ProTips with Richard Bachman
- Level out your inside skate parallel to the goal line when on the post to maximize your available movement options.
- Proper inside skate placement allows goalies to execute lateral plays above or below the goal line without extra rotation before pushing.
- Richard Bachman, goaltending development coach for the Minnesota Wild, emphasizes that it's not just about doing crease movement patterns — it's doing them correctly by default.
- Even technically acceptable skate positions can limit your exit options; building the correct habit prepares you for unpredictable game situations.
- Crease movement pattern details like post skate placement are a focus at the NHL level, as demonstrated at the NET360 Goalie Camp.
One of the best parts of getting to be on the ice with NHL-level goalies and goaltending coaches at the annual NET360 Goalie Camp put together by Alpha Hockey Agency and trainer Adam Francilia is the chance watch them dial in on the details that matter at the highest level.
A couple of those fine details are the focal point in this warm-up skating drill led by Richard Bachman, who spent parts of eight seasons in the NHL with the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, and is now the goaltending development coach for the Minnesota Wild. Long-time InGoal Premium Members will probably remember Pro Tips with Carey Price and Carter Hart sharing the importance of crease movement patterns to their success in the past, but as Bachman reminds us, it’s not just about doing them, it’s doing them right.
In this case, the importance of skate placement becomes a discussion point with Vancouver Giants prospect Matthew Hutchison, who was one of four junior goalies at NET360. More specifically, it’s the inside skate placement when on the post that Bachman addresses in this video:
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