GoalieU: Read & React with Rick Wamsley
- Adjust depth when a shooter skates toward an open look at the dot — being too deep or too shallow changes your angle and reaction time significantly.
- Hand positioning is a key focus in Liv's sequences — where a goalie holds their hands affects their ability to close gaps on quick releases.
- Rick Wamsley structures his analysis around the 10 most common ways goals are scored, giving goalies a repeatable framework for reading and reacting to game situations.
- Herman Liv's World Juniors performance — including a gold medal and a .907 SV% in Allsvenskan — provides real high-level game footage to study positioning decisions under tournament pressure.
Rick Wamsley spent 13 seasons stopping pucks in the NHL, another 15 as an NHL goalie coach, and currently scouts goalies for the Colorado Avalanche, so he knows the game and the position
In this new InGoal series, Wamsley takes us inside his process for reading the game and making decisions under pressure. Each episode is based off daily video work Wamsley does at GoalieU, breaking down a real game clip to help you see what the goalie sees; and understand the; behind each choice they make. The series will run monthly as Wamsley works through the 10 most common ways that goals are scored, but he did a couple of multiple-save looks at some World Junior goalies that will run during the event.
THIS WEEK: 3 Sequences with Swedish goalie Herman Liv
Today’s breakdown features Swedish goalie Herman Liv, who recently won a gold medal with Sweden at the World Junior Championship, which included winning his World Junior debut against Germany in the preliminary round. Liv, 19, is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft and has a .907 save percentage in the Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second division.
Much like last month’s breakdown of Team Canada goalie Carter George, the focus this time is not limited to one type of save situation. Instead, Wamsley guides us through multiple plays, touching on several aspects, but with a close look at hand positioning.
(Editor’s Note: This was recorded just before the World Juniors, so forgive the pre-amble about what role Liv might play in the tournament, as the publishing delay was entirely on InGoal. But we didn’t want to lose the valuable insights or chance to share them.)
🎥 Watch the full breakdown:
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