Carey Price Pro Tip: butterfly balance
- Move directly into space without pulling up first — looking up instead of tracking the puck creates a delay reaching your set position at the top of the crease.
- Always look first when on your post before moving back to the middle, a habit Carey Price consistently demonstrates and has discussed across multiple Pro Tip features.
- Butterfly balance is directly connected to hand activity — poor balance in the butterfly position limits a goalie's ability to keep hands engaged and ready.
- Toe tie setup can affect both butterfly balance and hand positioning, making equipment configuration a functional performance consideration, not just personal preference.
- Consistent crease movement pattern work has been central to the development of both Carey Price and Carter Hart, reinforcing the value of repetitive technical drills.
We could watch Carey Price do simple movement patterns and make routine saves all day, but when the Montreal Canadiens star leads young goalies through practice patterns at the annual Eli Wilson Day with Price event, he’s more than just the world’s best drill demonstrator.
Price takes the time to try and teach as goalies rotate through his station throughout the day, which includes two ice times, answering questions on the ice about technique and in the locker room about everything from his equipment set up, to life as an NHL goaltender.
This Pro Tip combines all of the above as Price shares advice on butterfly balance, how it affects the ability to maintain active hands and, yes, how your toe ties can affect both. But let’s start with a demonstration of the drill led by Price, starting with movement keys from Wilson:
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