Teach the Goalie, Not the Template (Ian Clark): The Last Line Episode 6
Ian Clark on the first session with a new goalie, why edge control is the base of the pyramid, the Bobrovsky Ballet, and the small sightline fix that stopped Jacob Markstrom screening himself.
- Build the relationship before evaluating technique: Ian Clark insists the first session with a new goalie must prioritize trust and communication, not immediate technical assessment.
- Elite edge control is the foundation of goalie development: Clark places skating and edge control at the bottom of the development pyramid, making it the prerequisite for everything above it.
- Sergei Bobrovsky uses a daily skating routine to check and reset the fundamentals of his game, treating edges as the diagnostic baseline for his performance.
- Teach the individual, not the template: Clark's adjustment to Jacob Markstrom's sightline around traffic solved a major problem while preserving Markstrom's natural strengths.
- Visual tracking connects directly to a goalie's feet, hands, and rotation — making the eyes the most important anatomical asset a goalie possesses.
Welcome to Episode 6 of The Last Line with long-time NHL goalie coach Ian Clark and goalie writer Kevin Woodley, presented by InGoal Magazine and From the Crease.
This episode begins with a question every goalie coach eventually faces:
What should the first session with a new goalie actually look like?
Ian explains why the relationship has to come before the technical evaluation, how his approach changes depending on the age and experience of the goalie, and why working with an established goaltender should feel more like a partnership than a dictatorship.
From there, the conversation moves into the foundational elements of the position — starting with skating and edge control.
Ian explains why elite edge control sits at the bottom of the goalie development pyramid, how Sergei Bobrovsky uses his famous skating routine to check the foundation of his game every day, and why young goalies need both general skating and position-specific crease movement.
The discussion also includes Ian’s save-process development model, how coaches can find meaningful early improvements with experienced goalies, and why they must teach the goalie rather than the template.
Ian uses Jacob Markstrom as an example, explaining how one small adjustment to his sightline around traffic eliminated a major problem without changing the goaltender’s natural strengths.
The listener Q&A also covers:
- Why elite goalies hold onto old knee guards and skate setups
- How equipment comfort and confidence affect performance
- Whether young goalies should take skating lessons in player or goalie skates
- Why the eyes are the goalie’s most important anatomical asset
- How visual tracking connects to feet, hands and rotation
The episode closes with a teaser for Episode 7 and a deeper discussion about the unique hand positioning used by Thatcher Demko and other goalies in Ian’s system.
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| 0:00 | What should the first session with a new goalie look like?Building a new goalie-coach relationship and evaluating where to begin. |
| 2:19 | Partnership, expectations and non-negotiablesHow Ian approaches experienced goalies differently from young beginners. |
| 5:42 | Why the relationship comes firstCreating trust without simply trying to become the goalie’s buddy. |
| 7:25 | Why foundations still make up most of elite goaltendingSquare, set, stable and efficient at every level. |
| 8:32 | Skating and edge control: the base of the pyramidWhy everything in the position grows from command of the edges. |
| 11:38 | The Bobrovsky Ballet and the power of routineHow Sergei Bobrovsky checks his edge control every day. |
| 14:08 | Developing well-rounded skating in young goaliesBalancing general team skating with goalie-specific crease movement. |
| 16:26 | Should goalie conditioning be position-specific?When goalies should do crease work — and when they should skate with the team. |
| 19:45 | The save-process development modelPreparation, save execution and post-save response. |
| 23:44 | Finding quick returns with an experienced goalieSimple adjustments that can produce meaningful early improvement. |
| 25:04 | Teach the goalie, not the templateWhy technical differences should only be changed when they affect game performance. |
| 25:45 | Jacob Markstrom and traffic sightlinesHow a small adjustment helped prevent him from screening himself. |
| 29:37 | Why goalies keep old knee guardsEquipment synchronization, comfort and confidence. |
| 31:38 | When trusted equipment is discontinuedWhy NHL goalies sometimes search everywhere for old skates, blades and protective gear. |
| 34:50 | Player skates or goalie skates for young goalies?Why strong general edge control matters more than the skate model. |
| 37:49 | Eyes, feet and handsIan’s three most important anatomical assets for a goalie. |
| 41:08 | Episode 7 teaser: hand positioningA first look at the question leading off the next episode. |
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