FORWARD I realized a childhood dream when I played a regular season game in the NHL against the New Jersey Devils. December 5th, 1990 was the highlight of years of work, dedication and dreams. However, I wouldn't have been able to make it to that level without the help and support of many people. Without the love, support and undying faith in my abilities that my wife Tracey displayed, I never would have reached the big leagues. She definitely is my 1st round draft choice and fortunately is on a lifetime contract with a no-trade clause! As a goaltender I have to thank the person that molded me into an NHL caliber athlete. Mitch Korn, now goaltending coach with the Buffalo Sabres, scouted me out of Strathroy Jr. " B " and taught me ever thing I know about the position. In the song ' Big League ' by Tom Cochrane the main line says, ' My boy is going to play in the Big Leagues, my boy is going to turn some heads ......... I was such a late bloomer I don't think my parents ever had that thought go through their minds. However, like millions of parents across Canada they took me to those early practices, traveled to all the small towns, sent me to summer camps and spent all their money on my hockey endeavors. For this I owe them a great deal and I think the only way to repay them is to do the same for my children (Chris, Jamie and Samantha) Stephen McKichan INTRODUCTION It has been said that goaltending is the most difficult position in any sport to learn. The actual task of the goaltender is quite simple: Keep the puck out of the net .As anyone who has ever played goal knows, it is in reality frustrating, painful and routinely embarrassing. Why would anyone in their right mind subject themselves to this physical, emotional and psychological abuse? Is it the coot equipment? Is it some chemical imbalance? Is there some sadistic urge to place sensitive parts of your anatomy in front of frozen projectiles? I don't think anyone will truly ever know. I can tell you, however, that when you actually make the save of the game, there is no better feeling in the world. All that pain vanishes. I guess we sort of touched on why someone plays goal but the purpose of this manual deals with the " how to play " question. It is designed for those individuals who have made the mistake (I mean choice) to play goal. Everyone knows that goaltenders are neglected in most practices, are seldom given accurate useful feedback from their coaches and usually have to learn from trial and error. Ideally this manual will allow goaltenders to take advantage of the experience of others who have already learned the hard way. This manual is designed to compliment the video ' GOALTENDING FUNDAMENTALS ' and generally follows the same format. We have attempted to add additional information in this manual that didn't make it in the video. Hockey great, Pat Stapleton, once told me, "To be successful, study success." His advice applies to anything in life but I really believe a young goaltender can use this simple statement to achieve big things. Find someone who you think is successful at what they do. It could be Felix Potvin or it could be the local junior goaltender. Study everything they do. Look for the good things they do and the things you think they shouldn't do. Apply them to your game. Try them in practice. Develop your own style and always continue to study the position. You'll never reach a point where you stop learning and if you do you probably should retire! Good Luck!! EQUIPMENT SELECTION Goaltenders have unique equipment and many myths abound concerning sizing, selection and purchasing. The first thing I need to mention is the fact that a goaltender that develops a fear of the puck is almost impossible to " cure ". Usually, improperly sized equipment and poor protection are the causes of this problem. The situation is difficult to discuss because equipment is so expensive and no one can afford to spend thousands of dollars every year. The goal is to find equipment, either new or used, that balances cost without sacrificing protection. I'll discuss more specifics as I talk about the different equipment. UNDERGARMENTS Most pro goaltenders wear pajama-like T-shirts and pants underneath their equipment. This is because they are comfortable, absorb sweat, permit free movement and keep the goaltender warm during lulls in the play. You should use clean clothing every game and practice to prevent the dreaded hockey rash. Not to mention the fact that you will have more friends! I know most pro goaltenders change their shirts between periods to stay fresh and avoid catching a chill. I never used to wear socks but thin light socks are a good way to absorb sweat and keep your feet warm. JOCKS AND JILLS Without a doubt the most important piece of equipment a goaltender wears is the jock. (Female goaltenders have a corresponding piece usually called a jill) The jock should be worn tightly without restricting movement. If you have ever had one slip out of place you have a clear impression of what pain is. The goaltender's jock is larger and more thickly padded than a forward's jock because of the obvious trauma it is designed to prevent. Personally, I've found that you can't totally protect yourself; you can only minimize the pain. I used to wear a forward's jock and a goaltender's jock overtop and this worked the best for me. GARTERBELT The best way to keep the hockey socks in place is to use a garterbelt to securely hold them. 'There isn't much to go in to beyond this but I do have a comment. I have seen some goaltenders that wear track pants without using hockey socks. While this may be more comfortable it looks bush- league and sends the message that you are different than your teammates. Imagine how it would look if everyone on the Maple Leafs decided to wear track pants over their shin pads. If your goal is to play in the N.H.L. dress like them! INNER KNEE PADS I strongly recommend that all goaltenders wear an inner kneepad that is usually worn under the hockey socks. Some goal pad manufacturers have even begun to add special inner pads to their leg pads. This inner kneepad is important because when you drop to a butterfly you open up a chink in your armor and a slapshot off the knee is very painful. I have heard a lot of excuses like: ' I never go down so I don't need them.' and " My leg pads are big enough that they cover my knees." Both of these responses are fine, but one day you will learn the hard way. SKATES Goaltenders use special skates that have additional protective shells surrounding the foot and a flat blade that helps in keeping your balance. I often get asked when a young goaltender is ready for goal skates. There is no set age, but remember what I said about getting puck-shy. Once a goaltender is puck-shy you have a huge problem. So why not solve the problem before it happens? As soon as a young goaltender seems reasonably committed to playing goal start looking for a used pair of goal skates. They are usually fairly affordable until you are ready to buy new skates. Sizing Proper sizing is crucial when selecting goal skates. When you go to try on skates bring the socks that you plan to wear when you play. The next step is to seat your heel in the skates, so lightly bump the blade against the floor with your foot loosely in the skate. Tighten the skates and go for a walk around the store. Your toes shouldn't touch the ends but also shouldn't form a big gap. Sharpening One of the biggest myths that continue to this day is the fact that goaltenders should use dull skates. People say this allows the goaltender to move sideways better. Let me start by saying that sharp goal skates are crucial in today's game. In the old days a goaltender didn't need to challenge the shooter as much and tended to play back in the crease. However, goaltenders today need to move explosively to get to pucks behind the net, to race for loose pucks, to challenge shooters and to move from one side of the net to the other outside the crease. Quite simply this can't be done with dull skates. Mitch Korn, goaltending coach of the Buffalo Sabres, once described goaltenders as being like New York cabbies. They constantly perform dozens of surprise rapid changes in direction, stopping and starting, darting around. Pro goaltenders like Eddie Belfour, Curtis Joseph, Dominik Hasek, Patrick Roy and Chris Osgood to name a few, all use razor sharp skates. They get their skates hollow ground between 3/8" - 3/4". If the pros use sharp skates shouldn't you? If you have never used sharp skates gradually increase the sharpness and you will adjust. Don't get left in minor hockey because you think dull skates are the way to go! GOALTENDER SKATES SHOULD BE FAIRLY SHARP. LEG PADS There are currently dozens of companies making leg pads in every size and color. Each one promotes some new feature or the fact that some goaltender in the N.H.L.