Pro Drills inspired by Warren Strelow Featuring Sabres Seamus Kotyk and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
- The Finnish Shuffle — a single-leg edgework drill Luukkonen introduced to Kotyk — builds edge strength and skating pace, done 20-30 seconds per leg along the goal line.
- Warren Strelow's skating philosophy underpins these drills: developing goalie mobility outside the crease is just as important as crease movement patterns.
- Simple c-cut progressions from goal line to red line, performed forward and back on each leg, serve as effective goalie warm-up or post-practice finishers.
- Kotyk emphasizes working on skating 'in all different ways, not just inside the net' as a foundational principle for goalies at any age or level.
- These drills require no equipment beyond ice and a straight reference line, making them accessible and adaptable for any practice setting.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen photo – Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire
The first five parts of our movement series with top Buffalo Sabres prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and goaltending development coach Seamus Kotyk has focused on crease movement patterns — and targeted puck placement for that skating work — originally from the late Warren Strelow, a legend in the goaltending coach fraternity.
This week, we’re taking things outside of the crease for some warm-up skating, some of which will look as simple and familiar as a c-cut, but others with a unique twist.
“The better a skater you can become, I feel the greater a goalie you can become,” Kotyk said. “It’s very basic work for any age group (and) shows the importance of working on your skating and learning how to skate in all different ways, not just inside the net.”
We’ll start with one Luukkonen brought to Kotyk, who now calls it the Finnish Shuffle:
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