Pro Drills with the Columbus Blue Jackets Change of Direction, Low Shots Key Goalie Skate
- Start every goalie practice with skating patterns and change-of-direction drills before introducing shots, as the Blue Jackets do to build crease comfort and foot speed.
- Prioritize two-save sequence drills — initial shot, post recovery, second save — to replicate real game situations where shots come in quick succession.
- Modern hockey requires east-west mobility as much as north-south, so goalie warm-ups should include lateral crease movement patterns.
- Even NHL goalies use simple movement and hand warm-up drills after a day off, making these routines directly applicable at minor hockey levels.
- Getting to your spot on your feet and being set before the shot arrives is a foundational principle emphasized by Blue Jackets goaltending coach Niklas Backstrom.
The Columbus Blue Jackets were coming off a full team day off when they hit the ice in Vancouver for an off-day practice that started with Jet Greaves, Elvis Merzlikins and Niklas Backstrom running their own goalie session in one end.
While some of the drills they did that morning were about feeling the ice and getting their feet under them after a day off, the reality is that’s what most minor hockey goalies are dealing with at most practices. So, there is value in these simple drills at every level, and in understanding how the best pay attention to those details.
It started not with shots, but with movement, including a lot of change of direction.
“We always start with a skating pattern. Sometimes it’s stuff off the post. Sometimes it’s stuff like this,” Greaves said. “We did a lot of stuff up top, laterally, different patterns, working through the crease. It’s such an important part of the game, being able to move through the crease and be comfortable on your feet, so that’s how we start every day.”
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