Ice hockey goaltenders face more pressure than just about any position in sports. One mistake could mean the difference between victory and defeat. Goaltenders must be in peak physical condition, mentally focused and technically sound to give their teams a chance to win. Success starts in practice with hard work during drills translating to improved performance during games.
Three Puck Movement Drill
Place three pucks on the ice in a triangle pattern, with about six feet between the pucks. On the coach's whistle, the goaltender must advance from one puck to the next, executing a proper push off his back skate to propel him to the next puck and then stopping in proper position. When transferring from the second puck to the third, the goaltender may also drop down into the butterfly position and slide across to the original starting point. This simple drill teaches proper movement and control within the crease.
Roll Call
A fun team drill for youngsters, roll call starts with the coach assigning each skater a number. Each player gets a puck and starts milling around below the goal line. The coach calls out a number, with the corresponding player darting out from behind the net and attacking the goal. This drill forces the goaltender to stay mentally sharp and positionally sound as she has to continually move left and right to stay square to the attacking shooters. And as soon as the goalie makes a save, the coach calls out another number, signaling a new attack. The goaltender is kept in constant movement.
Puck Tracking
For this drill, two passers take positions beneath the goal line on either side of the net and two shooters stand near the inner edges of the circles. On the coach's whistle, the passer to the left of the net passes the puck to either shooter, who must then fire a quick shot on goal. Once the save is made, the goaltender returns to the opposite post and waits for the second passer to move the puck. This drill forces the goaltender to track the puck from down low and to skate out to challenge the appropriate shooter, stressing movement and proper positioning.
Screen and Recover
Designed for more advanced goaltenders, the screen and recover drill requires two goalies and three shooters. The shooter with the puck stands in the high slot, while the other two shooters take position near the bottom of each circle. The second goaltender stands in the low slot facing the shooter in the high slot, except this goaltender merely acts as a screen, keeping his skates spread wide. The main goaltender, the one benefiting from the drill, kneels in the butterfly position at the top of the crease. On the coach's whistle, the point shooter fires a shot between the extra goalie's legs and on net. The main goaltender must track the shot through the screen and direct it to either corner using his pads and stick. Once he makes the save, the goalie must scramble to his feet and prepare to stop any rebound attempts from the other two potential shooters.
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