Puckhandling Lessons from Mike Smith – Part 1

There was a new face at the NET360 Goalie Camp this summer and he also happens to be one of the NHL’s premier puck handlers, so imagine how excited we were when Mike Smith agreed to walk the youngest camp participants through his keys to playing the puck. 17-year old Matthew Kieper of the WHL Regina Pats was at Canada’s U-18 summer camp recently and 14-year old Matthew Hutchison, entering his first year with the North Island Silvertips in the BC U18-AAA league were both happy to soak in the knowledge and work on their skills with one of the best in the business.

InGoal Magazine had a front-row seat and cameras rolling for this can’t miss session with the goalie everyone calls “Smitty,” and we’ve broken it down into a multiple-part series for our Premium Members. It started with this informative and important overview from the current Edmonton Oilers No. 1, which included an emphasis on purposeful practice, accepting mistakes the importance of skating beyond traditional crease movement patterns, and getting your defensemen and coaches on the same page about where to go on the ice: