Goalies not only ones who need to keep open minds
Key Takeaways
- RVH was being used in Swedish professional hockey before Jonathan Quick popularized it in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, meaning North America was actually behind the curve.
- Anders Nilsson was forced to abandon his established RVH technique by NHL coaches who dismissed it as a European-only tactic not suited for smaller North American ice.
- Open-mindedness from coaches and organizations is just as critical as a goalie's willingness to learn — resistance to unfamiliar techniques can set players back.
- Lulea goalie coach Linda Blomquist has credited Sweden as the origin of the RVH technique, a fact largely overlooked in mainstream North American coaching circles.
- The RVH adoption story is a reminder to evaluate techniques on merit rather than geography or convention, whether you are a goalie or a goalie coach.
The #RVHfail hashtag has been the subject of many discussions here at InGoal Magazine over the years, but this story from recently retired NHL goalie Anders Nilsson features a different kind of failure when it comes to the polarizing post-integration technique.
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