Michael Hutchinson certainly isn’t the first goalie we’ve seen warming up without a net on game days. And no, this routine is not limited to time in the American Hockey League.
InGoal Magazine has witnessed lots of goalies talking shots along the boards at center ice, including Anthony Stolarz of the Anaheim Ducks this season (video to come in a future Pro Drills), Vitek Vanacek while with the Washington Capitals last season (video below), and of course Charlie Lindgren while with the Montreal Canadiens a few years ago.
With nets at both ends occupied by teammates focused on their own game-day preparations, using the semi-circle area in front of the penalty box like a makeshift crease is convenient.
“I realized you don’t need a net for this, especially after morning skate,” said Hutchinson, who has played 137 NHL games with over 12 seasons as a pro and is currently signed with the Vegas Golden Knights and playing for their AHL affiliate in Henderson. “Guys like to take one-timers, power play usually likes to work in the other end. so instead of inconveniencing everyone, just for myself, I feel like it’s a team game and sometimes the players need the net too.”
Hutchinson sets up at center ice instead. Here is a brief sample of that game day routine:
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Excellent videos and tips for rebound control. At this stage of my life I am primarily a pickup goalie (3 times a week) and that means little or no warmup because everyone else wants to get started as soon as we hit the ice. A lot of times it takes me 5 or even 10 minutes of actual playing time to just get a sweat up and the hands and legs moving. This leads to early goals and sometimes very embarrassing goals just because I’m not even loose or tracking yet.
I’ve tried to get warm in the dressing room but it’s not the same as on the ice at all. I do a glove drill with a rubber ball against the wall before every session but again as a tracking warm up not at all the same.
Could InGoal maybe do an(other) article on some tips to get us pickup/beer league goalies some kind of a decent routine without any ice at all so we don’t have to start stone cold every time? I just turned 70 and I just can’t go from zero to sixty in 2 minutes any more……. 🙂
In a similar boat, with a static and dynamic stretch and ball routine. Almost have the sweat going at that point. But I tell each team I play for I need a 1 minute warm up first. 5 to the glove from butterfly, 5 to the blocker from butterfly then 6 coming off the post to 5 hole or gut trap. Takes 1 minute then the players can do their thing.
If the team wants the net, the doing the 1 minute warm up from the side without the net can work also. But it usually leads to early leads because the goalie on the other end is not warmed up.
In a similar boat, with a static and dynamic stretch and ball routine. Almost have the sweat going at that point. But I tell each team I play for I need a 1 minute warm up first. 5 to the glove from butterfly, 5 to the blocker from butterfly then 6 coming off the post to 5 hole or gut trap. Takes 1 minute then the players can do their thing.
If the team wants the net, the doing the 1 minute warm up from the side without the net can work also. But it usually leads to early leads because the goalie on the other end is not warmed up.