Managing Traffic with Kamloops Blazers goalie coach Dan De Palma (~ featuring Team Canada’s Dylan Garand)
- Dan De Palma's core philosophy for managing screens is to 'keep chaotic situations simple,' reducing decision-making load in high-traffic situations.
- Dylan Garand personally selected video clips to illustrate key traffic-management concepts, offering rare insight into how the Rangers prospect processes screens.
- De Palma outlines how to design practice drills that specifically build traffic-management skills as goalies advance into junior and professional hockey.
- Coaching adjustments for smaller goalies and stance/depth preferences in front of the net are addressed directly in the Q&A portion of the session.
- De Palma has developed recognizable NHL draft picks including Conor Ingram, Cole Kehler, and Dylan Ferguson, giving his methods proven pedigree.
If you’re looking for insights into recent New York Rangers draft pick and Team Canada goalie Dylan Garand heading into the upcoming World Junior Championships in Edmonton, you’ve come to the right place. Today’s presentation on managing traffic comes from Dan De Palma, who is Garand’s goaltending coach with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL, and features a video review of clips involving screens handpicked by Garand to highlight various keys.
De Palma, who has been coaching in the WHL since 2006 and worked with other recent draft picks and recognizable names like Conor Ingram, Cole Kehler and Dylan Ferguson, spent 30 minutes reviewing his keys to managing traffic and screens, including the detailed video session featuring Garand, during the WHL / Hockey Canada Goaltending Symposium this summer.
After a brief introduction and some overarching career advice for the goalie coaches in attendance, De Palma reviews the elements he sees as crucial to navigating the increase in traffic that comes as goalies move up in the game, especially into junior and pro.
“Keep chaotic situations simple,” De Palma said while outlining how he tries to do just that.
De Palma reviews the keys to creating drills that allow goalies to improve these key skills of traffic management, and answers some great questions after his presentation, including stance and depth preferences, working with smaller goalies, and how to approach a goaltender that says they just didn’t see it, so make sure you watch right to the end:
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