GoalieU: Read & React with Rick Wamsley
Episode 11 – Breakaway Essentials with Ottawa Senators Prospect Jackson Parsons
- Use hash marks as depth checkpoints: skates outside the crease when the puck is at the top hash, entering the crease as the puck reaches the bottom hash.
- Let the breakaway player push you back — start high and on angle, then sink appropriately as they advance rather than retreating all at once.
- Read puck position, not just player position — when the puck is out in front of the skater, they cannot shoot yet, giving the goalie time to manage the gap.
- Calibrate your starting breakaway depth to your own skating ability and quickness — work with your coach to find your personal benchmark at the top hash mark.
- Jackson Parsons, signed by Ottawa as an undrafted free agent, demonstrates how professional-level breakaway tracking can be developed and analyzed through game film.
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 InGoal series, Wamsley takes us inside his process for reading the game and making decisions under pressure. Each episode is based off the daily video work Wamsley does at GoalieU, breaking down a real game clip from the OHL to help you see what the goalie sees – and understand the “why” behind each choice they make. The series runs monthly as Wamsley works through the 10 most common ways that goals are scored.
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About Rick’s Read and React
Each month, Wamsley will dissect a different game situation – from rush chances to net-front battles – showing how elite goalies process the game in real time. Think of it as a “film room” for your goalie IQ. As Wamsley explained on a recent episode of the InGoal Radio Podcast, his approach was influenced by a visit to Europe as part of group of Hockey Canada goalie coaches and learning how Finland broke down the 10 most common ways to score. His analysis is anchored in that philosophy, and how goalies can counter each.
Want More from Rick?
Wamsley’s GoalieU program offers a new video breakdown like this one every single day – 365 days of situational reads, technical tips, and what he calls “Rick-isms” to help you think (and stop pucks) like a pro. InGoal readers can save $50 on an annual GoalieU membership join InGoal Today to reveal the checkout code!