InGoal Radio Episode 328 with Carter Hutton

Intro

We got it going on today. This this is outstanding, our setup. Hutch is at the home office of InGoal. I'm in Vegas, and somewhere in the Lower Mainland recording in his car is Mr. Kevin Woodley. Woody, are you allowed to reveal where you are?

I could tell you where I am, but then I'd have to kill you. I can, however, tell you that.

Tell me. Please tell me.

Not not am I just in my car, Daren. But it's important to note that I am in my Hyundai Kona provided by my friends at White Rock Hyundai. And they may not sponsor my hits on this podcast, but they do sponsor my local radio. So it is important to notice how great it is for me to be able to get around the Lower Mainland because I don't have to pay any gas. It's all in my EV.

Life is good in a Hyundai. Shameless plug.

Oh, boy. Can't wait to see what Hutch does with that. Vroom. Vroom. Vroom.

Oh, no vroom vroom.

You have that.

No vroom vroom. It's more of a sort of subtle wine it makes, you know, electric.

I I licensed a new vehicle this week because we needed a third one for the family. A 2003 Toyota Tundra.

Oh. Wow.

So that is not that is

is the opposite of my EV. They like we are we are I am your carbon offset.

Woody said his car whines. It's sort of appropriate that his car whines.

They bite me. Yeah. InGoal Radio, the podcast that bring you The Hockey Shop Source for Sports Langley, thehockeyshop.com, our partnership there. We'll get into the Gear Segment in just a little bit. The general manager's meeting off the Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and I've been told that they they dip their toe into goalies masks coming off.

Do we think this is a serious issue? Is it something that requires attention from the general managers? Woody.

Oh, honestly, we've had a few close calls where play has continued and second shots have come in on goaltenders that don't have masks. And so I think it is an issue in so much as, come on, surely to goodness, we can put them on better. Like, we can fasten them better. We can find a way that they don't come off and and so that the goalies aren't in compromised positions after taking shots off the mask. No?

Like like, we can fix the buckle, can't we?

Part of the issue is guys just shaking the mask off as soon as they feel it loose.

Well, they feel it loose because the buckles come off. So the question is why do the buckles come off?

And they probably feel compromised. Mean, it's not that different from when you're, you know, pick another topic here that we love. When your net comes off, you sometimes feel compelled to push a little further to make sure the referees know it's off because you can't play when it's just sort of sitting there but not properly anchored. I would imagine if my helmet was dangling off my face improperly secured, I would wanna make sure the referees knew I couldn't play like that either because you can't see if it's not on proper.

So but do we agree then that it's worth investigating, finding a way to keep them on more? Right. And the question becomes or the counterpoint that others have raised is, is the elastic butt the buckles at the end of the elastic, are they coming off in any way to save the goaltender from a part of the impact of a puck? Do we do we think that's a valid concern?

I don't think that that I I don't know the science behind it, but it doesn't pass the smell test to me. It seems counterintuitive. Right? Like, because the only way that would be the case is if the mask gets hit hard enough to compress and then bounce back enough to pull on the elastic to the point where the buckles release. So this is

It seems counterintuitive. Right? Like, because the only way that would be the case is if the mask gets hit hard enough to compress and then bounce back enough to pull on the elastic to the point where the buckles release. So this is

just And you've already felt all the pressure. The mask is just the buckles. Hit your mask, the mask has hit your face, and then they give.

So if there is no safety element to it, then can't we find a better way to secure the buckle?

So is it just a matter of better buckles, Hutch?

It could be. I mean, as far as I know, those buckles that are on there very much resemble the ones that I had on my Cooper helmet circa 1976. Daren's looking around his office. He's probably got a Cooper helmet somewhere. He does.

He's pulling it out. So I don't think the technology has advanced. I simply think it's what we have. Surely, there are better solutions. I mean, of course, the other solution to all of this is simply accept the referee's blowing the whistle the second the mask comes off.

But, not everybody in the hockey world's gonna be happy with that. Love this. If you were watching the video edition of this podcast, you would see Daren with his Cooper

SK 2,000.

SK 2,000, the 30 cat eye cage on it.

Oh, we had Chris.

I was good

as a guess

there for some

The center bar is not quite in the center of his face. I'm a little concerned about that. And of course, he has a dangler on. Looks pretty sweet, Daren. Now show us the buckles.

They're both the same. Yep. Yep. Yeah. About the same.

But the you're right. The buckles on the masks haven't changed in years. No. So there's gotta be a better way to do it. My understanding is that they've there are some people that have presented better ways to do it, better ways to to secure those buckles.

So there's gotta be a better way to do it. My understanding is that they've there are some people that have presented better ways to do it, better ways to to secure those buckles.

If there were metal buckles, I wonder, would there be less fluidity in the in the composition?

My assumption my assumption would be the harder they are to take off, the harder they are to put on. Yeah.

That be like that.

No. So I don't think they would like that. The simple solution would cost me my union card, of course.

Let's hear it.

[crosstalk] And that is the second the mask comes off, the whistle blows, but the goaltender also gets a penalty. Oh, you're out. The delay of game. You're out. And if the goaltender was getting a penalty because the mask is coming off, instantly someone would find a solution to make sure it doesn't go.

Peter Mrazek would challenge Ron Hextall's penalty minute total because Mrazek's mask comes off every thirteen minutes.

I His so it sounds like his his mask is the equivalent of the Nets in Nashville.

Yeah. Good point.

What about goalie Todd?

Chin straps. So if the buckle come off and the mask's loose, the chin strap will hold the mask somewhat in place.

Goalies don't

wear chin straps.

Yeah. You're right. It's funny because I always do. I've always had them. I always thought it doesn't do anything, but you're right.

Like, that ability to just shake it off will get a little tougher. You wouldn't have to have a chin strap with any tension on it, but, you know, a chin strap.

Daren is now gonna lose his union card

here too.

No. No.

[crosstalk] No. No. Don't because I assume Don't because I assume in the rules, it says that you every player must have a chin strap on Yeah. And the referees are either just not seeing it or not enforcing it, and Daren is now joining me without a union card.

Don't don't lump me in with you.

Oh, getting defensive, are we?

Well, I'm trying to make the game safer. You're you're trying to rule out

You're letting the whole world know that goalies don't wear chinstraps.

Well, our audience already knows that Yes. And and that and that's gotta be, like a cool factor.

Right? Well, it is easier to pop it up. I mean

Yeah.

You wanna pop it up to take a drink or cool down or whatever. It's easier when you don't have a chin strap or a ridiculously loose one. I under I understand wanting to do that.

Listen. I gotta say Let's see where it goes with the manager.

Let's let's have my union card stripped now too. Because one of the goalies that sort of made this put this in the spotlight by making a save without a mask is Anthony Stolarz's. And how about we just get him a mask that fits in the first place? That thing looks like his head is coming out of it before the buckles pop off. Like, the the backplate is this is like a massive gap between the edge of the mask and the back.

It looks like it's three sizes too small. So Yeah. To Hutch's point about if you're gonna wear masks that don't fit and don't stay on properly, do goalies get penalized if they come off? Like, I think you could make an argument in some cases, and I don't know the ins and outs specifically of how Anthony's been fitted for his mask or how he likes to wear it. But every time I see that mask, I'm like, can we not get this guy one that fits safely and properly?

Mask comes off, you get a penalty.

It it And an instant whistle for safety.

Okay. That That's would the cost of safety. Yep. That would lead

to an immediate solution.

I think it would.

Guys wouldn't shake

the R and D would speed up pretty quickly.

And they're vulnerable. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We'd we'd fix the buckle

pretty very smart equipment managers on all teams and many of them would solve it very quickly.

Gear

The Hockey Shop Source for Sports Langley, thehockeyshop.com. Let's get into our Gear Segment with the folks very busy over at the Hockey Shop.

Yeah. You know what? They've been very busy unpacking a lot of pro returns lately. We've done the True ones. This week, we're going to the CCM pro returns.

We've also talked about the Bauer Pulse, not a pro return, but a new model. So I kinda think like you're into November, you're into Christmas shopping season for a lot of parents out there wondering what to get the young goalie on their list. Sticks make a great great gift. Little tough to ship, little tough to wrap, little tough to hide under the tree, but it doesn't matter. It's a great gift and they have got an endless selection of great twigs at the Hockey Shop Source for Sports right now.

The CCM Pro returns we're about to get into, the true pro returns we talked about a couple of weeks ago, that new Bauer Pulse stick. We've got the Warrior Swagger Retro, the twentieth anniversary. There's just so many great options on the stick racks. What is it, Hutch? Four?

Four, five, both sides sticks rack, just all goalie sticks at the Hockey Shop goalie department?

At least. It's unbelievable. I mean, you there's a ton more in the back room.

Yeah. So tons of selection, tons of options, including some very limited edition, limited time, some great savings on the CCM sticks that we're about to talk about in this week's Gear Segment with Cam.

[crosstalk] Pro returns. Return to pro return. Return to the right. Yeah. What do got like?

I got like six, set in ProReturn sticks here.

How about that?

More over on the rack, we've done them. We did True recently. There's some great models from them.

Some crossover here too as well.

Yeah. And we've we've actually got sticks. Mhmm. Pro returns from CCM. Same goalie, pro returns from true.

Cam has a ton of pro return. I do. He's a real pro. And we're gonna get into some of the details on these CCM ones, Cam. We've got a bunch of different names.

I got a I got a Skinzy here, which is Stuart Skinner. Interesting how they go nickname. I got a Cyrus. I got a Markstrom.

Yes. You got a Bob over there. I Bob over there. An EFlex vibe with that that that infamous shoulder. That one just stands out right off the bat. I mean, yeah, might as well jump right into that one in particular.

You got a Matty Rooney.

I do. Yeah.

Devin Levi. So good. Devin Levi, Mikey DiPietro. We got them all. So let's start off with different models.

I have an XF Pro here in my hands. I have three XF Pros here. Yes. Cam's got some EFlex fives. Yes.

In addition to a chance to get unique custom grips in some cases here, some different graphics and different materials in Skinner's case, as well as some custom blades. Custom curves for sure. You're actually getting a CCM XF pro for less than if you just bought a new one off the rack. They're actually cheaper. Now the one caveat is no pro returns do not come with warranty.

So you have to keep that in mind, but great chance to try a unique grip, something different. You're thinking of custom. You can try it out in the Pro Return models. Some of the specifics you have over there on the EFlex ones.

I mean, and Bob's always such an easy one to kinda look at because it's just such a unique stick in particular. Even And we've

done it on the ingoalmag.com folks. If you wanna know why he has the shoulder shape like this and a lot of goalies around the league have copied it. A full

hand grip. Just grips it right down like that.

Yeah. I mean, grips seem to be a common theme with us over the last little bit here talking about a few different things, but that said, this is, yeah, definitely a very unique way to hold your stick and get that different kind of control. I don't know if it's necessarily my cup of tea, but hey, it works all the way up

to the NHL level. I don't drink tea. What about the Skinner one here? There's quite a few sort of unique parts of this other than the nickname being on the this is an interesting blade too.

Squirrel. So speaking of blades, and we're talking about two different ones right here.

Squirrel.

So when we look at it, he's got a layer of like, it's a tech stream just right over top too. Like, so, hey, his It's like rare. Exactly. Yeah. It's very interesting to see that.

I've seen that on a couple of player sticks.

Now I wanna see how he tapes it to see if he actually leaves this exposed in any way. Right. We're gonna have to it's too. We're gonna have to have a conversation about why you do

it this way, my friend.

The curiosity level. So in terms of also, again, with their own custom curves as well, see a lot of heel based curves. We see a lot of P 31 kind of style curves as well. Obviously quite a few different options here. Definitely some unique colors as well.

I mean, looking at that Saros stick, I think that one pops like crazy. Obviously some various different sizing as well. So if do you have some questions about it, you can give us a call (604) 589-8299 or 60790. We do have them up on the website. There are curves that are listed as custom just because they don't really line up with anything else on the So if you want to learn a little bit more about it, you can always give us a call

[crosstalk] and check the sticks out on the website. Like I said, chance to get an XF Pro for less than you pay just to buy an XF Pro. Custom details, a lot of unique options here in store, more than we have, more than the six or seven we have present in front of you right now. Make sure you check them out at the hockeyshop.com. Can up if you got any questions.

Return to the website where you'll find the pros, the pro returns.

Thanks, Cam.

Now do you get your pro return? Like, if you're a young goaltender, do you want the pro return of your favorite goalie, or do you want the pro return of a stick that fits you? And I I say this honestly, I would want my favorite goalie.

See, that that that's a tough one. Right? Like, your favorite if you're five foot ten and your favorite goalie is Connor Hellebuyck, and you see that Connor Hellebuck or or Stuart Skinner is who's a lot much taller goaltender, you see those sticks on the rack, but you can't hold it properly. You might be looking over at that a Saros and thinking it might be a better fit from a height standpoint and, you know, paddle length standpoint.

Yeah. I guess that's a tough one. Right? Like, I saw Connor Hellebuyck today. The jets are in town, and there were some kids that got to meet him outside the locker room afterwards, and they had jerseys and stuff like that. That to me, that's where, like, if you're looking for merch or, like, a memorabilia item, like, the actual, like, ProReturn stick with a signature and throw a little tape get them to throw a little tape TJ on there for you so you it looks like it's almost game used.

Yeah. To me, pro returns, in some ways, they can be a great way to save money. Like, we saw those CCM XF pros are cheaper than a brand new one, but, again, they don't come with a warranty. To me, it's a great opportunity to try different things. Right?

Like, different shoulder shapes. You get trigger grips. You get that Kevin Lankinen one with the it's got the sort of two tier where it sort of cuts back on the on the top of the shoulder, like a double hitch, basically, instead of a trigger grip. There's so many different options. And to me, that's the best part of pro returns.

It's cool to see what guys have. It's great to go to

the hockey shop, pull them all off the rack, try them out, see the different curves out there, make Cam put them back on before I leave. But it to me, it's just the variety and the chance to get something, you know, so unique that short of a full custom order, you'd never get to try it any other way.

Why are you smirking, Hutch? So unique.

So unique. We had a good laugh over this when you were recording at the last session.

There is it's not so unique.

You can't unique or a

bit unique. Yeah.

But I was also thinking, yes, I was also thinking of your question, Daren. Which would you get? And I have a beautiful set of Felix Potvin pads here. And I remember when I bought them just coming out of university, I tried on probably half a dozen sets of pads at the store and I kept trying them on over and over again till I convinced myself that the most beautiful pads were the best ones for me even though I knew they weren't. So that's my answer to what which stick I would buy as well.

And it's not a bad answer if you go for your favorite goaltender.

Yeah. We play the game for fun. Right. So go have some fun.

Like, it's something what if it's just like the most stylish one? Like, what if your beer league

team That's my point.

Yeah. Like, has the yeah. Same kind of thing. Like, if you like, even if you're even if you're a Connor Hellebuck fan, but that's or a Sergei Bobrovsky fan and they got the CCM paddle with the bob paddle on it, but then you look over at that Stuart Skinner one. And you wanna see what that unique grip he's got on the on the blade or that orange and blue matches your like, that's actually one of the most attractive sticks I've seen is that Skinner CCM XF Pro Pro return.

That thing is

I want you to ask him about it because does he tape over the stuff too then?

I gotta ask. I gotta ask. I gotta say, I haven't seen him lately. Things the way they're going in Edmonton right now, probably not the text message I wanna send right now. Hey.

Can you tell me about your grip on your spray on your blade? We'll wait wait till we see him in person. Fair. But, yeah, that's definitely on the list of questions to ask Stuart Skinner next time I see him.

Do you think we'll ever get to the point where you don't need tape on your stick if you're a goaltender?

Do you need it now?

Possibly that stick right there.

I mean, do you need it need it?

You need it? Do you need it now?

That's what I said.

Or is it just tradition?

A tradition, like, it sort of it dampens it a little bit. It's supposed to give you a little more grip on the puck and I don't know. For me, it's probably more protection. Right?

Like, That's that's the way I use it.

These sticks ain't cheap, baby. I'm a need to save them a little bit. Not that might be like Woody and have a warm up stick.

I've come all the way around on that. You won me over. I went from mocking you loudly in your face, behind your back, and to the side, everywhere to now, that's the most cost effective, smartest thing to do is have a warm

up Welcome to the team, Daren.

Thank you.

I know a goalie in the Western Hockey League, not my son, who tried practicing one day without tape on his stick, and his head coach reamed him out in front of the entire team for not being serious.

Really?

This is a kid who was legitimately trying something to see if it would work for him. But there are idiot coaches out there at that level as well. Not my son's team either, I I better say, which is is true. And also, he had a teammate when he played a Moose Jaw who, Colt Carter, who I am sure will be a high NHL draft pick when he's, eligible, unbelievably young defenseman, plays without tape on his stick and he can dangle with the best

Like on the plate?

At all. None at all. And he is unbelievable. So I don't think you need it.

Yeah. When there's there's lots of tape jobs forward and goaltender that that are minimal. Would just have a little bit in in in the middle of the blade, nothing in the heel, nothing on the toe or that like. So we'll we'll see. We'll we'll follow it.

We've got we've got

some Any anybody out there still tape it like a sock, like, up to play? Like, protect that heel?

That was protection back in the day. Oh my.

Yeah. Used to tape it down there so it wouldn't start to splinter and soften

down the heel? That heel. Yeah. Yep. Like, you'd have

that sock tape going like you'd, like, basically have the whole blade and then around the heel and then halfway up the paddle, it looked like a sock. It was great. It was like Christmas. Stock it. Stuff it.

I'm having flashbacks right now. Let's get over to our Vizual Edge ProReads.

And let's get down to Seattle where we caught up with Matt Murray who was a ProReads savant when we got him in Toronto a couple of years ago. His nine minute ProReads on screen management is basically a how to video that I would refer any goalie to watch when they wanna figure out how to manage traffic in front of their net. Matt is one of the great thinkers of the game, and so we were able to head down there and catch up with him. And this time, it was a power play drill that we went through or a power play rep and save that we went through, and Matt really talked and focused on high stance and how he manages high stance and how at this point in his career or at a in recent years, it's one of the biggest changes he's made and one of the most important. Not just to use a high stance, but to know when to use it and how to stay patient in it, how much it can both conserve energy and give you mobility around the crease, especially on a power play when teams are zipping it around.

So great breakdown on video of that by Matt Murray in our latest ProReads. We've got it all on an iPad now, folks, so kinda some new technology there at play that I'll tell you about in the coming weeks as we continue to work through it. Make sure you check it out. As usual, our ProReads are presented by Vizual Edge, it is a perfect partnership. Because when we do ProReads with NHL goalies, it is all about helping you see and read the game better.

And our friends over at Vizual Edge are all about making sure you see the puck and have the ability to process what's going on around you better through better vision training, better cognitive training. Jordan Binnington has told us he uses it as a cognitive training tool. Goalie coaches like Mitch Korn, the legend Mitch Korn, director of goaltending in the Nashville Predators, says the difference between a top tier goalie and a lower tier goalie is so small, often just one or two more saves a game. A small percent of improvement can make a huge difference. In my thirty four NHL career, I've always searched for a platform that improves the eyes, improves the processing, and makes the training quick, convenient, and effective.

Vizual Edge does it all. If Mitch Korn believes in it, it's worth trying for you to make sure you check it out, Vizual Edge. You can get a discount using the code InGoal, all caps, 10%, or if you are a subscriber to InGoal premium, go to the latest ProReads and get your exclusive members only discount of 20% on Vizual Edge. Make sure you check it out. Best of both worlds is, of course, see the game, read the game better through ProReads, see the puck, read the ice better using Visual Edge.

Parent Playbook

And wait to check that out with Matt Murray. The parent segment brought to us by Stop It Goaltending U, the app. Before we get into five ways to add fun to goaltending, what's happening over at Stop It Goal Tending?

Well, speaking of best of both worlds, the best part to stop well, not the best part because there's a lot of great parts of the Stop It Goaltending U app, but getting a subscription to InGoal Magazine premium. Like, you see how it all ties together? You get a subscription to Stop It Goaltending U. You get a subscription to InGoalmag premium, then you get a discount through the subscription to InGoalmag premium to Vizual Edge. We are all about saving you money at InGoal Magazine and helping you become a better goaltender.

And if you subscribe to the Stop It Goaltending U app, you get all the knowledge from Brian Daccord and his staff. Twenty five years in the game. He's done it all. Goalie, goalie coach in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, goalie scout with the Toronto Maple Leafs, goalie director with the Arizona Coyotes, and now goalie director with the Detroit Red Wings. His son, Joey Daccord, of course, plays for the Seattle Kraken.

All the knowledge that has gone into them building the Stop It Goaltending business is packed into the app. Each week, you'll get quick one minute daily primers. You can just digest instantly first thing in your morning to help you get better. There's videos, quick videos, full videos, drills every week. And like I said, a complimentary subscription to InGoal mag premium with every subscription to Stop It Goaltending U the app.

Make sure you check it out at the Apple Store or Android, the Google Play, wherever you download apps, you can find it. Stop It Goaltending U. Hutch.

This week, you will be hearing our featured guest, Carter Hutton, talk about a lot of great things, but I loved his points about being a goalie dad and, him reminding us of what really matters, that your kid should enjoy playing the position. So I thought I'd hop in with five ways to add some fun to being a goalie for parents. Goaltending comes with enough pressure all on its own, guys. The last thing we wanna do is add more. So today, let's look at a few simple ways we can put some fun back into the game without losing the focus or the commitment that makes young goalies proud of their effort.

Number one, mix in other sports and activities. We say this a lot, but that's because it matters. Your kid is more than just a goalie. They don't need to be in goalie mode twelve months a year. Another sport, even at the recreational level, gives them a different outlet.

It teaches body control and most importantly, gives them something that is simply fun and not performance based. Other hobbies and activities as well can contribute to their sense of identity. If hockey is the only thing in their world, it can start to feel like pressure instead of joy. And even if it feels like all hockey all the time is fun now, trust me, one day you'll be glad to have more. Number two, make your pregame routines enjoyable and not heavy.

Does your goalie have a favorite pregame meal? Could they help to cook it? Could you perhaps do it with them and make that part of your family tradition, the two of you in the kitchen making something together. A routine doesn't have to be a serious ritual. It can be just a moment of connection.

Or with your warm ups as a goalie, maybe you wanna try a different ball drill, a different eye focus work, some fun edge work like Dustin Wolf does before practice. These small additions can expand your experience beyond just the sixty minutes of game time. And if you already have a routine, that's great. Change it up. It's fun and it teaches you to not be too reliant on any exact routine.

Number three, set some goals that have nothing to do with the scoreboard. Pick one thing to focus on each game, something process based. Maybe it's battling for loose pucks, handling a dump in and making a good play to a defenseman. Maybe it's working on that high stance that Kevin Woodley was talking about from this week's ProRead. Ask them what they're working on as a parent and offer to watch for it.

They will love that you're engaging with them. The point isn't whether it works every time. The point is trying it. And when the game is over, celebrate the effort of trying, not that they executed it correctly. The fun is in the trying.

Be specific about when you saw that effort, and they'll be even happier that you're focusing on them. That is one way that confidence can be built as well. Number four, encourage connection on the ice. Goal tending guys, we know it can feel lonely out there. I'm on the introverted side of things normally, but around the rink or on the ice, I go out of my way to open up more.

If your goalie feels comfortable chatting with teammates during a warm up or after whistles, giving fist bumps, maybe even saying a quick word to a defenseman after a tough play, that interaction can make the game feel lighter and makes them feel more part of things. Communicating during the play as well helps. Simple warning of a forechecker, a guy on the backdoor, or even a cheer for a great effort helps. Not every goalie is an extrovert, but even a small bit of connection can make the position feel a little bit less isolated. Finally, fifth, after the game, celebrate the experience and not the score.

Ask your goalie one simple question. If the score didn't matter, what did you like about your game today? And if they say nothing, which is what a lot of kids do, you know, when we ask our kids what they learned in school that day, try this. Give me one story. Just one.

Maybe it's about a save. Maybe it's about helping a teammate up. Maybe it's a funny moment that happened on the bench. You might need to prompt them with a question about something you saw. But the point is to share the experience and not evaluate it.

if we only celebrate wins and shutouts, we miss what the game really gives us, that's confidence, creativity, friendships, resilience. If kids learn to value those things, the results will take care of themselves and the love of the game will last a lot longer.

And, yes, sometimes that story is best told over ice cream. The truth is if we only celebrate wins and shutouts, we miss what the game really gives us, that's confidence, creativity, friendships, resilience. If kids learn to value those things, the results will take care of themselves and the love of the game will last a lot longer. So as you listen to Carter Hutton this week, remember, joy and development are not opposite ends of a spectrum. They're supposed to work together, guys.

Like the idea of celebrating the experience.

I think we need to celebrate what we want our child to get out of the game. And at the end of the day, it's not about wins and losses. I cannot remember a single score from a minor hockey game I played as a child, but I remember lots of experiences. I can't remember a single score from when my kid played minor hockey, but I remember some great times in the car, seeing him learn new things. I think we want to celebrate those things.

We get so focused in on the score and so many kids and even parents evaluate the success of a game on whether they won or lost and that's that's just sad.

It's good advice for our beer us beer leagurs I'm thinking of my I'm thinking of my Monday

the experience?

I I try to. Sometimes I get too caught

up in And that's something we should

we should do well like

you. Yeah.

Yeah. Mhmm.

I don't know how much longer I'm gonna be able to do this.

I should just go every time they let me.

Feature Interview - Carter Hutton

Well done. That leads us into our Sense Arena feature interview with Carter Hutton. But before we get to that, a message from Sense Arena.

What a great week for Sense Arena, guys. NHL Sens Arena '26 is now out. It's got some killer new features. It's on sale, and InGoal can help you get it even cheaper. It's right.

This incredible VR tool for goalies that is so good that NHL goalies use it even between periods of actual NHL games. It is now available with more features than ever. NHL Sense Arena has updated always. Every month, they brought us new features, and every time they bring us a an annual big release and and this is it, you get to compete with and against NHL pros. Check out the email we sent this week to see how realistic they look.

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So I gotta say this

Walk us into Carter Hutton.

Well, before we get there, Daren, I gotta say, like, the 50% off, that's all great. Them getting the license to the NHL to use the player images means that anyone can now go on the ice and take shots from the Vegas Golden Knights just like Daren Millard does. But, unfortunately, you can't flip the script. I was really disappointed to see that you can be a shooter and you can shoot on Adin Hill and you can shoot on Akira Schmid, but Daren Millard is not in the game, as they say.

Could you imagine?

It, Sense Arena.

We'll we'll work on that, Daren. We we need you to get NHLPA license before we can be before we can include you in there, but that would have been good. So had to have a little fun there just like we had a lot of fun with our friend Carter Hutton. It's been a couple years since we caught up with him. I would highly recommend.

I think it was around episode two zero five. If you haven't listened to that one already, that was towards the end of his career. Some great takeaways and lessons there in terms of, you know, his career path, some of his early inspirations, some of the evolution of his game. And this week, we get into what he's been doing in the couple years since he retired. He is doing some coaching in Thunder Bay with guys like Matt Murray and Mackenzie Blackwood and Colin Zulianello, the goalie coach now for the Seattle Kraken.

And he's got a young eight year old who plays out but also is getting interested in goalie as well. So that advice from somebody who carved out a twelve year career that not everybody saw coming in the NHL, had a ton of different experiences in the show, and is now starting to transition, was exposed to some great voices, some coaches like Mitch Korn is now transitioning into the other side of it. Just there's so much great advice and and takeaways in this one. It's a can't miss her. Carter Hutton is doing some media stuff too.

We talk about that. We get into all of it in this week's feature interview presented by NHL Sense Arena. Really excited to welcome back to the InGoal Radio Podcast, Carter Hutton, who has is carving out a career on on on my side of the fence in the media. Nation Network, Daily Face Off. He's got a show that you can't miss.

Make sure you check it out as well as does some work on NHL radio. Carter, how how you been, man? How how's that treating you so far? How you like this side of it? It's a little is it easier or harder than standing in front of a 100 mile an hour slapshot some days?

You know what? Honestly, at times, Kevin, it's easier, you know, because I don't have the stress of how my body feels. And but then you have the stress of knowing that everything that is going on, and and I start to think back of how I could really keep it simple. Right? Just stop the puck at times.

And, you know, you don't wanna overcomplicate it, but it's been honestly really good. It's been a good transition. We've been home now. This will be my fourth season done. So three full seasons done.

I kinda tiptoed my way into my wife went back to work. And for me, it kinda organically happened. Amo with he left Sports Net, came to the Nation Network, loved me, brought me on, and and things have been great. So I really enjoy it and trying to get good at it. Trying to learn from guys like you who've been doing it for a while.

Well, I mean, I and if you want to get good at it, look for other examples than me. But really appreciate you doing this. Obviously, twelve years in the National Hockey League, tons of experience, tons of great stories. How do you find that balance? Because there's times on the media side where, hey, like, it can be storytelling.

There's other times where this is part I hate this too. Like, you're supposed to be a quote, unquote analyst. And I'm like, man, this is easy from my couch. I'm not the guy facing the 100 mile an hour slapshot. There was a I was watching a game here the other night. Kirill Marchenko made a move in front of Kevin Lankinen and then almost put me in the fetal position from the press box. Like, it's hard out there right now. How do you find that balance?

It is hard. I I feel like I caught the tail end of it, Kevin. I feel like I came into a league where it was 10 to 12 chances a game, and now it's 10 to 12 chances a period at times. Right? It's it's changed a lot.

And, I think you just highlight the skill. And I think for some of these younger goalies, they grew up in it. So it's not any different. They've been in it where, you know, the guys that I'm always thoroughly impressed by are the older guys guys that are not necessarily household names. Right?

So when you think of guys like, he's always been a star. I think of like the Cam Talbots of the world, the Darcy Kuempers, these guys that have been able to live in both ends of it. They started in this highly protective game where the third, fourth liners were veterans, were good defensively, you know, reliable. And now they're living in this era where it's like a youth movement. Right?

And these guys are so good and be able to make those adjustments throughout time. So I feel like later in my career, was hanging on and it's fun to watch though, the skill, the reads. And I just think guys are just more confident now too. They step in where I was worried about where I was gonna walk in the dressing room, let alone how I was gonna act when I got in the crease. So it is a confidence thing.

And I guess it's just the fact that these kids now are so good so early, Kevin.

That's such a good point. I remember I can't remember. This is few years ago talking about the increase in offense. It might have been Demko. It might have been one of the he was younger guy at the time.

Obviously, this is so four or five years ago and just coming into the league and he's like, I grew up with this. Like, like, I you know, Michigan's and lateral plays and guys dangling, like, just becomes second nature. It's a great point. At the same time, we're starting to see a shift in the size discussion as well. We're seeing goalies who can really skate at six foot get more of a chance compared to some guys who, you know, have the size, have the square footage, but the lateral isn't as easy at that size.

And that's where the game's going. If you like, are you paying as a guy who was on that side of the spectrum, you're paying close attention to that too?

Yeah. I love it. Honestly, I'm a big fan of you know, even to this day, I I still think Jonathan Quick might be my favorite goalie I played against, watched, you know, because he's an athlete. Right? He plays.

Marc Andre Fleury, you know, a guy that competes and practices just the way he plays and has so much fun again. And and something that I prided myself in. I prided myself on making sure I worked real hard, and I think I had some mentors along the way that helped me along that. But I I I was based on compete. You know?

I had that bulldog mentality. Ben Vanderklok, who was the goalie coach after Mitch Korn in Nashville with me, was still there. We used to have this conversation about like defining ourselves and how do we define ourselves. So he kind of would write this thing at the start of each season for me, you know, a definition of what made me good. And a big thing that we talked about was like the bulldog mentality.

It was just that compete factor, whether, you know, you were dead on a play, you didn't give up. And again, something that I valued so much. So when you see some guy, not that I want to take away from guys that can make it look easy, because there's an art to that too. There's an art to what Connor Hellebuyck does. There's an art to the bigger size guys, and that's an advantage at times.

when I see the Jack Greaves and I see the UC Saros and Dustin Wolves, and these guys that are just elite, elite athletes and skaters, I love it. It's a good example for people to understand that if you work hard enough at anything, you can master it. Yes, you don't have that size advantage, but you can be better in everything else and make up for it.

But when I see the Jet Greaves and I see the a Saros and Dustin Wolf, and these guys that are just elite, elite athletes and skaters, I love it. It's a good example for people to understand that if you work hard enough at anything, you can master it. Yes, you don't have that size advantage, but you can be better in everything else and make up for it. Think that's what we're seeing firsthand now, Kevin.

Do think to some of the goalies that maybe, you know, as you're coming up, maybe lower levels, like the size advantage, you can play a little hit me until you get like, you can't play hit me in the show anymore. Like you have to be able to move and react, but maybe you don't hone that nth degree skating like some of the smaller goalies do because you get away with it at a younger age. I'm not, and it's not even a criticism, it's just it would be human nature. Right? Like, I don't, if I don't have to survive on elite skating and I don't develop that elite skating and I'm just getting hit as I'm 14, 15, 16, sometimes it's hard to develop those things later on.

Yeah. You know, and and working with younger guys and being around the game still, you know, as my son plays and my daughter plays, it's like, it's like learning to do things right too. Right? Not relying on size because at some point that levels out. Right?

So there's always gonna be advantage of the kid that's 10 years old and all of a sudden he sprouts up and he's bigger and stronger, but that's not always gonna be an advantage. So when I look at those guys, it's just being well rounded. I think being a well rounded athlete and person. And for me, I'm a big believer in other sports. Like, I I look back to my baseball playing days, and and I played a ton of baseball.

And arguably at a time where we had one triple a team in Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Kings, which is, like, the big organization to play for. I never played for it. I played for the double a team. And not to say that playing for them or not playing for them is the answer, but I learned so much from other sports, playing baseball and being competitive. And and almost learning that when a door shut on me, it wasn't the end of the world.

Right? I learned how to work through it. I learned how to manage that. I wasn't, you know, at the American league level or NHL level, if things didn't go well, I wasn't calling mom and dad, or I wasn't calling my agent to complain about somebody else not doing what's going to help me, right? And I think there's just so many things in hockey in general, like the more well rounded and better people we can grow at the grassroots level, the better NHL the better athletes, the better doctors, lawyers, whatever you go on to, more well rounded you're going be.

I think that should be the goal of hockey and hockey Canada as I'm in it now at the grassroots level too.

Well, I was going to ask you too, because today, I think the temptation, I mean, this lesson for parents and now that you're a goalie parent or a hockey parent, I know your little guy's playing both. That temptation, I think, if if your kid was playing baseball and he doesn't make triple a in hockey, would be to pull it they'd be they'd be encouraged to pull him out of baseball and focus just on hockey and, obviously, not ex not how you would do it.

No. Not at all. Right? And, again, I I I reflect you know, I I think now the tables have turned so much as being a parent and then, you know, I was a kid once that got in the car after hockey. And and my old man, I think the only time he ever got mad at me, Kevin, was I smashed my stick one time.

I don't know how old I was, 13 or something. I broke my stick on the crossbar. And I think that might've been the scariest time I ever saw my old man. Right? Because, you know, I I grew up a blue collar guy.

My dad was a sheet metal worker. My mom was worked at RVH. We didn't have loads of money to be breaking sticks and let alone it wasn't the price of the stick, it was the point. And again, I've been on this for a long time. Don't know how much I've stated it, but I wish the NHL would find guys for breaking sticks.

Because that's something that just irritates me. Guess it's because of that lesson. We're role models and we want kids watching. I feel like it's just such a poor act to do, right? Yes, the sticks are free and yes, but that's the point is, you be a professional.

As I got off on a tangent there, but when I think about this- Oh,

I love it.

You know, I I I think about my career and I think about getting in the car and and I and I try to prioritize that with my son. And and my son's a good little hockey player. Right? And my wife played division one hockey and we've been around the game. We get in the car, we don't talk about hockey.

my ultimate goal with kids and with hockey should be protecting their innocence around the game. And that when the time does come at fourteen fifty, whatever time that is, they love the game enough to understand that the commitment and hard work that's going to come with it, they're ready for it.

We just talk about if we're going to get a slushie or if we're going to go grab a bite to eat or what buddy's house we're going to go to. And there's a time where it happens where he wants to watch the highlights or we're watching a game together and he's picking my brain, but I'm not forced it down his throat. And I think my ultimate goal with kids and with hockey should be protecting their innocence around the game. And that when the time does come at fourteen fifty, whatever time that is, they love the game enough to understand that the commitment and hard work that's going to come with it, they're ready for it. They're not like, man, you already burned this bridge.

I hate this game. It's been hard work since I was eight years old. Why the heck would I want to do that when I can go off and do other things? But sometimes we get those goggles on, right? We see them do something great and we get caught up in it.

We think, well, hey, there's potential here. Then it becomes keeping up with the Joneses, right? You see someone else doing something and you wanna do it. So I feel like for me, I've always just been trying to protect it and make sure he loves the game, but not forcing him to love the game just because I did.

Well, I love that. When we actually heard that was the new PWHL Vancouver coach here, just a couple of weeks ago on the podcast, Joey Ali, his son is a goalie, he talked about the same thing. Like my job with him is to make sure he loves the game, and I think sometimes we lose sight of that.

Yeah. And it's it's understandable too. Right? I and I, you know, I I talked a little bit with Norm MacIver, who's the assistant general manager for the Chicago Blackhawks, usually from Thunder Bay in the summer. And we skate.

So we do spring hockey here, my little guy. And May long weekend, it ends. We did a couple tournaments, and then we do not go back on the rank until September. We play baseball. We play golf.

We go to camp. We call them camps here, cottages, cabins. It's a Thunder Bay thing. We fish. We do it all.

Right? We just try to be well rounded. And Norm and I talked about that. Just he's like, first thing he said, like, I heard your kid's a good player. And I was like, Yeah, he does well.

Which is irrelevant at eight years old. Right? And I keep that present. But I'd be lying if I didn't see him do something and be like, Oh, I love it. But I check myself at the door.

And we talk about how he's like, All these kids skate too much. So many of these guys get burnt out, but we don't see the guys that burn out though, Kevin. You know who we see? We see the Connor Bedards, we see the McDavid Crosbys, we see these stars. And I think people get caught up in that, but for every one of them, there's how many hundreds of thousands that just burn out, that hate the game, that want nothing to do with it, where I'm a guy now.

I'm 39, still in my thirties. I am not 40 yet. I still love hockey. I play beer league hockey. I'm around the game because it was never forced on me.

So I think that's something that needs to be so important for these young kids growing into the game where whatever level they're at. I think that needs to be prioritized a little more in my eyes, Kevin.

Okay. So, like, there's a bunch of things I wanna follow-up with, but first, I gotta ask, you're not a goalie in beer league hockey, are you?

No. No. I'm a I'm a

Nobody ever does, but I want like, I'm looking for that, like, unicorn, unicorn, somebody that actually played the position and still wants to after he retires. I don't think there's a single one. It's a short list.

Hell, I don't know if I can anymore. I I honestly haven't done I I say I'm a good puck moving defenseman. You know? I see the game well. I could get around.

I got good. You know what? I always it's funny because people are always like, hey. You're pretty good out. And I'm like, yeah.

Well, I was on the rink every day of my life. Like, yeah. Of course, I can handle a puck and and see the game a little bit. So it's always funny. It's always to my shock that people are impressed, and I know how to play beer league hockey.

Why do you think it is that nobody goes back and go? I think, I mean, I think I know the answer from other guys over there. Is this just a physical toll of think so. Goal time?

You know, I guess for me, it's like if I jump in there, you know, I'm going to have this memory of being capable of doing all this stuff at a high rate. And then you're going to get in there with And then at some point, you're to be like, man, I'm not as good as I used to be. Why am I doing this? You lose that competitive edge. So I guess for me, that was always the fact. And people always ask me to play goal and I'm like, I'd have to take league minimum.

Your beer league team can't buy me.

I like it. I like it. Not to mention, the shots in beer league aren't like the ones in the NHL, and there is nothing worse as a goalie than everything in the world, body language, stick blade position, saying top glove, and the guy whiffs it between your legs, and that would probably drive you nuts.

Oh, yeah. I know. I remember I used to take every ice I could get when I was in college. Like, kinda in junior a, I would still skate everywhere. You know?

If there's a scrub ice, I'd go play. If there's this, I'd go play. And then when I got to division one, it literally, I stopped going. Because I'm like, this doesn't even help me. I I I become the sideshow.

It's like, we wanna breakaway two on one. And then the timing just gets off. So literally, would just come and do my goalie work all summer because it was better until I could get to some pro shots, you know, that kept me at that level.

K. You and colleague we we talked about Thunder Bay. You and Colin Zulianello now with the Seattle Kraken as their as their goalie coach after being, with their farm team the past couple of years, run camps. You talked about fun. I know it's something you're just kinda dipping your toes into.

It's not like a full time business or anything like that. It's you giving back at this point. But how do you like, where do you find those lines? Does it depend on the age of the kid? Like, balancing the fun with the learning, and is is it is it just a matter of the individuals being different, The ages being different?

Do you have to approach it uniquely with each one?

Yeah. I think so. I I I think as you get up and you also gotta recognize your clientele too. Right? Like, you gotta read the room.

And I I feel like that is an art too. And I think something that, as I reflect on my career, something that I became almost a bit of a room psychologist too, right? For the team, because you're on the bench and you've got, say, if I'm sitting by the D, you got six defensemen all have different character traits. And misery loves company too. If a guy's having a tough night and I'm not in a good mood, I could jump on his back and be like, Yeah, this sucks.

Is BS. You got put in a tough sit. Or I could be glass half full and find a way to save him. I think that was an art that I had around the game too. I think as I reflect on my career and you talk to people and they're like, I don't know if anyone ever really said anything bad about me, because I feel like as a goalie, that's so controllable.

Because who are you really competing with? I truly don't even think you're competing with your goalie partner. I truly think at the end of the day, you're competing with yourself. If you're the best goalie partner or you hate your guy, but if you're not getting the job done, they're going to get rid of you at some point. You have to perform.

I think it is a skill and an art to be able to work a room. Right? Not that you're being fake by any means, but I think you can be supportive and to be an asset to your team and to your goalie partner. So I feel like as I transitioned to this coaching side of it with Colin and our Garant goaltending, I've just learned how to have one on one talks with the kids as they get a bit older. You're talking to a 15 year old kid that's on the triple A team and he's worried about Johnny making the team over him because those two are on the team.

two big things that I talk with my kids about just on a daily would be like effort and attitude. Like, those are the only controllable things you can control.

Mike, but Johnny's over there working hard. Like, you can't control what he's going to do away from the rink. You can only control what you're going to do. Right? And again, two big things that I I talk with my kids about just on a daily would be like effort and attitude.

Like, those are the only controllable things you can control. Right? Like, You get analytics. As a goalie, I can't control what's going to come at me. I can't control if I'm going to be Who was it the other day?

Sam Ersson had 13 shots and lost in overtime, gave up three. Or you could be the guy that got the guy who had 40 shots and he got a shutout. Right? So I feel like that side of it, when I learned to compartmentalize, I'm always just going to put the best version of myself forward every day and put in the work. I know I checked all those boxes.

Then whatever situation I get thrown into, I know I'm prepared. I feel like that's what I try to project on the kids as they get a little older. As they get Don't get caught up in what's going on, get caught up in yourself and how you can improve and how you can get better. Cause at the end of the day, if you want to be successful in anything, Kevin, there's really no shortcuts. Right?

And I think that's where this game is so good and helps guys really develop into men that you want to be successful.

When you talk about, you know, being a locker room psychologist and bringing the right attitude to it, is consistency a part of that? Like like understanding, again, being fake, but knowing like, hey, like, this is part of my job is to not walk into this room with a cloud over my head because I haven't played in five days.

Yeah. A 100%. And it's human nature to have bad days. Right? I'm not gonna say here like I'm walking in tippy toe and being happy when things aren't going well.

But I also think that because of my earlier days of I didn't have a lot of success at higher levels and and being cut from triple a teams and, you know, some I was never like this silver spooner. So then when I get into this giant bottleneck, you hit the American League and it's a bottleneck of goalies that are all talented. So what's the separator? Mine was, well, you weren't playing, Huts, you're not going tonight. I didn't go into the coach's office being like, this is BS.

I'm like, reflective on myself, we'll just work harder, do more, crank it up a little more, change your routine a bit. Like things aren't going good, do something and be more self reflective. I think that's a lot more proactive than being outward. Right? Because I find, Kevin, what happens is we get so insulated by friends and family that want us to succeed.

And something that I dealt with, I thought when I was in the American league a lot, especially when I was at number three. So I'm playing a lot of games in Rockford and it was Crawford and Ray Emery at the time up top. And it'd be like, well, if Crawford gets hurt, you're going get called the NHL. It's like, so what good does that do me? If I'm not prepared, if I'm not ready, but it happens all the time.

It's always about, well, you should be on the power play. You think coaches and teams are trying to play worse players, right? At the end of the day, the teams are trying to win. There's self preservation for coaching staffs. They're going to do what they need to do to win.

And again, when you can just compartmentalize that side of it and worry about yourself, it's powerful two:fifty): in my

Some of the other lessons along the way, I've been guilty of, I've done stories about it. Hey, there's parts of practice that suck for goalies. It does us no good, blah, blah, blah. But what I've since learned is that complaining about it does no good. Finding ways to take it to your like, is that part of the gig that that, you know, even do you see it at the youth level?

Kids need to understand that, hey. Not every drill is about you. Yeah. We're gonna find some for you, but not everyone is about you.

Yeah. You you see it already. Right? I you don't know how many times I hear people be like, well, he's got no coaching. It's like, well, I I didn't have any coaching, like, when I was a kid.

Like, you figure it out. Right? You learn there's resources too. Like, even think about what we're doing right now.

InGoal Magazine, baby. That's right.

Right? You have InGoal. And like, have a website. To Right? I come on the site and there was times where I first transitioned into being done and I'm doing some private lessons for some junior guys. And I'm pulling stuff off your site. There's resources.

It's just, are you going to put in the effort? Are you going to In a day and age where everything's easy now too, right? Everything's on our phones. Joke around the Amazon guy, like, you can get it whatever you want so fast, but who's to dig in a little more? Who's going to do a little more work?

Because that becomes a separator, right? Like talent is only enough, right? Like you got to put in work and there's really no shortcuts when it comes to that.

You talked about, Chicago, and then obviously you end up in in Nashville. We talked about this on your show on Daily Face Off. Like, it's it's hall of fame weekend. Can I get you in the union of we need goalie coaches in the hall of fame?

I think so. I I, like, I I think of that now. Like, we have kids at our camps in the summer that, like, the parents will be, like, 11 year old. They're like, Well, we didn't have a goalie coach this year. It's part of the staff now.

Majority of teams have guys. It's revolutionized. It's made careers. It's won Stanley Cups. It's been a huge part of the factor.

I'm definitely on board with it. I think the names that we talked about, we talked about a layer, we talked about, obviously someone near and dear to me, Mitch Korn, what he did for my career and some of the eye opening For me with Mitch, some of my most important conversations might've been the hardest ones to hear, where he's very black and white. There was a time where I was stumbling a bit and there was no fluff. And I feel like sometimes in hockey, it's like, Hey, you're doing good. Keep up.

You're going to get a chance. And next thing you know, you slowly filter your way out. But with Mitch, it was always, there was a line in the sand. It was like, Hey, you haven't been good enough. You have to be better.

You're not going to be here anymore. And at times you're like, there's kind of that fight or flight response. Right? And that's where you talk about that insulation of the thing around you of people, guys like that are so important for goalies. I think he's done such a great job throughout his career.

And now you think about how many guys he's mentored along the way that are great goalie coaches too. Right? It it filters down. It bounces out for years and years to come. So I do think they are builders.

I don't know how you would represent them in the hall of fame, but I I coaches, but I I do believe they earn a spot.

Does that mean you're a chill you're a child of the Korn now too? We think we talk about there's a lot of them, We

Yeah. There is. Mitch, this day, we still are in contact all the time. So he was great to me and my family. And again, I look at like, I was playing he brought me in because Pekka had Rinne and they wanted a guy on a cheap contract.

The two years against Milwaukee, I was like 11 and two or something in the binders. So him and Ben Vanderklok loved me. He gave me a chance and next thing you know, we're talking about a twelve year NHL career I had. Right? Yep.

The game constantly evolves. It evolved for you. It evolved around you. We talked about how different it is by the time you left versus when you came in. And Mitch, after all these years, still does his summer camps.

And I always I always just like, come on, man. Like like, the driving one city to the net, like, that's a lot. Always talks about learning from the kids. Is that something, like, are you still learning when you're out there from the kids? Like like, because the game is constantly changing as much as you're out there to be a coach, can you learn as well?

For sure. For sure. You learn from the kids. You learn from goalie partners. You learn from everywhere just being around the game.

I think that is so important. Because again, it is a day and age where well, like, how we're not far removed from a guy doing a Michigan move in a game and everyone being like, well, we gotta slash them or snap on them or everyone's mad about it. Well, now that's like part of the game. RVH is like all these different things, all these save selections and where it's at. So I feel like being open to your game is one of the most important skills you can have.

Right? I look back on my career. I remember trying to talk about RVH with Jimmy Cordeiro who at the time was like, wasn't an RVH expert when I had him in St. Louis. Right?

But Jimmy was awesome. Jimmy helped me with so many different things. I remember getting a lesson from Jake Allen on glove side RVH, because I struggled on glove side, right? Because the stick was easier. I used to just grab my post, use my stick to kind of navigate me.

And I'm getting a lesson in the NHL from my goalie partner. So at youth ages, this is something that should be fostered, right? You're not competing with your partner, you're learning together, you're growing. And, yes, there's healthy competition. Like, you wanna play.

You wanna be the guy, but you don't need to be undermining it. I think that's something that's so important just in the learning curve of goaltending.

Physically, I know you started working with Maria Mountain during career, and then I'm gonna remind everyone in the show notes to go check our first interview with you. It was about three years ago towards the end of it. The reverse is something that puts a lot of wear and tear when you're on with these kids. You know? I guess the example I would give is, you know, USA is talking about USA Hockey is talking about a butterfly count the same way we do a pitch count with kids.

Like, do you you know, you've experienced the wear and tear. Now you've got a young guy that's coming into the league. I just had this conversation with Matt Matt Murray, another Thunder Bay guy, about just how, you know, much wear and tear was done on his hips at this age. Is it a discussion we need to have?

Yeah. It's funny. I ran a skate. I run a few skates here with for Matt and Mackenzie. Yeah.

Zulie does. So me and Zulie kind of bounced around. And and I was thinking, I remember we got off the ice one day, and Matt's like, man, that was awesome. You get it. Right?

Like, as a goalie, it's like, you know, there's a time and a place and, like, August 15 ain't the time. You know what I mean? Like, it's like, especially where those guys are at in their career. So I do think it is something that's important, right? You need to learn it and it needs to be structured, but it doesn't need to be overused.

Think it's something at the grassroots level. Again, just being cross trained, like learning other things is so valuable to becoming a better goalieathlete.

Did become this factor where it was when it first came in, RVH, RVH, RVH. And then you see bad goals, you see the over usage. I think protecting kids from themselves at times with the knowledge we have is important. Think it's something at the grassroots level. Again, just being cross trained, like learning other things is so valuable to becoming a better goalieathlete.

Okay. So last one, because I know you're really good at this because I've heard from Matt Murray and we had Blackwood in town here last night with Colorado. What's the like, you're I've watched the shows on Daily Face Off. You're so good in that environment. You're enjoying coaching.

Where are you at with long term stuff? Is it all about family right now, or is coaching It is all

about family.

Coaching something you see in the future?

I think so. Like, I you know what? I've you know what's funny is, when Zulie took the job in Seattle, so Andrew Allen is part of their coaching staff

Yep. With goaltending. Love Andrew Allen.

Jason Botterill is there as well as the general manager who I add. Jeff Camillo is their head equipment manager. So lots of ties. They mentioned it to me. If I would be interested, I've had some calls before to the Hawks with goaltending.

I guess right now it's just the travel. I this is so convenient, Kev. Like right now you're you know what I mean? You're out on the coast and we're sitting here talking.

Talking goalies.

I we we built a little home office right off our master bedroom. I walk in here and I get to going be was at the rink this morning, my little guy, we do a skate with his age group. I skate with my daughter, my son. Got base I'm just in it right now. I just don't know where the heck I would have the time to get a real job.

You know, I just love it. I'm so fortunate. So as for right now, prioritize my kids, my wife, her career, you know, for a lot of years, she sat at home and helped not to act like we're hard done by. Right. We were paid very well and it's set up It kind of relieved the pressure now, but now it's like, I just don't want to give this time up.

Even now, we had my son's eighth birthday party yesterday. I'm like, where the hell did eight? How are we at eight? You know? And I've been involved in everything and it's like, where did it go?

So I think that's my priority right now.

I love it. Hey, listen, enjoy it because it's a great priority to have. Pretty soon you're you're not going to believe how fast it goes. You're going to be like me where all of sudden my youngest is 18 and she's out the door going to college. So there'll be plenty of time for the other stuff later.

I love that you found this balance in life and still have this passion for the position. And I can't thank you enough for spending time sharing with us today.

Hey. No problem, Kevin. Anytime. I always love coming on. And, I'm always learning from InGoal, so that keeps me, keeps me sharp here. Iron sharpens iron. Right? InGoal is my iron.

Okay. There we go. So, like, I'm gonna be clipping that and using it as promo material from now on, just so you know.

There we go.

Thanks, Carter.

Outro

I like it when Carter's on the radio. He's good. Turn it up a little bit.

Yeah. He's good at what he does. SMS, Nation Network, Daily Face Off, as well as some NHL radio on SiriusXM. So, yeah, anytime I hear he's coming on, I like his show the day the the stuff he does on Daily Face Off. It's it's he brings great insights from his career, but he's also a guy that keeps studying the way the game's going to.

I love that.

Cool things. And Carter got a lot out of his game. Right? He he he squeezed every last ounce and was creative and appreciative, I I think, along the way of of the opportunities that he was given.

And he never stopped working to make sure he got more of them. Mhmm. Never stopped work. There's some great lessons there. There's some hard lessons there.

Like, I'd like, there were some takeaways in there about, like, for parents about, you know, how you look at the game and how you talk about the game after and, you know, yes, different things can happen in front of us that are out of our control, but should we focus on them in those conversations? There's there was just a ton in there from a guy who's been through it, you know, and been through it from a work hard, no nonsense approach. Maybe, you know, I'm not saying the kids today are coddled, but just the way he talked about the language and how we approach some of those conversations I thought was interesting.

Between Carter Hutton and David Hutchison, some great lessons offered today on InGoal Radio, the podcast. And we started off with with masks and buckles, and we gotta make sure that Woody's buckled up as he heads on into the rink, Cam. What do you got going on in front of you right now? What's what's ahead of your day?

Well, I'm gonna like unbuckle and go into the physiotherapist and a little appointment here to see if we can put my head back on straight because this she's a little crooked these days. And then back to the rink to watch watch Connor Hellebuyck.

Make sure they put the bolts back on the right way.

Yes. Yes. I will I will.

Right there. Hutch, good to be back with you too, buddy.

Great to be back. And I'm about to head into a meeting where two different associations in New Brunswick are gonna be sitting down with me and learning all about what they are getting from InGoal this year because their associations have purchased memberships for their goaltenders as quite a few associations have across North America now. Real growth in the program. If, if you're a goaltender or parent and your association isn't supporting you with InGoal, you should ask them why.

Well said. And

then don't be afraid to get in touch with us over at InGoal. How do they get in touch with us?

Info@InGoalmag.com. It's easy peasy.

It's easy peasy. I will talk to you next

podcast. Or parents. Talk to

you next time on InGoal Radio, the podcast presented by The Hockey Shop Source for Sports Langley, thehockeyshop.com.