Podcast Segment for Parents – Episode 262

Plan to train. It can be nasty situations that happen on the ice that aren't planned out and just go awry and you don't have to be a goaltender necessarily to handle this, but you are the person that's dealing with the end result of the different decisions or actions in front of you. So how do you handle it, Hutch?

Well, yeah, teammates. And, one nice thing about the great teammates that InGoal and Stop It Are is that I'm pretty sure that Brian Daccord is never gonna tuck a puck in behind me in a game. They're always there supporting us as our regular teammates are. Sometimes things happen out on the ice, as you say, Daren. And as parents, we have to be there to support our kids.

We're, in many senses, their most important coach, especially on the mindset side, I really believe. And we have to help guide them through some of these situations, especially the youngest goaltenders. And, as I mentioned before, at the, the TendyFest, q and a with Bill Ranford, he had a great response to a question along these lines, and and I'll get to that in a second. In fact, we'll even listen to Bill share that idea with us. But, yeah, it's it's pretty common to see young goaltenders being frustrated with their teammates.

And, you know, maybe maybe it's something as simple as they've given up a few too many goals in the game and they're upset at the defense for maybe not having a great game. They're upset at some teammates who are more interested in offense than in back checking. Get used to it, kids. All roads lead to beer league, and one day you're gonna have beer league teammates that never back check. But look, the general advice that we're all given as goaltenders that we wanna share with our kids is don't show that frustration.

Don't lift your head up and throw your arms up in the air as if you wanna tell the whole world what did you want me to do there. Don't yell at your teammates. Don't give them the stare down. Worse still, don't start arguing with them on the ice. I did once see in beer league a goaltender get in a fight with his own defenseman.

That is not where we

want to the fight we just disagreed for a second.

A legit throwdown. So so, yeah, we know we don't want them doing all that. What do you want them to do when they you know, when there's a mistake out there? Look, the fact is it's our job to be there when our team makes mistakes. And yes, some teams and some players make more mistakes than others, but it's the job we signed up for.

So we need to accept that and, play with the hand that we've been dealt. As we've just come off the NHL draft, I think it is worth pointing out that we've all spoken to lots of scouts and general managers who absolutely care about your demeanor on the ice. They've told us many times that they want unflappable goaltenders who don't show emotion. They wanna see goalies battle, but they want them battling to stop the puck, with their teammates or or anybody else on the ice, frankly. So as I've said, as parents, think it's important for us to make our kids aware of this.

But more importantly, as I often say, we wanna catch them being good and reinforce that best behavior that they have. So praise your kids, when they don't overreact to a goal, when they don't react at all to a goal, for example, when they don't outwardly get angry, when they have a tough game or when a teammate, has a tough game in front of them. Because not only, is it gonna upset you, it's not only is it gonna upset your team, but but frankly, it's gonna distract from your focus and having the right mindset to play your best. And I'm sure our good friend Pete Fry would back that up as well. But rather than just tell you my thoughts, wanted to share this clip we were talking about with you.

When at the TendyFest q and a, Bill was asked a question by a young goaltender who said, what do I do when my teammate scores on me? And I think he was probably implying that it happens a fair bit. And it does happen more and more in the game today, guys, doesn't it? Defenses are collapsing around the net. The higher up in the game you get as you start working towards, you know, u 18 and junior and obviously in the National Hockey League, defensively teams collapse around the net and more and more pucks are getting knocked in off of their own teammates.

Bums, shin pads, skates, sticks, especially when they try and get that stick in a lane and and stop a shot from coming towards the net or or a pass across the net front and and things end up going behind you that you don't want. It's gonna keep happening as you go up in the game, guys. So what do you do? Kind of it's rubbing salt in the wound and, and how are gonna handle it? So I would just first like to let everybody listen to Bill's response because I think it was perfect.

Really good question. How do I deal with teammates that put the puck into mine? You know what? Everybody makes mistakes. So the one thing I know I don't do is I don't stare at them or make everybody in the building know that they've put the puck in the net.

What I might do is when you get a chance, either between periods or if you get a chance, go to the bench and just give them knuckles. Feel you, man. Tough break. But don't give the hands up in the air and stare at the guy like, I can't believe you. Put in the that's everybody make make mistakes and then maybe the next time when you make a mistake, he's gonna come and give you a pat on the back and like, you got the next one.

That's how I approach it.

So Bill's response there, guys, wasn't it really just the golden rule? He wants everybody just to, give their defenseman if he knocks the puck in behind you a pat on the back and say, yep, sometimes it happens. What I really liked though about what Bill said is it wasn't just going over and pat them on the back where the whole world can see you in the middle of a game. It was wait until you're over on the bench, wait until it's just a quiet moment, it's just the two of you and just say, hey, don't worry about it. Things happen and and they happen to me too.

I I got your back. I'll get the next one. So I I think that's fabulous advice whether you're upset that your team has had a tough game, whether you're upset a specific play where one of your teammates has put the puck in behind you. Encourage your goaltender to accept responsibility, to do everything they can to stop every puck, to remain cool and calm when adversity strikes. And when a teammate makes that mistake that costs you, be understanding because that's what you want them to be with you.

The last thing I was just going to tell everybody guys is just if your kids aren't listening to you to the podcast in the car with you right now as so many do, play this clip from Bill because I think it's a fantastic thing for young goaltenders to listen to. Or next week when it comes out, listen to the whole q and a because they're probably gonna listen to a four time Stanley Cup more winner far more than they will to the three of us.

I usually just tell my teammates, you finally got one.

I go with, what would Woody do? And then I

Oh, no.

Then I chirp my teammates too. So I

I gotta I've gotta adopt some of what Hutch is saying.

I don't think I've seen Woody chirp his own teammates, but I've seen him go after referees and opposing players.

Listen. I'm too busy fighting the puck to fight anyone else. That's that's the reality these days.

I kinda like it if if there's a screw up goal. Then I'm like, that wasn't my fault. That's good. And every and nobody's even gonna think that on the bench. I I just got a free one.

You know, you're kinda right, but but when games get tough and now you're you're already behind and you've already Yeah. Feel like maybe you're not having your best game and then you get that tough break.

Easy to go. Come on, guys.

You know, jeez, it's bad enough without this happening. So but as we say, we we we just have to let the bounces happen and stay calm because that's what everybody wants to see and that's what helps you become a better goaltender too.

My favorite line to my teammates in in mens league because we all end up But the odd time when it isn't my fault, my defense member forward will stand beside me out getting the puck out of the net and they'll go, that's my bad. And I'll just look at them and go, well, it wasn't my fault. And then there's then there's laughter and joking and and we get to get back into it. But the the new guys, every every time we'll get a new person out and they're looking at me going, what's this guy talking about? It's not my fault.

My favorite one's when I leave a puck for a defenseman and then he makes a terrible pass and it's a turnover. And mid game, I just look at him and say, I could have made that pass. Yeah.

Yeah. Just deal I'm stealing that. Could have shortcut

could've shortcut the turnover and just done it myself.

I'm I'm stealing that from you. So, Woody, we we've got something that we can digest here from Hutch.

Valuable life lessons as goaltenders and and all joking aside, important ones, and it was nice to hear Bill's reaction and his words as I love that Hutch used that as part of the the parent segment because you could see the impact that his response and the way he engaged with the kids. You could see that impact directly at TendyFest. Just how, you know, jokes aside, Hutch talked about listening to the him more than the three of us, but you really could see how intently these kids were listening to his advice.

It wasn't the only good bit of parental advice in there either. There were three or four really good sound bites for for parents to listen to.

Incredible amount of resources in the history of InGoal Radio, the podcast, but the on ice presentation by Bill and then the off ice q and a is fabulous. It's it's right up there with the best, available interaction that anybody can have with with goaltending, whether it's parent or whether it's the goaltender itself. So well done, you guys. Awesome job. Thanks to Bill for that as well.