which included spending time in the ECHL as recently as two seasons ago, has provided the Winnipeg-born goaltender with a lot of valuable lessons and insights into what it really takes to make it to the world’s best league. From how to approach practice, even when they’re running drills set up for the goalie to fail, to managing his mindset before and during games and what he learned from Roberto Luongo and is still learning from Sergei Bobrovsky, as well as a detailed breakdown of his game-day routine right up to how he maintains focus through the national anthems, Driedger spent close to an hour sharing those lessons with InGoal.
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