Pro Tips with Joel Hofer: The Simplest Way to Improve Your Goalie IQ? Just Watch
Key Takeaways
- Watch full hockey games — not just highlights — to develop your ability to read the play at a high level.
- Joel Hofer studies specific goalies including Vasilevskiy (size and mobility), Hellebuyck (familiarity), Saros (quickness), and Binnington (battling and competing).
- Hofer credits watching Jordan Binnington battle through high-danger chances as something he actively learned from as a teammate.
- Hofer compiled a .910 save percentage over 46 games in 2024–25, ranking top 10 among NHL goalies with at least 20 games played.
- Deliberately studying multiple goalie styles — including smaller goalies — helps build a broader toolkit for reading and tracking pucks.
How much hockey do you watch?
It’s something I ask my goalies all the time. Based purely on anecdotal evidence, it seems fewer and fewer goalies watch entire games. That’s unfortunate, because watching a full game — not just the highlights — is an excellent way to build your ability to read the play.
Watch hockey. That's pretty much it. That's all I do, especially during the year. I watch so many hockey games.
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