Seattle Thunderbirds goalie coach Ian Gordon Puckhandling tips, drills, guidelines and non-negotiables
- Establish non-negotiable rules for when and how goalies should make plays with the puck to reduce costly turnovers.
- Practice puckhandling daily using simple, repeatable drills — Gordon uses a specific drill regularly with his Thunderbirds goalies.
- Develop a clear communication system with defensemen so all three players know their roles before the puck arrives.
- Both goaltending coaches and head coaches share responsibility in creating an environment where puckhandling skills can develop safely.
- Review video of real game situations — good and bad — to help goalies recognize when to play the puck and when to leave it.
Ian Gordon stopped pucks professionally for 18 seasons with NHL affiliates in the American Hockey League and International Hockey League, where opponents included a young Marty Turco, as well as overseas in the DEL, Germany’s top league before retiring and becoming a goaltending coach. He has spent the past seven seasons coaching the Seattle Thunderbirds in the Western Hockey League, as well as coaching privately and in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, so he knows how important a good puck-handling goalie can be to team success.
Gordon shared some of those stories and lessons at the WHL / Hockey Canada Goaltending Symposium presented by InGoal Magazine earlier this summer, and that sponsorship means we now get to share his half-hour presentation with our Premium Members.
Gordon reviews his keys to becoming a good puck-handling goalie, including the important role that coaches (goalies and head) play in that development. He talked about the importance of daily practice and shared a simple drill his goalies use regularly in Seattle, shared lessons on how to develop (and an example of) a simple communication system with defensemen, and explained his “non-negotiable” rules when making a play with the puck. At the end, Gordon reviews video for almost 10 minutes, going over good and bad examples using video from the NHL, WHL and AJHL. It’s a presentation worth watching as a coach, goalie or parent:
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