Collin Delia

Collin Delia grew up in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and has spent his professional career moving through several organizations before landing in the Swedish Hockey League with Brynäs IF. The left-catching goaltender, listed at 6'2" and 208 pounds, accumulated 52 NHL appearances with the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks, finishing his NHL career with 19 wins, 18 losses, 7 overtime losses, and a 3.51 goals-against average with a .897 save percentage.

His single season with the Vancouver Canucks — working under goalie coach Ian Clark — became the subject of extensive reflection. Delia described the year as one filled with changes to his game that took time and considerable work to become instinctual. He appeared twice on the InGoal Radio Podcast to discuss that process in detail, and then sat down separately to break down video from his season for InGoal's Pro Reads series. InGoal Magazine has covered Collin Delia in three Pro Reads.

The first Pro Read Collin Delia ProRead examined a screen situation against the Carolina Hurricanes and the tall, narrow stance Delia added to his game that season when the puck is out on the perimeter. Delia described the challenge of a layered screen — including 6'7" defenseman Tyler Myers — and the discipline required not to move unnecessarily. "First, not screening myself," he said. "If you have a sightline on it, don't move." He also explained the "tall side look" he developed with Clark: a slight movement of the head or a small kink in the torso, without abandoning the chosen angle. On the question of depth, Delia acknowledged a prior tendency to give ice back when the puck was hidden. "When we don't see the puck clearly we want to give ice back for some reason," he said, "and get wide and seal the bottom but this is appropriate depth for me with a screen and a deflection risk."

The second Pro Read Collin Delia ProRead covered a Colorado Avalanche power play with Cale Makar skating downhill through a layered screen, with Mikko Rantanen as a one-timer threat. Delia described his priority as maintaining a clear sightline above all else. "Getting eyes on the puck at all costs," he said. "Even if it is an exaggerated short-side look, I can mitigate any challenges with good rotation and good directionality." He also discussed work he did during that Vancouver season to get across on those plays on his skate rather than sliding, which allowed him to, in his words, "cut my route a little bit short."

The third Pro Read Collin Delia ProRead 3 placed Delia in an in-zone 3-on-2 against Tampa Bay, with Brayden Point carrying, Steven Stamkos screening, and Nikita Kucherov set up for a one-timer. Delia explained his read on the likelihood of a pass rather than a shot, noting that Point shooting through traffic would have been a poor decision given Kucherov's position. He also described a drill from his work with Ian Clark in which the position of a shooter's stick — on the ice versus in the air — dictates the goaltender's response. "The fact he's got it loaded up you can slide there," Delia said. He also shared a broader principle about zone exits: "Never think you are going to leave the zone clean. You trust your teammates but you never underplay that. Always try to honor that situation until the puck is over the red line."

Following his season in Vancouver, Delia signed with the Winnipeg Jets. He has since moved on to Brynäs IF in the SHL.