292 Parents: don’t worry about getting your young goalie ‘exposure to scouts’
The audio segment published here takes you directly to the Parent Segment from this episode.
- Scout exposure at ages six, seven, and eight has no meaningful impact on a young goalie's long-term hockey future.
- Beware of programs promoting 'exposure to scouts' for young children — they create unnecessary stress for parents without delivering real benefit.
- Elite players like Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard were not identified by scouts at age six; discovery happens during draft years.
- Focus on building your young goalie's confidence and love of the game rather than chasing early visibility.
- Coaching your own child — even as a volunteer with no prior playing experience — is achievable and rewarding, with certification resources available through Hockey Canada and USA Hockey.
In our Parents Segment, presented by the Stop It Goaltending U app, we talk about all the worry about getting your kids exposure to scouts – and give you permission to relax and enjoy the ride.
David Hutchison points out a widely-circulated promotion for a program that promotes exposure to scouts for children as young as six, arguing it unnecessarily stresses parents. He emphasizes that early exposure to scouts at ages six, seven, and eight does not impact a child’s hockey future and can be misleading. Hutchison highlights that most NHL players did not participate in the Brick Tournament and that exceptional players like Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard were noticed at older ages. He advises focusing on building confidence and enjoying the game rather than worrying about early discovery. Hutchison also shares personal stories to illustrate that scouts primarily focus on players during their draft years.
Coaching Your Child: Some thoughts on your evolving relationship
I’ve spoken before about balancing the roles of both coach and parent, but as I saw the question come up again recently, it got the wheels turning.
We rarely take ourselves too seriously here but the thought popped into my head – Goaltending is a metaphor for life. More specifically, the way a coach-athlete relationship evolves mirrors the journey of a regular parent-child relationship.
If you’re considering coaching – even as a volunteer with a child new to the game, I encourage you to take that step. You don’t need to have played yourself. Just as we all began parenting without prior experience, you can begin coaching the same way. You learn, you adapt, and you grow alongside your child. In return, you gain an experience and a bond that you wouldn’t trade for anything.
There are fantastic resources available – I’ve now taken the first level of the Hockey Canada and US Hockey goaltending coach certification courses and in both cases there were plenty of parents there eager to learn and help – you can do it too.
We were all new parents once. We made mistakes, we learned, and we raised kids we are proud of. Coaching can be the same journey.
In the early years, as your child takes their first strides on the ice, you are the most influential person in their development as a goalie. But as they grow, just like in life, your role must evolve. Being a goalie parent and coach means finding the right balance—supporting their growth without overshadowing their independence.
Personally, I never wanted to jeopardize my relationship as a parent, so I know I pushed less than others might have. There were times when my son got frustrated that I wasn’t more hands-on, that I left him to work things out on his own. But looking back, I believe that made him a better goalie. He became independent. He valued coach feedback but also enjoyed working on his game alone. If I had been an overbearing taskmaster, controlling every aspect of his development, he wouldn’t be the self-sufficient, confident man he is today. So don’t stress about pushing too hard—your role as a goalie coach might last a few years, but your role as a parent lasts a lifetime.
Some of us have the experience to remain a coach for many years or continue by committing to learning and growing with their child. Many great coaches have climbed the ranks without an extensive goaltending background. You on the other hand might choose to only help out in those early formative years.
However long you work with them, every parent-coach faces a transition. Just as we prepare our children to go off to school and learn from experienced teachers, we also have to prepare them to learn from other coaches. That moment will come at different times for everyone—whether it’s after a few seasons for that volunteer parent at the U8 level or later as a teenager. For us, that transition came at U18, and while admittedly it was hard to make that change earlier than I would have hoped, I was excited for my son to have that new experience of working with a different team coach.
Throughout their childhood, as parents we expose our kids to new experiences—skating lessons, preschool, dance, social and other skill development opportunities. These aren’t just to give parents a break; they help our children develop skills and independence. Parenting is about preparing our kids to leave the nest and thrive. It’s not easy for us, but ultimately, it’s a sign of parental success.
This philosophy applies to goaltending as well. From an early age, I made sure my son worked with various coaches. He was exposed to different perspectives and learned about himself as a goaltender. Playing other sports also played a role in shaping his development. All of this built a strong foundation so that when the time came, he was ready to move forward.
As he grew older, our relationship evolved. I didn’t have all the answers, and others taught him things I couldn’t. But we worked together, discussing ideas and learning from each other. If I had tried to control too much—if he had only worked with coaches who shared my approach or worse, had I insisted on being his only coach—he would have missed out on those invaluable learning opportunities. No matter how well he might have played, he wouldn’t have been prepared to stand on his own.
Now, he’s out of the nest. He works well with his team’s goalie coach. He thrives when training independently. We still talk about goaltending, but now he leads those conversations. I believe that makes him a stronger goaltender—and a stronger person. But all of it was built on the foundation of the years we spent together on the ice and the relationship we nurtured along the way.
For those navigating the balance of being both a coach and a parent, I hope this offers some perspective. And for those hesitant to coach their young child, I encourage you to give it a try. The unfortunate reality is that without you, your child might not get the support they need. But more importantly, coaching provides a unique opportunity to build a bond with your son or daughter—one that will last a lifetime.
As parents, we’re always looking for ways to help our kids succeed—especially in a position as demanding as goaltending. That’s why NHL Sense Arena is such a game-changer. It’s not just another training tool; it’s real goalie development in a virtual environment. Your young goalie can sharpen their tracking, decision-making, and puck-reading skills—all without the wear and tear of extra ice time, and without the added cost of expensive extra on-ice sessions.
This segment is from InGoal Radio Episode 292 with Matt Zaba, Colorado Avalanche AHL Goalie Coach
Episode Transcript
Oh, you found some traction there, buddy. I'm, proud of you. I have no better person to go to with the parent segment brought to us by Stop It Goaltending U the app than David Hutchison. And something you are going to talk about last week and Woodley sidetracked you, we're going to deal with this week.
There's a perfect segue here though. Oh, yes. Because last week's read for Stop It Goaltending U, the app, applies even more this week. So I dug into it a little bit. And in addition to all the things that you can get from Stop It Goaltending U, the app, we talk about the one minute videos, the daily affirmations that you get in one minute, the five minute videos, the twenty minute videos, the twenty five years of experience that goes into the coaching and all those videos that are available on the app.
You can also get counseling and advice from Stop It Goaltending U. They have specialists that can help you if you're looking for scholarships, if you're looking for places to play on a junior basis. There are options there to book meetings and talk with them about the process of scouting, of taking next steps, of getting seen, the path to junior, the path to college, the path even to pro. They've got expert counselors there that can help you navigate that, and you could book appointments with them right through the Stop It Goaltending U app. So one of many things we tend to look at the surface level, the base the base subscription.
When you get into the secondary subscription price point with Stop It Goaltending U, the app, the sort of higher version, you get some of these things included, but you can book these appointments and look into it. Make sure you check out the Stop It Goaltending U, the app. And, of course, in both versions, you get the best of both worlds, a subscription to InGoal Magazine premium so you can check out all the latest and greatest with NHL goalies breaking down film and footage and become a better goaltender overall. Hutch.
I think it might be my day to be the curmudgeonly one, boys. I already started off a little bit on fire earlier because I reviewed what I was gonna say last week in getting ready for this morning, and it got me going again. I'm sure you all saw that piece going around on social media last week. There was a program for kids as young as six that the number one thing on their list of what you get out of our program is exposure to scouts. Now look, to be fair, it might have just been a misstep in how it was promoted.
I like to think that the people behind this and every program has the kids' best interest at heart. Maybe they were using a template they had for older ages. Heck, maybe they got ChatGPT to write this thing for them. I don't know. But I couldn't believe that I saw something talking about exposure to scouts at age six, seven, and eight.
I was happy how many people were peed off about what they'd seen. And maybe I'm preaching to the choir here, but I still think, guys, that we need to talk about this a little bit because I guarantee there are parents every week in the stands at minor hockey games freaked out about what the next step is for their kid. Age eight, age 10, where'd little Johnny go to play? Who's gonna be on our team next year? Maybe I should be moving my kid here.
It is stressful being a parent. And look, I was that guy. I get it. I was involved in it. But in terms of exposure to scouts, here's the reality folks.
Age six, age eight, age 10 will not have any impact on your kid's hockey future. By all means, if you want to send them to one of these things for the right reasons, it's gonna be fun, because they're gonna enjoy the experience, because it will be a challenging development opportunity, go for it. But temper your expectations. These things will not define your kid's path to the National Hockey League. One of the ones that really gets me riled up guys, here we go.
It's the Brick tournament. We see highlights on National Hockey League games where people praise the wonderful Brick tournament because whatever player in the National Hockey League was in it. Good for them. Great for them. I'm sure it was a fun experience.
Here's the reality. The vast majority of players in the National Hockey League did not play in the BRICK tournament. The vast majority of players from the brick tournament do not play in the National Hockey League. It will not have an effect on your kid's future as a player. I was speaking guys to the head of a major hockey school, not a goalie school, And I told him when my kid was young that I was a little worried about this great brick tournament.
And, you know, he looked at me and he said, Hutch, do you know how many guys working for me for minimum wage played in the brick tournament? And the answer was a lot. Look. The players at a young age that turn into Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard, I saw Bedard at a tryout when he was a young kid, and it was electric, but he didn't make it because there was a scout in the building that day at age eight or 10. They're gonna get noticed anyway.
Couple personal stories. It was a year before my kid's draft year. His goalie partner, it was his draft year. So he's a year older than my son. And there was a scout from a Western League team talking to me because I was the goalie coach and he wanted to know about my my my son's partner, Joey, plays for Swift Current now.
And he said to me straight up, just so you know, I'm not even watching your kid. And I'm like, oh, okay. Why is that? Because it's not his draft year. I'll be watching him next year.
So do you think he was watching him at age eight? No. And I had the very same experience guys with an NHL scout at a game. Yes. They're aware of the kids in the league.
Yes. He knew what year might was my kid's draft year, but he was also very clear. I'm not watching him. I'll watch him in his draft year. That's when it really matters.
building a hockey career is not about getting discovered at a young age. What we need to be focusing on is building confidence in our kids, letting them have fun, let them grow as players, let them grow as people. If they're good enough when it matters, they'll find them.
So, guys, building a hockey career is not about getting discovered at a young age. It's not Pamela Anderson at a BC lions game who suddenly gets her life turned around overnight because she's discovered. You're not gonna discover a 10 year old kid who suddenly is gonna play in the National Hockey League because some scout sees something in him. What we need to be focusing on is building confidence in our kids, letting them have fun, let them grow as players, let them grow as people. If they're good enough when it matters, they'll find them.
Yes. You should play at the highest level that you can that's right for your family for all kinds of different reasons, but they'll be found. And if they're not ready then, that's okay too because there's a lot of different paths. Not every kid is ready at the same time. The first goalie taken in the National Hockey League draft this year from the Western Hockey League, most people seem to think it will be Josh Ravensbergen of the Prince George Cougars.
He was not drafted into the Western Hockey League. He had to fight his way past a kid who'd already played for Canada, the U17 level to even make that team. It's working out pretty well for him right now. And I guarantee guys, there's gonna be a a few goaltenders playing right now in the CHL, the NHL, the USHL, wherever, who will not be drafted this year, and they will go on to having great pro careers. And none of them were scouted at age eight.
So relax, have fun, and enjoy the ride.
Ladysmith's, Pamela Anderson.
Yes, indeed. Just
I down the believe the kids call that a good pull. I don't know. Didn't say one as a good, you know, good reference, a good pull.
Yeah. Yeah. I met her. She was
I just noticed that Woody was writing some stuff down, and he looked up.
Like, did I hear that? Right?
I mean, listen. I lived through that. Right? Like like, I was a kid in that era going to BC lions games with my parents when she was discovered as the Labatt's Blue girl on a, you know, at at a game for the BC lions. So CFL, a lot of our American listeners are like, what the hell is a BC lion?
What's a CFL? But they all know who Pamela Anderson is. So that reference definitely, that resonated with me. That's that's that's my era.
Glad I finally got your attention, Woody. Now I know how to do it.
So when do you worry about scouts?
You don't. You don't. Oh, oh, oh, oh, hold on. You do. Has to
be Tuesday time. Tuesday night at 10:30 in beer league. I know a whole bunch of guys that worry about the scouts then. That's when you worry about it.
No. But like, what are you gonna do to make this happen? I I under I'm sure there are some showcases out there that for a kid who wants to play some junior hockey somewhere, that's a way to find some teams, teams that don't have the budget to travel to see all these kids play and so on. But if your goal is the CHL or the USHL or a professional career, the scouts are there. They're out there.
They're finding you. You don't have to worry about it. You have to worry about playing the best hockey you can. It's like, do you worry about winning the game today? No.
You'd worry about the next shot. Do you worry about the guy at the other end? No. You don't worry about the guy at the other end. You worry about your game.
And, so I don't think you worry about all these scouting situations at all. I I do understand to a degree the worry about where should my kid play next year and how do I get them the best development opportunity and so on, and we can talk about that another time. But I don't think you chase the scouts.
K. So I got this is a little bit of a mea culpa too because this goes back to us talking about development of Canadian goaltending. And I've been critical of the lack of a national cohesive program relative to other countries here in Canada. But at the end of the day, much like chasing the scouts, the way the parents approach minor hockey is a big part of the problem in this country in terms of some of the things we've talked about with USA hockey, like, you know, no backup goalies at certain ages. Both kids play every game.
Some of those things. I was talking with, somebody who's done some writing for us, and his kid's team actually gave the parents the vote of whether starter backup. So a kid is sitting every game or whether they split games, and the parents voted to go NHL style starter backup. I think his kid's U9, U10, maybe U11. And so much like this conversation about chasing the scouts, it's the mindset and that has to shift from parents in terms of how we do things and looking at the bigger picture rather than trying to make everything professional, including worrying about who's watching your kid at a stupid young age.
And look, my point of all of this, Woody, is not to scold a parent because they're chasing a scout. It's not to say you're doing something wrong here. Parents, it's really for me to just help you give yourself permission to just relax and enjoy the ride.
But I wanted to scold somebody.
No. You you you scold away. I'm just making sure it's not the parents. I because honestly, this all began with me being upset about something I saw for a hockey program trying to rile up the programs. That's where where it happens.
We've we've privatized the game to such an extent, you know, and everybody's chasing a buck and it's fair to try and make money in this world. It's okay. But preying off people's fears is man, that's frustrating.
That's a lot of minor hockey and summers summer leagues and summer camps, summer schools.
Sure
is. Not goalie schools though.
No. Although I do have a funny scout story from a goalie school. I was on the ice, at a goalie camp. I don't know. There's 15 kids on the ice or whatever at the time and all of a sudden this chatter starts going around the ice.
And look, there's a ton of kids who've been drafted in the National Hockey League at this camp. And, the chatter starts around on the ice and everybody's looking up and pointing up. I come over to a kid like, what's everybody getting all excited about there? There's a scout here. Really?
Really?
Yes. There was a guy in a suit. It was the father of one of the other goalies. He was wearing a suit, so they all decided he was a scout. Not many scouts wear suits, by the way.
You can recognize them too.
Well, here's an interesting great tie in, because we've got Matt Zaba coming up on the NHL Sense Arena feature interview. He's from Yorkton. One of the great goaltending schools of my generation was the International Goaltending School in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. And Dennis would come on. He was the general manager and coach of the Yorkton terriers. He would come out and and scout the later years, like the 15 and up goaltenders all the time.
But not the eight year olds.
Not the eight year olds. No. No. Not the eight year old. 15 and up.
But
I was I was not really his cup of tea.
But you still got a chance, Daren. Tuesday night, 10:30, the scouts are definitely gonna be there because I got a guy playing like it's game seven against you. So a 100%, there must be somebody in the stands watching that Yeah. I played in try hard run the goalie.
I played in a beer league showcase for scouts, boys. Did you? I did. You probably Did you notice? Crazy.
Yeah. I did. True story. The the local there's a league around here that actually Are
telling the truth here or are No.
I'm actually I'm I'm I'm I'm stretching the truth, but I'm telling the truth. There's a league around here where, everybody gets rated. They get a rating number between
Oh, yeah.
Whatever whatever, and then they have a rating cap and you have to pick players for your teams based on this rating cap, which is a bit analogous to a a salary cap because you have to have a certain number of guys below a level, a certain number above a level, and so on. And so every team sends a representative
a way to run a league actually.
It's very cool. And if you want to come into the league, you have to go to this showcase where there's a quote unquote scout, a representative from every team in the league and they're in there and they're making their own notes. And those notes are combined to create the rankings for everybody. And, so yes, I did. And what was really cool is one of the guys from the team, I was new to town, came running down afterwards because he heard that it was Hutch from InGoal that was in the ice and we got to meet as a result and we've been friends ever since.
I thought you're gonna this is like, what was that show on CBC with Mike Keenan was the coach where Making the cut. Yes. Taking the cut. I play with a guy who was on making the cut. He plays every Monday and Friday with us.
He was on making the cut. He played a little pro overseas, played a little minor pro hockey here. I think ECHL, SPHL, a little NAHL. That's a tough league. Mhmm.
And he was on making the cut. So I I thought Hutch was gonna give us a making the cut story.
No. If I tried, I'd have been cut before making the cut. I wouldn't have made the cut.
I like that show. It there was something there with that show. Nobody's gonna make the NHL from that show, but there was there was still something there.
I'd like to see it again.
I would like to draw upon. Do you remember what your rating was, Hutch?
I don't, but I went first overall in the draft. Did you? Yeah. But they draft goalies first and there weren't many of us in it. So I I was the first goalie Yeah.
Of two or
Even the mock Andre Fleury of the Nanaimo senior hockey.
Yeah. It was pretty funny.
I had no idea we were with the first overall draft selection.
That's impressive.
Yeah. Well, that's yeah.
From now on, that's your intro.
First OV.
Co founder and first overall draft choice of the Nanaimo Rec League hockey. Yeah. What was the league?
It's called Casual League. Yeah.
Oh, from the casual.
NCHL, the Nanaimo Casual Hockey League. Great league. Had a lot of fun there.
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