Rick Wamsley

Rick Wamsley was born on May 25, 1959, in Simcoe, Ontario, and was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the third round, 17th pick, of the 1979 NHL Draft. He went on to play 407 games in the NHL, recording 204 wins, 131 losses, a 3.34 goals-against average, a .881 save percentage, and 12 shutouts. He played for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, and Toronto Maple Leafs across his 13 seasons in the league.

Following his playing career, Wamsley spent 15 seasons as an NHL goalie coach, including a tenure with the Ottawa Senators. He currently scouts goalies for the Colorado Avalanche.

In August 2025, Wamsley appeared on InGoal Radio Episode 314 InGoal Radio Episode 314 with Rick Wamsley and launched a monthly video series for InGoal Magazine titled "GoalieU: Read & React" GoalieU: Read & React with Rick Wamsley, in which he breaks down real game clips — primarily from the OHL — to walk goalies through the decision-making process behind each save situation. The series works through the 10 most common ways goals are scored, a framework Wamsley has described as rooted in a Hockey Canada coaching trip to Europe, where he encountered how Finland systematically studied those 10 scenarios GoalieU: Read & React with Rick Wamsley. His breakdowns are drawn from the daily video work he produces through his GoalieU program, which delivers 365 situational video lessons per year, including what he calls "Rick-isms."

The series has covered a range of scoring threats. Early installments addressed east-west puck movement GoalieU: Read & React with Rick Wamsley, entry rush reads including "hold versus sink" depth decisions GoalieU: Read & React with Rick Wamsley, and lateral rebound recovery mechanics GoalieU: Read & React with Rick Wamsley. Subsequent episodes examined tracking pucks behind the net GoalieU: Read & React with Rick Wamsley, managing a cross-ice carry in the high slot GoalieU: Read & React with Rick Wamsley, and protect-the-net depth on the penalty kill GoalieU: Read & React with Rick Wamsley. In one installment, Wamsley reviewed two of his own saves from the 1992-93 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs against the New York Rangers, drawing connections between old-school technique and the positional principles he teaches today GoalieU: Read & React with Rick Wamsley. "I was a middle first guy," he said in that breakdown. "So I slightly went to the middle, then out."

Later episodes in the series featured OHL goalie Jackson Parsons, Los Angeles Kings prospect Carter George, and Swedish goalie Herman Liv, a 2026 NHL Draft eligible. Wamsley also revisited a save by former Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond — a clip he called a "favourite of all time" with "so many positive elements" — to illustrate long east-west recovery and the value of understanding how shooters perceive an open net GoalieU: Read & React with Rick Wamsley. His work with Hammond in Ottawa also surfaces in several installments as a reference point for coaching decisions, including his choice not to alter Hammond's unconventional "fingers up" glove position. "I am not a fan of [fingers up] but if you can catch the puck, as a coach I don't care," he said GoalieU: Read & React with Rick Wamsley.

InGoal Magazine has covered Rick Wamsley in one podcast appearance and twelve InGoal articles.