Glen Gulutzan: Role of a Goalie Coach Within a Coaching Staff
- The goalie coach role in the NHL has evolved to become fully integrated with the rest of the coaching staff, requiring collaboration rather than operating independently.
- Glen Gulutzan worked with four notable goalie coaches — Mike Valley, Rollie Melanson, Jordan Sigalet, and Dustin Schwartz — and draws distinct lessons from each relationship.
- A joint goalie coach and skills coach development program in Vancouver directly contributed to the growth of Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider, Eddie Lack, and Jacob Markstrom.
- Goalie coaches must navigate a critical balance: standing up for their goalies when warranted without crossing into blind protection that damages credibility with the coaching staff.
- Building trust with head coaches and fellow assistants in practice settings is essential for a goalie coach to effectively influence how goalies are developed and used.
Edmonton Oilers assistant Glen Gulutzan has been coaching for 19 seasons, working his way up from the ECHL up the NHL, including four seasons as a head coach with the Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames, so he’s well positioned to talk about the evolution of the goalie coach role
Gulutzan talked about how the role has changed within the framework of a coaching staff in the NHL at the WHL / Hockey Canada Goaltending Symposium presented by InGoal Magazine this summer. While Gulutzan isn’t a goalie himself, his presentation includes some valuable lessons and advice about interacting with the rest of the coaching staff, including the fine line between standing up for your goalies when it’s called for and protecting them blindly. He also talks about how to work with other coaches in a way that benefits everyone in practice, including the evolution of a skills coach and a goalie coach working together during his time as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks, and a development program there that helped Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider, Eddie Lack and Jacob Markstrom.
Gulutzan shares lessons from each of the goalie coaches he has worked with, including Mike Valley in Dallas, Rollie Melanson in Vancouver, Jordan Sigalet in Calgary and now Dustin Schwartz in Edmonton, and how it’s now all inclusive. Gulutzan also tells several great stories from his career, including one involving Melanson and an ill-timed phone call from the late Jean Béliveau. Enjoy — and make sure you stick around for the lengthy Q+A session after, it’s loaded with great insights and advice.
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