📷 Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire
So Much More Than Butterfly
Francois Allaire Introduced Idea of Goaltending Systems
- Francois Allaire's most lasting legacy is establishing the goalie coach as a profession, not simply popularizing the butterfly style.
- Elite goaltending technique is a trainable, coachable skill — a concept Allaire helped legitimize at the highest levels of the game.
- InGoal Magazine has advocated since 2022 that Allaire deserves Hockey Hall of Fame induction for his pioneering contributions.
- Progress in goaltending, like all fields, is incremental and collective — individual breakthroughs depend on the work of many before them.
- The 'lone genius' model of hockey innovation is a myth; even transformative figures like Allaire succeeded by building on decades of prior development.
In a few paragraphs, I’m going to talk about Francois Allaire. Even non-goalie folks have heard of him by this point, and how he helped usher in the era of the butterfly goaltender. InGoal Magazine has been pointing out since 2022 that it’s absurd he’s not in the Hockey Hall of Fame, in large part because of his work pioneering the butterfly style. But I’d argue the butterfly is almost beside the point. What he really did was create the idea of the goalie coach. He advanced the notion of elite goaltending as a trainable skill, not a random quirk of genius.
But first, I have to talk about Isaac Newton and Gottfried Liebniz.
Unlock the rest of this premium breakdown
Join thousands of goalies, parents, and coaches who train smarter with InGoal.
15+ years as the #1 goaltending resource
Already a member? Log in