Goalies Are Built Different

Goalies… this one’s for YOU.
This week on Too Many Men on the Mic, Jared & Drew welcome an all-star goalie panel featuring:
    •    Lexi Levy (Oswego State Women’s Hockey)
    •    Tim Balis (St. Louis Eagles Coach & former goalie)
    •    Simon Lusky (former goalie, goalie dad & owner of Revel Kitchen + Motor Town Pizza)
We dive into:
🥅 Why goalie save percentages are dropping
🥅 RVH vs old-school goalie styles
🥅 Why goalie parents may be the craziest people in hockey
🥅 The mental pressure of playing goalie
🥅 Meditation, mindset & flow states
🥅 When kids should specialize in goalie
🥅 Why goalies SHOULD skate out as players too
🥅 Whether today’s shooters would score on Hasek & Brodeur
🥅 And why every defenseman apparently needs MORE appreciation…
This episode is hilarious, brutally honest, and loaded with incredible insight for hockey players, parents, coaches, and goalies everywhere.
👇 COMMENT BELOW 👇
Would YOU let your kid become a goalie?
🔥 PLEASE HELP US GROW THE SHOW 🔥
✅ SUBSCRIBE to the channel
✅ LIKE the episode
✅ SHARE with your hockey family
✅ Follow us on Instagram/X (links in our bio)
✅ Visit the website for drills, coaching content & more
We’ve had THOUSANDS of views lately… now help us turn those viewers into subscribers!
#Hockey #Goalie #YouthHockey #HockeyPodcast #GoalieLife #RVH #IceHockey #HockeyParents #TooManyMenOnTheMic

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:50

I love this episode. We get to talk to an audience that uh in our hockey community, we have so many diverse audiences, but this one is built for goalies. And I can't wait to hear what our goalie panel has to say tonight because really the topic is about save percentages for goalies being down for the last six to seven years.

SPEAKER_10 1:16

Sure, they're gonna love this.

SPEAKER_06 1:18

And so is hockey getting too hard for these goalies. I can't wait to hear that their response to that. I mean, or are players getting bigger, faster, stronger. Uh you got a thought. I want to hear it.

SPEAKER_10 1:31

The pads just keep getting bigger. They just keep getting the pads, just keep getting bigger.

SPEAKER_06 1:35

What I love about this is that I'm a defenseman, you're a forward, and we have no skin in this game. So we're just like you can blame for everything.

SPEAKER_10 1:42

It's everything works for the goal, just like in practice in a game, everything works for the goal line out, right? The goal blames the defenseman. That's what we complain about the forwards and then the forwards to say, hey, you know what? It's a six-man game.

SPEAKER_06 1:58

I kind of feel like our role in this week's show, though, is just to throw like charcoal on the fire and just, you know, I want to throw gasoline on it. And see where this journey takes us. I can't wait.

SPEAKER_10 2:10

Well, we've got a great panel of I would say an eclectic panel, but goaltenders are eclectic by nature. So exactly. You know, anybody that signs up to say, hey, you know what, let's give Vulcanized rubber puck shot at me as fast as they can, and I'll try to defend a 24 square foot gaping hole. It's got something, you know, there's something going on there. But thank God for goaltenders. We couldn't make without them. They're like, we couldn't play the game without them.

SPEAKER_08 2:38

We can.

SPEAKER_09 2:40

All right. Hey Grant, before we get started, where are you? Where are you, Grant?

SPEAKER_06 2:45

Where's Grant? So, Grant, I'm just curious. Uh, uh, as a sports fan uh enthusiast, what are your thoughts on this? Goalie average, goalie save percentage has been down, declining the last six to seven years. Do you think the game's getting too hard for these goalies, or do you just think the players are getting bigger and stronger? What's your take?

SPEAKER_04 3:10

The players are too good. I think it's just like why ERA is going down and average is going down in the MLB.

SPEAKER_10 3:18

I mean we're gonna throw baseball reference in here. It's all about equipment. Yeah, it's all about equipment. RVH, right? RVH. We're gonna that's that's gonna be a taboo discussion tonight. RVH.

SPEAKER_04 3:32

They can put the on it. I think the big thing is they're too skilled now.

SPEAKER_10 3:38

Well, I I I I beg to differ. I'm not too skilled, and I still can't score. So um, all right.

SPEAKER_09 3:44

Well, Grant, I think it's about time we've got in our panel of uh of experts.

SPEAKER_06 3:48

Goal experts. Let's go. I want to hear.

SPEAKER_10 3:53

And so here we are. We've looked at this group. We've got I am disgruntled, aka Simon Lukey, who's a goalie father, which you figure if a guy grew up being a goalie, he would try to steer his kids away from that role. Like, don't do it. We've got Alexi Levy, who is a uh recently graduated goaltender, probably more talent than all of us have around this table and around this uh combined, and then Tim Gaelis, former goaltender and uh uh coach for the better part of a decade, more than that, but coaching locally here at the St. Louis uh Eagles, um, has coached at junior levels, has coached across the country. Uh rumor has that he worked for pure hockey back when it was still pure hockey. So um, folks, welcome, man. Appreciate you joining the show tonight.

SPEAKER_01 4:37

Thanks for having us.

SPEAKER_10 4:38

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 4:40

I can't wait to dig into this because as I as we talked about in the intro, I'm a defenseman. I don't have any skin in this game. Actually, I'm the goalies friend. I'm trying to stop the shots from getting to you. But I'm curious, in this declining save percentage era that the stats tell us here these last six to seven years, which is goalies' save averages are going down. Is the game getting too hard for goalies? Don't shoot me. Or are these players just getting bigger and stronger? What's uh well what's the take? Uh somebody start us off.

SPEAKER_10 5:16

I think our most recently highest level person, Lexi, should go with that one, right?

SPEAKER_06 5:20

Uh oh, Lexi starts. Let's go, Lexi.

SPEAKER_01 5:23

I don't think you want me to start because I'm gonna say I didn't even know that was a thing.

SPEAKER_06 5:27

Come on, we can do the roof, upstate New York. Lexi leave you. I love it. We're laying knowledge on you, Lexi. Can you believe it?

SPEAKER_01 5:33

I didn't know it was a thing that save percentages were going down, truthfully.

SPEAKER_10 5:38

So you're in the camp of you know, statistics never lie, and only liars use statistics.

unknown 5:44

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

I just go off my own statistics and they don't fit in that bucket.

SPEAKER_06 5:48

So that's a strong statement right there. I like it.

SPEAKER_10 5:53

What do you think, man? You had you you were already jumped right in.

SPEAKER_03 5:56

Oh, this generation's too soft, you know. Like our old generation, we just figured out if it's down, we're gonna get it up. No, I'm just kidding. I think exactly what you guys said. I mean, my kids playing uh first year of Pee-Wee starting off here, and the they've been so good. I'm like, you know, watching these kids the past couple years at six, seven years old doing Michigans and going bar down from outside the hash marks, like at that young of age, is is unbeneath scene to anyone before. So they're good, not just at the high level, at the like when they're young and little. So it's obviously it's only gonna get harder.

SPEAKER_10 6:36

Well, well, Tim and I just got off the ice. Uh, full transparency, we're coaching together right now with some spring kids. You know, Tim, what are we seeing? What are you seeing with goaltending in general? Um, you know, is it keeping up with the you know technology and the focus on technique that skaters get, or is it just you know, kind of, you know, depending on where you are? I mean, talk a little bit about how that, how you're how you're seeing that.

SPEAKER_08 7:06

Well, I so back when I was playing, you know, it was Broder or it was Joe Software, but old tening wasn't hard. And I think now it's become more erotic and the players are figuring that out. Like, oh, he's gonna come across, he's gonna argue, or whatever the new movies are, and the players are figuring that out, and so I'm starting to see a shift where the goal is starting to go back into goaltending as an art form, and I think you're gonna see those saving percentages come back up.

SPEAKER_10 7:39

Goaltending as an art form.

SPEAKER_06 7:42

That's a great ism right there.

SPEAKER_10 7:44

That is one turn that bio just a little bit for us, Tim, if you can on your phone. There you go.

SPEAKER_06 7:50

But I like I I I like what Tim just said, you know, so so uh players are becoming uh robotic, and so then uh goaltending is becoming standardized, would you say then? It's it's becoming uh cookie cutter, is that or is that too strong to say?

SPEAKER_08 8:07

No, I would say that that's what it's become. Like it's just robotic, it's go post to post, and oh, I need to be RVH here, where now players are like, oh hey, we can bank it off the head and end. We're gonna go that way. Now they've got to be able to be up more, and so I think it's starting to be figured out.

SPEAKER_06 8:25

I I I I can just feel Lexi's blood pressure going. I mean, that's Matt Soleski. And I think Lexi's got a lot of things to say right now. Lexi, you add on to this. What do you what do you think about that?

SPEAKER_01 8:36

I do think that players it's starting to trickle down from the NHL, right? They're getting a lot more creative. Kind of what he's Tim said on banking it off the head. That didn't really used to be a thing. Forwards to get the puck and just kind of rip it and hope and pray that it would go in. But now kids are watching and practicing all these crazy moves that we haven't really seen before until the last couple years. I do also think that their gear, the sticks, are just unbelievable.

SPEAKER_09 9:10

Well, when your pads take up half the net, you've gotta have some whip in the stick. I mean, let's be honest here. I love what's instead.

SPEAKER_10 9:19

We just figured it out.

SPEAKER_05 9:20

We just figured it out, right? True.

SPEAKER_06 9:23

I feel like you just touched on something really, uh, really cool though, Alexi, because I just had a conversation with a player about this, and they were saying the technology is so good now that you really don't need to take a slap shot anymore.

SPEAKER_10 9:37

That's right.

SPEAKER_06 9:38

You can you you can have a snapshot, maybe even a wrister, a wicked wrist, and uh get the same kind of impact. So are you seeing that? Uh less winding up, less uh choppers from the blue lines and and and more sneaky kind of shots.

SPEAKER_01 9:56

Yeah, for sure. And even on the girl side of it, right? We don't have the release that guys do, but with the new technology, it's it's starting to get better. They don't take near as much time as they used to to release the puck.

SPEAKER_10 10:12

Well, Drew wanted to go right for the jugular with uh with the statistics and get under all the goaltender skin here, which is a great, great, uh, great technique if you want to if you want to try and get a goalie uh off his or her game. But let's go back to the beginning here. I mean, we've got three folks here who at some point in their lives decided they wanted to play goaltender. And I I want to really hear from Simon as a as a goalie dad. Um like you must have loved it, and you must have I would say you survived it. Talk tell us a little bit about your story and you know when you decide to put the put the pillows on, man. Talk about that and why.

SPEAKER_03 10:48

Um, I grew up in Pittsburgh, and we were too poor to play ice hockey, so I played ball hockey at the YMCA, it was where I first started. And I think I I remember like I don't come from a hockey family at all. And the first game I ever played forward, um, I had to buy a helmet for me, and they bought me a goalie helmet. So I was running around out there with a I remember an all-blue helmet and playing forward with a goalie helmet. And then so like the next game, they're like, hey, like you should just play goalie. And I put on, yeah, I don't know if anyone remembers those mylek pads with the plastic on the plastic straps and the phone, and I put those on in a baseball chest protector and pretty much like a baseball mitt. And I remember I played goalie and like I like never looked back. And I actually I never started ice hockey till I was 13. I never ice skated till I was 12. Um, I just played ball hockey, ball hockey, ball hockey. And actually, like in Pittsburgh, it's like very competitive. They call it deck hockey.

SPEAKER_05 11:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:48

Um, got to play in Canada and Florida everywhere for it. Um, but then you know, wanted to go to the next level and tried out my um seventh grade year for the freshman team. And they're like, Yeah, you can't skate. They're lucky not to play glory, but you can't skate. You want to come back next year and learn how to skate. So it took a whole year to learn how to skate and then came back the next year and then pretty much rode the pine all through high school. It was a good experience. Um, you know, I was never a starter, um, you know, just good, good way to kind of you know get into it late because I mean I see it now. It's like if you don't get into hockey, you know, by like age 10, it's almost impossible to catch up, you know, and it there's very few skills. I'm not saying it's impossible, like there's definitely you know the the one percenters out there, but um, yeah, like if you don't have that base at an early age, like it is you can't jump in no matter how athletic you are, and you know, just just hang with the boys, right? Like, you can do that in football, you can do that in basketball. Um, the curve is just so big. But yeah, yeah, that was my story. Ball hockey to riding the pine all through high school. I love it.

SPEAKER_07 12:57

I love ball hockey and the milek. Tell me you didn't have one of those white plastic milek blades that just got worn down to the jagged point that you could like it was like a lethal weapon.

SPEAKER_06 13:08

Yeah, I mean, and then like every uh Coho and Sherwood and all of you know, old wood sticks that had cracks in them, and did they have enough cracks that she could still play with them or not?

SPEAKER_10 13:20

Yeah, well, the other thing too is I I love how you just like he's got the helmet, he must be a goalie, he just doesn't know it yet. Well, thank you, mom and dad, for that. Um, Tim, I can't I don't know why I haven't asked you this yet, but tell me, like, what was the story on you becoming a goaltender?

SPEAKER_08 13:38

Uh it was just one day in practice, they're like, hey, we don't have a goalie. Do you want to be a guy? And I said, sure. Um, upset my my poor mama knew it because he would go through a bag of Lycrocher game. Um started off like that. Uh pretty bad by uh one buddy's dad who was bald. He was like, if I wasn't bald, I'd be involved because of the way you play.

SPEAKER_10 14:55

And then and then Lexi, I mean, I I know your brother and your dad. Um, actually, we know your brother and your dad. Um, but we've never really, you know, aside from seeing your brother wear your pads in one of our practices, yeah. Which again, which was awesome. Uh, tell us a little bit about how you got into being a goaltender.

SPEAKER_01 15:13

You know, it's not really a great story. I just wanted a cool helmet. That was that.

SPEAKER_10 15:20

Oh, I love it.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

Just wanted a cool helmet.

SPEAKER_06 15:22

Just wanted a cool helmet.

SPEAKER_10 15:24

What was the what was the cool? Did you have a did you have a design on your helmet to start off with, or was it just a different color, or did you like the match?

SPEAKER_01 15:31

I had I had the snake one. Ooh, yeah, right there, your parents' house.

SPEAKER_10 15:37

Yeah, I just when we take a break. I want to see that helmet. Yeah, you gotta see that helmet.

SPEAKER_01 15:42

All right, I'll I'll try my best to go find it, but I have all my helmets here. Uh, after after that one, it was painted from there on out.

SPEAKER_09 15:51

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_10 15:52

How did you end up Asswego? Tell us a little bit about that. Sorry, how did you end up Beliswego? You just graduated from Aswego up there in New York, so talk about that.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

I did. It's it's a funny story, actually. So he reached out when I was being recruited before I you know got an offer or anything like that, still in high school. And truthfully, I don't even remember talking to him. And I told this straight up to his face. Like, I do not remember talking to my coach. I ended up committing somewhere else, wasn't given what I was promised. So I hit the portal. He reached back out and he was like, Hey, you know, remember when we were talking before you committed? And he said, Yeah, yeah, I definitely remember that. I look at my dad, I go, What the hell is Oswego? What is Oswego? And he goes, I don't know, Google it. Well, we googled it, and come winter break, we end up taking a trip to all those schools that ended up reaching out to me when I went into the portal at Christmas break. Got on campus, and I was like, Yeah, this this is the place, this is where I'm coming next year.

SPEAKER_10 17:04

Very cool.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

Without, you know, anything crazy else involved. I was just, you know, I was like, yeah, this is this is it.

SPEAKER_10 17:13

Did any of you guys ever have a moment where you're like it would be so much easier to be a defenseman?

SPEAKER_03 17:21

I think it's the hardest position.

SPEAKER_10 17:24

Oh, a hundred percent, hundred percent. I would say as a as a coach, I agree with you a hundred percent. As a player, I just I roll my eyes.

SPEAKER_06 17:32

Yeah, you're one, you're you're you're one of one or you're one of two. Uh maybe you're one of three, and that that that's even like yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:40

I feel like you guys, defensemen, just have a bigger net to watch. You know, you have pretty much from the blue line back.

SPEAKER_10 17:46

Oh he doesn't need any more, like you know, reason to puff his chest out being a defenseman.

SPEAKER_03 17:55

It's a tough game. It's a tough. I'm just I that's how I get all defensemen to like me take pucks from me. I just tell him it's the hardest job on the world. Oh, I love it.

SPEAKER_06 18:03

He's he's building, he he's selling them on the front.

SPEAKER_10 18:06

It's like a quarterback with his lineman. Yeah, what it's like quarterback with his lineman.

SPEAKER_06 18:12

So uh let's let's get back to his status. Uh uh, I read this earlier uh in the week. League-wide shooting percentage hovers around 10 to 11 percent, meaning goalies stop 90 percent of the shots, but with high shot volume, even a modest bump in quality, scoring chances pay off. Uh, would you agree with that? I mean, what what do you think? Lead-wide shooting percentage is around 10 to 11 percent. So, what that makes me think is that the goalies are just phenomenal, but if goalie save percentage is going down, what's what's the disconnect there? What do you think, Tim? Throw it out there, give us a start. What do you think?

SPEAKER_08 18:54

Um, you know, I think it's the high danger areas and the soft areas in the high danger where players are sneaking in and trying as a goalie trying to react to a shout in that area, it's just like what are you doing? Like you just kind of hope and pressure.

SPEAKER_06 19:13

So are you getting up and going uh and chastising the defenseman then? Because those high danger areas, right? That should really be where the D is. Is the D just not showing up? Is that what what's happening there in those high danger areas, or what what should they be doing?

SPEAKER_08 19:27

Well, you know, I'd like to say forwards are getting smart, but you know, that's not the case. Um I love it. You know, your first center back is not being able to get down there and help. You know, your D can't fly over fast enough because they're getting to where they need to be faster, and teams are moving the puck more. So I wouldn't say it's like uh, you know, defense are getting worse, or goalie's getting worse, everyone's getting faster and they're moving the puck more.

SPEAKER_06 20:03

Lexi, is it just the defenseman had too big of a sandwich at lunch? What is it? What it should they be moving quicker in front of the net? Should we uh should we be going, come on, D?

SPEAKER_01 20:15

Yes and no. I think a lot of times the defensemen are starting to get more puck focused, and the forwards are recognizing and can find empty space.

SPEAKER_10 20:26

Uh Jerry's got something to say. I mean, watching a puck, it's like watching the game. Should be checking your shoulders, should be moving to where you think the pup's gonna be next. Puck watching, especially you know, it and I also think beyond just the the opposing forwards, the opposing defense are now joining the rush. You know, you're seeing you know slash plays down the middle, you're seeing scissor plays across along the boards, you're seeing you know, you know, there this concept of surfing, which is not hanging 10, it's where that weak side defenseman surfs across because the strong side defenseman's coming down, all this technical stuff that's probably gonna make everybody's head who doesn't know, like kind of spin. But it's really become a five-man offensive set or five-woman offensive set, and that's to Tim's point where you got that soft area and back door, and if you've got Puck watching defenseman instead of instead of Puck hawking defenseman, then you know, then yeah, we're gonna you're gonna see a lot more opportunities there.

SPEAKER_06 21:23

Simon, uh what do you think? Uh help us out here, give us some perspective.

SPEAKER_03 21:28

I mean, when you brought that up, like I don't know if like you guys, if you watched the Sabres Canadians game last night, oh yeah, last like two, three minutes of the Sabres defense, I think they made 20 saves. Like it was it was like they and they were down a man, you know. The goalie was pulled and they were smothering the Canadians, like it was like they couldn't get a shot on the goalie if they tried. And I was like, wow, like I was like, what just like it was like the buy-in every single one, like not just you know the D men, the offenseman, everyone was just like, We're not.

SPEAKER_06 22:01

So I mean Logan Stanley and Luke Shin were great ads on that uh on that Buffalo C line. Two big bodies that's fine. Great point.

SPEAKER_10 22:13

We got to take a quick few bills. Um we're gonna if you guys are all good, we'll take about a two-minute break here. Have a quick live ad read. We'll come back and talk a little bit more about the mental side of goaltending and uh, you know, again, what drives success. So don't go anywhere, we'll be right back. Well, that segment of Too Many Men on the Mic was brought to you by 5B Designs. St. Louis hockey families and business leaders, if you need custom gear that stands out and stands for something, it's time to meet 5B Designs. Founded by Shannon Bruhini, a proud St. Louis mom and entrepreneur, 5B Designs is a woman-owned small business that brings purpose to custom appearance. Whether you're suiting up your youth or high school hockey team or leveling up your company's branded swag, 5B delivers top-notch quality with a personal touch. You need a team store, no problem. Corporate polos or event giveaways, they've got you covered. 5B makes it easy with fast turnaround, flexible service, and designs your players or employees will love to wear. Check them out at stores.inksoft.com forward slash 5B Designs. That's the word five. And if you're watching on our YouTube feed, go ahead and scan the QR code in the top right corner of your screen and see what great gear and great service looks like. Real quick, folks, before we jump back in, if you're enjoying Too Many Men on the Mic, hit like and subscribe on our YouTube channel. It's a quick click for you, but it helps us grow the show and keep bringing you great hockey conversations. You can also follow us on Instagram by scanning the QR code at the top right hand of our screen. And be sure to download, follow, and rate the podcast on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. And coaches and parents out there for exclusive content. You can also go directly to our website, too many menonthemic.com. That's the number two for gear, downloadable coaching practice plans, and all other types of content that we provide. Again, these are small things from you that help us keep delivering new guests, downloadable coaching content, and more from the ring. All right, back to the show. All right, and we're back with too many men on the mic, goalie edition. And we've got Simon Lukey, Tim Bayless, and Lexi Levy joining us here. Um we my partner here just busted out some knowledge and statistics. Um, I think he was some soft, some soft jabs to the solar planes for goaltenders. Um, but we want to we want to dive into you know kind of the softer side, you know, the the emotional side of goaltending.

SPEAKER_06 24:59

I love that Simon, like in the first segment, uh, gave the defenseman praise and then even added to it by talking about all the blocked shots last night and uh in the two playoff games. Uh he's a defensive uh gels with his defenseman. This is this is working for me.

SPEAKER_10 25:16

Well, you know, I mean you have to have a good defense in front of you. I was talking, so I've I've got a guy I work with who's also a former goalie. I don't know how that happened.

SPEAKER_06 25:27

You attract him, don't know how that happened.

SPEAKER_10 25:29

And uh we were talking about how you can win a playoff series, and I'm like, oh well, you know, you gotta be strong down the middle with centers, you know, you know, working hard down low on the offensive. So he goes, well, a goaltender can steal a series. And I immediately, immediately, Mike, I take over. And I'd like, well, I don't know, all the best goalies have the best teams in front of them. Um, but let's let's go back to a little bit of that, you know, that conversation of becoming a goaltender. And and each of you, as you progressed, you know, you got more challenge, you know, the the challenge and the competition became better. Um how do you get into that mindset? I mean, being able to sit between uh in a in a four by in front of a four by six gaping hole and take those pucks, like how do you get yourself into that mindset at the start of a game, and you know, goals are gonna happen. You know, you can't have a shut out every game. So, how do you bounce back from goals? You know, I would personally like one goal and I'd be like done because I'd just be like, I'm terrible, I'm never doing this again. So, Lexi, tell us a little bit about like how that mindset and what are some of the things that you taught yourself um to be a uh uh an outstanding goaltender.

SPEAKER_01 26:42

Truthfully, I try not to think about it. I just go into the game as relaxed, as calm as I can. With that being said, I did a lot of meditating this last year that I played, and I noticed a big difference in my stats, my calmness, my energy, my ability to control my mind. And I just kind of went out there and played and let my ability take control. And if something were to happen, I would just remind myself, hey, you've been a goalie for 12 years. You're you're exactly where you're supposed to be. Like if you didn't have the talent, if you didn't have the skills, you wouldn't be a net right now. So falling back on what I knew was important to me.

SPEAKER_06 27:33

I love it. I love the presence. It's also a great album by Lens that one. Yes. Uh, but the presence of do you have a mantra uh in your meditation? Do you have a uh uh over and over again something that you say in your head, something that really dials you in? What is it during the meditative state that that gets you there?

SPEAKER_01 27:54

I think having my brain be empty is just the best part of it. I don't a lot of people a lot of people cannot shut their brain off, like genuinely. There's always a thought, there's always something running in their mind. For me, I can sit in silence without a thought in in my mind, and that's kind of translated, honestly, onto the ice. And you know, when the puck was in the other zone, which never happened, unfortunately, but if it was, it did happen to happen, my mind was clear and it was just focused on the game. I I never wandered in any thought or anything like that.

SPEAKER_10 28:39

Tim, what about you? I mean, you know, I think we came up in this age of goaltenders like at Belfort and before that, Billy Smith, um, where they're a little bit salty. And you know, what was your secret to success and getting yourself prepared for a hockey game? And after that first game you ever played goaltender, what made you come back?

SPEAKER_08 29:02

Uh, you know, the after the first game, my mom, I didn't do well. My mom's like, let's go get donuts, and so that's how she got me back into that. Um, you know, get getting older, you know, it was just have coming up with a routine to reset after it. Um, you know, after a goal, after games, and you just you have to have a short memory.

SPEAKER_06 29:31

Simon, what about you? Do you have a mantra? Do you have a routine? Is there something that makes you that brings you calmness when you're getting ready to uh place up for a game?

SPEAKER_03 29:45

I would say I'm just you know, like I'm I'm a restaurant owner, and I think something that I've always taken pride in is just anything that I do, right? So whether it's you know, like you're mopping the floors or you're you know you're plating a dish or whatever, right? Like it doesn't matter what the task is, you should do it to your absolute best ability. And so like I always remember that. I'm like, it doesn't matter if we're winning 10 to nothing or we're losing 10 to nothing. Like I'm taking every play, every next shot the best I can, right? Like it doesn't matter how tired I am, like for whatever, right? Like whatever the situation is, I'm doing everything the best I can. It doesn't matter what happened before, it's just one thing at a time, the best I can. And I think that's always just been my mantra and it keeps it loose. I mean, I I'm giving you a soft clap right here.

SPEAKER_06 30:36

Oh, then yes, yes, I'll still leverage.

SPEAKER_10 30:40

You know, taking that into account, I think that's three very balanced. I know, very balanced. That's fantastic, very balanced approaches to being successful. Um putting you know, you know, yourself in the parent, and and obviously, Simon, you are a current parent of a of a uh of a goalie, but how do you communicate with goalie parents on how to one bring their anxiety level down and be a little bit more um you know, I guess calm, maybe maybe the best way to say it? Or like how would you talk to parents who their kid comes to them and says, Hey, I want to try goalie? Like, what are some things that um knowing what you all know as playing that position and coaching and having uh relationships with your own parents? Um, what would be some things that you would you know counsel those parents on and and talk to them about? Jump in. Go ahead, Simon. You you're you know, let's just run it back to the app. Let's just let's let's just throw it back around the boards the opposite way. So we can finish the Simon start.

SPEAKER_03 31:51

I like for starters, like I can't sit next to my wife at games because she's like the meme. She's like, the children, like you know, she's just screaming erratically, right? And so, like, I you know, I just like you know, I just like to watch the game, and so I like to say it just depends on your personality, right? Like, if if you are like my wife and you know you're you you are stressful, probably not the best position for your kid, right? Because it's a lot of stress. Um, but it's also it's it comes with its rewards too, right? Like, because when it happens, it's a beautiful thing to watch, and you're just it's it's amazing, right? Um, but you know, I think it like like being a goalie, you have to be a like a goalie parent. You just you can never get too high, you can never get too low. As much as it's your kid when it's their worst game, you know, like you can't get too low, and when it's their best game, you can't get too high. It's you know, I after we every game, the only thing we ever talk about were like, hey, like how like reaction, right? How was your reaction? That's what we focus on so much. Like, how was your reaction? How was your effort? Those are the only two things you can control, right? Like, other than that, like there's so many things that we can. We can only control those things in the game, and that's like really has been like our focus the past couple years, as you know, we've been going through the motions of you know just like you know, 10-year-old kids. So it's you know, it's it's tough.

SPEAKER_06 33:16

So, Lexi, I'm curious as a as a goalie and your brother playing, and your mom and your dad, and you're talking to them, if you could go back to the beginning and I bet you had conversations in the car, either on the way to the rink or on the way back, and maybe they had expectations about the goalie position, and uh and you were getting them to understand what that meant. If you could go back now and talk to uh your parents and and maybe a parent of a current youth hockey goalie, uh, just at the beginning of that journey, what would you say? Any any good knowledge to share?

SPEAKER_01 33:52

You know, I think it's a tough question because sitting here, I've kind of been pondering what in the future, if my kid ever says I want to play goalie, if I say yes or no. You know, my parents told me back in the day, absolutely not. No, no, like they were stubborn for two years. No, and your dad's a coach, yeah, yeah, he is, and then uh a spring a spring season came along, and they're like, All right, whatever, try it. Well, no going back now. Yes, I love games. My mom, my mom did not watch me play any triple A games, any college games. She only came to my high school games, so she was a fan from the couch. She didn't keep up, she expected a call after the game. My dad was at every single game. He liked it, but he said it was stressful. But going back to your question, it's hard because I think I'd like for my kid to try it, but at the same time, if he or she were to walk away, I'd be like, oh, you're not mentally tough. Like, what's my game on doing this stuff? So I don't know if I could handle them walking away from she's already camping on her non-existent child. So either you're gonna try it and you're gonna stick with it because you're gonna be mentally tough and that's what you do, or you're just not gonna try it at all.

SPEAKER_10 35:22

Well, I love that, but I also love what Tim said earlier about his mom giving him donuts to stay at it. So I gotta hear some stories about, and Tim has had plenty of parents that have, you know, I guess been under his wing as he's coached their children, and obviously he's coached at least two goalies every year, um, sometimes more. Talk a little bit about that, those type of uh conversations that you've had. You know, we can the name the the the people can the names can change to protect the innocent, but talk about some of those goalie parent counseling sessions that you've probably had uh over the over the years.

SPEAKER_02 36:01

Oh, you're on the there you go.

SPEAKER_08 36:04

Uh you know, it goes from hey, look, it's a it's a team game, you know, goalie is the toughest position, but it's the only position where if you screw up, a red light goes on. You know the the the forward can miss, the D can miss, but if you miss, the red light goes on. So it's gotta get through everyone to get to you, and so you know, those those games where everyone doesn't have it, it it it happens and it it can be bad, but the games when everyone has it, you know, it that's a lot of times they're like, Oh, the goalie played great, and it's like, well, everyone played great, it's a it's a team game, and so I think too many people look at it as like it's uh it is a lonely position, but it's still a team score. It's a great way to put it.

SPEAKER_06 37:01

Well said, and I like that as it's you know, it's the only thing you messed up the red light at the back, can't you?

SPEAKER_10 37:06

You messed up the red light as well. Well, it you know, it is funny because we were doing a drill today. I'll let people behind the scenes, and I just kept telling them I was getting on the forwards. If I didn't like what I'd see, I'd just blow it dead and have an X group go so they're getting all mad. But like, could you imagine? Like, you don't like what I see, there's no other goalie to put in there.

SPEAKER_02 37:27

That's right.

SPEAKER_10 37:27

You know, so you gotta pump those folks up. And really, I think it's the parents after the game, those car ride homes. I think you want to make sure that those are as positive as possible.

SPEAKER_06 37:37

Well, but uh but but I like I like where you're going there, Tim, because uh you're talking about uh you know being a team, but also it's mentally challenging, right? You're you're the only uh uh uh uh position where the life lifts off. So uh right back at you, do you think our game of hockey has become more mentally difficult for goalies than physically difficult? What would you say?

SPEAKER_08 38:04

Yeah, I definitely say it's more mentally difficult to play, and you know, as like science gets better, and you know goalies are able to be able to describe what their flow state is, and if they can get into a flow state in the game, you know, that's that's gonna help them out. But trying to be able to get there consistently when you know, as they're going up the ranks, you you introduce slapshots, and then there's checking, so there's all sorts of distractions. Then you introduce crowds in high school and college, and you know they get louder and they get bigger, and there's more distractions. So to get in that flow state and to be mentally tough is is especially difficult now.

SPEAKER_05 38:51

Simon, what do you think?

SPEAKER_03 38:55

Um, as I get older, physically is definitely harder. That's for sure. The the hips, you know, the knees just aren't the same. Um, but I I think it's true. It's like, you know, I think as an older goaltender, you know, you learn how to get in your flow and your routines and the things you need to do, and physically it gets harder. And like, you know, I like I like I see like I was never able to do the splits as a kid, and my kid's splitting all over the place, you know. Like, um, but you know, for him, I think you know, the mental side is harder and just learning how to get to that flow and you know, learning, you know, how to have the right reactions and you know, those things, and you know, so I think that just comes with time. And so I think, you know, hopefully everyone has that point in their career or their life where it's just like you're at your peak flow, you're at your peak physical, and that's you know, when it's a beautiful thing to watch.

SPEAKER_06 39:48

Lexi, you talked about your meditation. What do you think? Is it uh is it mental? Is it physical?

SPEAKER_01 39:54

Kind of like what Simon said. I think it depends on where you're at, the stage you know, you're competing on beer league, you know, definitely more physical. As a kid, definitely more physical until you start to get uh, like Tim mentioned, high school and the eliter levels. I think it becomes more physical because that's kind of when you're starting to peak, you starting to play it a little bit more, you know, your physical game is kind of where it needs to be. So I think it's a little bit of both college. Your physical is there, so I think it's definitely mental.

SPEAKER_06 40:35

All right. So I I love it. I love uh I love all the banter around both of those. Who do you think is the advantage today, though? If you could put it, is it the goalie? Is it the shooter in today's game of hockey? Who do you think has the the advantage today? Is the is the goalie in a better spot or is the shooter in a better spot? And I and and uh Simon, I know you're gonna say as long as the defense is there helping out, right?

SPEAKER_03 41:04

It depends on the D in front.

SPEAKER_10 41:08

Well, I think the numbers um on like penalty shots, uh, and even breakaways are favoring the goalies, but it's a relative, I think. You know, again, their pads are so good. Oh, what do you think about that, Lexi? Are the pads?

SPEAKER_01 41:22

I'd say shooters have the advantage.

SPEAKER_10 41:24

Oh, come on, just because we have curved sticks, right?

SPEAKER_01 41:27

That that's a compliment that you guys have the advantage. Come on. I'm basically saying you guys are better than us if you have the advantage.

SPEAKER_10 41:36

Or are you saying that we need the advantage because we're not yeah, more so than that? See, you're a mentalist, you're already messing with our heads. Yeah, say what is the minute of play in this period, breakaways and pally shots, and shooters have it in normal gameplay, yeah. Because most defenses are defensemen are lazy, right, Simon? Stop.

SPEAKER_03 42:03

Stop. Hardest workers on the team, baby. Love it, Simon. We're gonna be friends.

SPEAKER_10 42:08

We're gonna take another quick break here. Uh, if everybody can still stick around, we'll come back and finish this up. We've got some fun questions, we've got some deep topics, and then uh we may uh we may drop a few goalie-centric drills and games for coaches out there to take. So don't go anywhere, we'll be right back with too many men on the mic goalie edition.

SPEAKER_06 42:29

Summer is right around the corner. The Big Bear Tournaments is already thinking about the next hockey season. Registration is now open on their website for the 2026-2027 seasons, and spots are filling fast. Join them in new locations such as Savannah, Georgia, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Holland, Michigan. Looking to save on your entry fees, take advantage of their multi-team, multi-club, and club level discounts that guarantees savings across the board for every team in your organization. Head over to bigbeartournaments.com today to claim your spots and be ready to hit the ISAC summer. If you're watching online, go ahead and click that QR code up in the top right hand corner to find out more about the great things that BigBearTurnaments.com has to offer. We're back with Too Many Men on the Mike Goalie edition, and Simon's becoming the defenseman's best friend. And uh he and I are gonna share notes after the meeting. We might even be on the ice together at a men's game in the future. Uh, but we're here talking for a few more minutes about shooter advantage, goalie advantage, today's game, uh, our thoughts on that. But coach, I think you wanted to dig a little bit into uh uh when should kids uh consider becoming what full time goalies and make it a full time job? So we're no longer passing the back. Uh we're no longer six you, eight you, where we're you know moving it on to the next uh Person in line. As a coach, I would always tell my kids, guess what? If there's not a volunteer, you know who's going to be the goalie? It's going to be you. You're going to be the goalie.

SPEAKER_10 44:12

Well, I think the question, you know, two parts. When should kids start to specialize? Obviously, goal goalie is the most special of specializations. And then how do, you know, we as a local organization, as a regional, as a as a country, you know, well, how do we deal with what has been really kind of a goalie shortage, you know, issue? You know, I know that USA hockey had an emphasis recently on trying to build refing up. And I know there are some things that they're doing to try and get kids to play more goalie. They've changed some of their guidelines. But I'm interested to hear from the three of you when you think kids should start specializing in goalie. And Tim, you're probably the foremost expert on this or have the have probably the most informed opinion. What do you think? When should they start uh you know focusing? And then how does that help us, you know, get more kids to play goal? Tim Earl, you with us? Tim Uris? Tim Earis? I can't hear it. I'm gonna have to edit this out. Lexi, why don't you jump in on that as we figure this out?

SPEAKER_01 45:23

Yeah, so I think not too early, not too late, maybe around say 9 to 11-ish. I think the kids should develop as an athlete, whether it's soccer, forward, defenseman, skating, anything, any sport, whatever it is, become an athlete, I think is the number one priority. And then if they have the abilities to be a goalie, then go on to be a goalie because you don't want them to burn out too early, like we've talked about all night long. It's mental, it's a lot, it's a struggle at times. And if you're starting too young and you don't have the right coaches, you know, sometimes coaches just fire them past you or whatever it is, you're like, this is stupid. I don't want to play this sport, you're giving it up, and I think you can't start too young because that's what's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_10 46:20

Tim, what do you think? You know, should kids be specializing um earlier? Uh Lexi's got a great you know, comment I I thought about getting more athleticism and becoming a better athlete first. What are your thoughts and how does that translate into helping to solve a goal you should have? I can't hear anything. I can't hear the host.

SPEAKER_03 46:41

All right, well, all right, Simon, what are you thinking there? I don't know if we have enough time for me to say everything here. Um we can make time, we can make time for you. Yeah, of having recently gone through this. Um so I think the landscape has changed a lot, and I think they're trying to force specializing early, and I think that's a terrible idea. Kids should learn how to skate, and at a young age, the only way you're gonna learn how to skate is without goalie equipment that's too big for you and being out on the ice, not in a crease. But at the same time, you know, it's getting competitive so early. And I think like the route that we did is that we had, you know, when my son decided he wanted to play goalie, that a, we only did RGA, like we took him to the goalie trainings, like that's all we did. We didn't do the rockets practices, the mite practices as a goalie. I said, never do a mite practice as a goalie. Like, that's just I think a terrible idea. Let the tires do that heavy lifting. Um, and we did the trainings off of the side. I said, Hey, if you want to play goalie, you got to learn how to skate first, and you can learn the basics over there. So I think people try to just throw the kids in the net and let them have live fire at this young age. I don't think that's right. I think they need to be structured early, technique first. We're really lucky to have RGA for that. Um, but then we kind of hit this like peak of like, okay, he wants to play. I don't like, you know, I don't think there's enough quality practice and shots at that level. And so now, you know, you're seeing these AAU clubs that are highly competitive at young ages at mites and mini mites, and you almost have to be a specialized goalie if you want to compete at that level and get into that level. So he did hockey club for a year, um, which is you know kind of like the triple A of mini mites, which is a whole nother thing, I whether you agree or do disagree. Um, but we also had him skate out as a player for the Rockets. So that was our balance, is you know, like you're not just like I said, you will not, and so even now he, you know, he's he does triple A blues, but in the spring, he plays Spring League as a forward for the Rockets. Love it. And I did this, and I think it's great, and it makes you learn. And and what I tell him all the time, Alan's like, you're gonna be a better player on the bench when you're like a better goalie on the bench because you'll know when your D-men are coming and you'll anticipate the door being open, and you're gonna get your guys out a jump faster. You know, I'm like, you're gonna like you're gonna just know the game that much better because you're not gonna see it being back in the crease. And I see it all like he's like, you know, like now he's can't wait to be on the bench and opening up the doors, and like before, you know, like he's practically falling asleep, you know, like in between the games. So I think it just makes him such a more well-rounded goalie playing out longer. I don't think you should give it up for a long time. I think they should be playing out at some, like, you know, whether it's roller hockey or spring league or whatever, till they're probably like before checking, like you know, all the way up to checking, you know. So 12, 13, 14, like they should be playing that long as a forward. That's my opinion. Maybe popular, maybe not. But I agree.

SPEAKER_01 50:09

I agree with that. I played spring all the way up and checking while I played goalie for triple A, but I every single spring league, checking involved, all that. Yep, I was a forward.

SPEAKER_06 50:23

I love it. You can't wait for checking. I learned something every week on this show, and this is just one of them that you should, if you're a goalie, uh, you can play goal if that wants to be a goalie if that wants to be your primary position, but also play out as a skater. What a great perspective on seeing the game. I love it. But I also invest.

SPEAKER_01 50:41

I also think what goes along with that is it gives your mind a break, too, even though they're still young, just all that goalie time. Like, go have some fun, go score some goals, go light some people up.

SPEAKER_10 50:54

I mean, yeah, it's so easy. It's so easy. It's Lexi. Did you light some people up?

SPEAKER_01 50:59

I did.

SPEAKER_10 50:59

She's a levy. Of course, she did.

SPEAKER_01 51:01

I did.

SPEAKER_10 51:04

Looks like Tim's back. Tim, uh, real quick, your thoughts on when to specialize. How do we solve this goalie shortage? I know you've got a great some great informed opinions and and and insight to this.

SPEAKER_08 51:18

Um, you know, the you can't have people blaming the goalie for everything. That's how he stopped the shortage. Like, you know, a kid has a bad game, and it's like, oh, the goalie sucks. Who wants to go back to that? Um, and specializing, you know, I agree with those two. Like when I wasn't playing goal, we would play street hockey and I'd play out, you know, and play roller hockey, I'd play out. And any stick and puck, I wouldn't put on the pads, I'd I'd be a skater. And so being a goalies are supposed to be the best skater on the team, not necessarily the fastest, because I've never been equated to speed, but you know, to be a good skater, and so even when they're 18, let them play out and roller and fun. And as a goalie, you should know what you're shooting at. Like, hey, I know what the goalie's gonna do, I know it's gonna be open, I'm gonna fire it in and then get a few goals this game.

SPEAKER_10 52:26

You make a great point, and as a coach, and I know you do an excellent job of this. After every game, no matter the outcome, the first thing we talk about is is thanking and pumping our goalie up. Because I think if you're lucky, you've got two in the locker room. Most nights we have one, and so you want to make sure they keep playing. And I think that's a great point. It's like, you know, and I think Simon mentioned this earlier, it's a team game, and so you know, being positive, even in the face of of the of the outcome. I mean, let's not focus on the outcomes, let's focus on the journey and having fun. I love that build that mentality. Um, but it also sounds like it takes a village. There's an ism. There it is. There it is. There's the ism of the night. Takes a village, and if we're gonna solve this goalie issue, it's gonna take all of us coaches, parents, forwards, defensemen, uh, hockey players. So that's that's where that's where my mindset is.

SPEAKER_06 53:20

Well, we got time for one more. Uh, so uh let's end it with uh uh a hypothetical. Uh would today's shooters do you think as goalies would today's shooters score on legends like Dominic Hassock and Martin Burdeur more often? Or do you think those guys would still dominate?

SPEAKER_10 53:43

Jump in, Tim. I know you I know you're dying on this one. Let's go.

SPEAKER_08 53:47

Oh, I I think the the older goalies would save more just because they aren't as predictable, like Broder, you know, not going down on a butterfly, but doing a pad save to the left to kick the rebound out to the corner. Uh, just the pure athletic ability, I I think gets them there.

SPEAKER_10 54:08

What do you think, Lexi? You're you you you're the you're the most new age goalie of the three. So what do you think? What do you think?

SPEAKER_01 54:16

Tim makes a good point, but I'm gonna go the other way. I think honestly.

SPEAKER_10 54:22

So so Tim's paddle Tim's paddle down stand-up goalie, you're RVH all the way.

SPEAKER_01 54:28

I mean, well, yeah, but also it's like you think you think uh Wayne Gretzky can score on Jordan Bennington. No, like he's great and all of NHL. I all of the world.

SPEAKER_10 54:41

Yeah, Wayne, Wano's here. Wayne's here, he begs to disagree with you.

SPEAKER_01 54:46

Yeah, look, that's okay, and that's okay.

SPEAKER_06 54:49

That's our Instagram short right there.

SPEAKER_10 54:54

Simon, what do you think?

SPEAKER_03 54:55

All right, before I give my answer, I'll give you a good story.

SPEAKER_10 54:58

Well, you grew up with Ken, you get you grew with Tom Barazzo and Ken Reggett as your goaltenders in Pittsburgh, right? So Petro Angelo, who's uh you know, Petroangelo's uncle.

SPEAKER_03 55:09

Yes, so I being a restaurateur had the privilege of catering for the blues for 15 years. We've done all their lunches, practices, all the stuff. So I'm always down in the locker room with the boys. And uh a couple years ago, and we had Thomas as our other of our other goalie, right? And one practice, all the boys came in, like just like talking about the shootout they had at the end and how he was saving everything, and it and like they're on the locker and talking about it. And he's like, How did like you're so dialed in today? Like, and like what do you do that's like different? And like, because like Ben, him and Benna were talking. Rice never looks at the puck, he just watches the shooter's eyes, and it like blew Bennington's mind. And he was like, he was like, What? You don't look at the puck? He was like, Nope, I just watched their eyes. He was like, couldn't believe it. And it's like, and like you're like like you can just see, right? Like, and I was like old school and new school, right? Like right there, and it like in and I was like, I can't believe that worked. Like he said, like they're like he saved every person on the tea, like right, like you know, you're just like unbelievable, but like I'm I'm a mixed bag. Like, I I think it's true. I think it's it's definitely a move that I like to like give sometimes is like you know, making the shooters think like they have something and take it away, right? Like you kind of play that mind game with them. Um I think like what Tim said, like the mix is good. Um, I think they would get scored on more because their pads are so small, but um ultimately I think that's not a good thing. And they're leather and they get waterlogged.

SPEAKER_08 56:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_10 56:56

Well, I I mean there's there's a million other things we could talk about here. Um, I do want to end on one last topic before we go to our drill draw. And I think you know, each of you is an expert on this. Why did you fall in love with fun? Lexi, let's start with you.

SPEAKER_01 57:15

I am a kid, young woman now, I guess, that just loves adrenaline. I love the pressure. I eat it up, you know, playing Ledou hockey high school, absolutely loved rival fans chanting my name. Loved it. I excelled and I ate it up. So I loved the pressure. I loved you know, having control of everything and being the one that could really dictate the game.

SPEAKER_10 57:48

What about you, Tim? Besides the donuts that your mom gave you to keep going. Mute, mute, mute. Unmute, unmute.

SPEAKER_08 58:01

Um it was more just, you know, you the the team aspect because you start playing for your teammates and you become this brotherhood as you play. It's like you don't want to let them down. And so that's what drove me.

SPEAKER_05 58:20

Love that.

SPEAKER_03 58:21

Simon, what about you? I think I'm definitely in the boat of Lexi of like I love being the pressure cooker. Like, the higher the stakes, the better. Like, that gets the juices flowing for sure. But I ultimately like really like that, like that guy in front of me, that defenseman who I love so much and is such an athlete and a great player, knows that I got his back, right? It's terrible. That if he misses that play, because that forward is out there slacking, cherry picking, you know.

SPEAKER_06 58:55

Uh this is gonna be the highest rated defensemanship ever.

SPEAKER_03 58:59

That I I got his back, you know. So I I that's really it. Like it's a it's kind of a mix between the two. You know, it's like that guy in front of you knows that you got his back, and like I want that pressure. Like, give it to me.

SPEAKER_10 59:13

Well, let's have a little fun before we go here. We're gonna we're gonna finish up with our uh our segment, the drill draw. Um, but before we do, uh let's go ahead and talk a little bit about our forthcoming uh partner, uh Drift hockey. So our drill draw here is powered by Drift Hockey, and we're in the process of formalizing a great partnership with Drift Hockey. It's an all-in-one hockey tool where you're able to work with your team schedules, rosters, measure messaging statistics, videos. We use it at Ladou, and we're big proponents of it. We're helping to develop some of the new features. So check out Drift Hockey, go ahead and click that QR code in the right-hand corner of your screen uh to get a free uh trial version. And Brian Dolan, the founder of Drift Hockey, is always looking for great feedback. So be an early adopter and help with the with the development of a great tool that we're we're very excited to be using.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:07

But get ready to watch it in action.

SPEAKER_10 1:00:08

Absolutely get ready to watch it in action. So we're gonna bring our friends back in here. There we go. All right, Tim. Let's uh let me figure out what am I doing here? I've got to bring in gotta bring in my screen. Screen. And we're gonna do, we're gonna do, we're gonna do some drill, we're gonna do some drill draw for uh for helping out our for uh that's not what we want. There we go. So if everybody can see my screen here, got a little bit of library here of uh great coaches from around the country and and around St. Louis and around the world actually helping us put together um some uh repository. There's a word, or some would call library of great uh great small area games and drills for practices. But uh Tim, why don't you go ahead and kind of walk me through how to set the ice up here? Um and uh let's let's do let's have a little fun here with these drills.

SPEAKER_08 1:01:05

All right, so the first one is I call it breakaway puck protect, and basically you've got you move the net, not in the crease, just to so you can split the ice in half. Right here, yeah, perfect. Great. You have one guy in the corner, right? Right right here, perfect. Uh, another one on the top of the circle towards the center of the ice, like a little bit uh higher, yeah, right about there, and then you can put a mark or a a cone directly across from the player up top.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:49

We use tires right here.

SPEAKER_08 1:01:52

Yep, good. So the player starts with the puck in the corner, skates up uh up the boards.

SPEAKER_10 1:02:00

Wait, we have a goalie in net, right? Tim, we have a goalie in net, right? Oh, I'm actually forward you might shoot on the goalie. It is the goalie show. Let's put a goalie in net, make them a different color. There you go. All right, so the player on the corner skates with the puck to start. All right, let's do that. Oh, shoot. I don't know. All right, so now we've got uh skate with puck.

SPEAKER_08 1:02:32

Yep, so skates up towards the tire, rounds the tire, makes a pass to that other player.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:44

I love how drift hockey has all the actions.

SPEAKER_08 1:02:48

All right, now that that player one touches it back to him and chases him on a breakaway.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:55

I like that. Chase on a breakway. Perfect.

SPEAKER_08 1:03:25

All right, yeah, perfect, coach. All right, what's our next one? Uh next one is the triangle game. Okay. So you could run it on the other side of the ice, met in the same spot.

SPEAKER_10 1:03:38

Right here?

SPEAKER_08 1:03:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_10 1:03:47

We'll make this one, we'll make this one red. For our friends in Kirkland.

SPEAKER_08 1:03:52

All right. Alright, so you have two two players down low and one up top.

SPEAKER_10 1:04:02

Down low on the goal line or down low in front of the net?

SPEAKER_08 1:04:05

In front of the net. So uh more towards the wall a little bit. More towards the wall? All right. Good. Uh yep, one straight across. Right here? Perfect.

unknown 1:04:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_08 1:04:25

One at the top, the circles.

SPEAKER_10 1:04:28

What I like about this is you can run these simultaneously and you don't have kids standing around.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:32

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_10 1:04:33

Right here? Perfect. And then a D in the middle.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:37

Ooh.

SPEAKER_10 1:04:38

We'll make the D the same color since Simon loves his defenseman and he wants them all in the same tune. I was gonna say orange, but oh, we can make him orange. Pylons.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:51

Keep him red.

SPEAKER_10 1:04:52

I'll call him a pylon. All right, where's our puck going, Coach?

SPEAKER_08 1:04:57

Uh it starts starts with one of the lower guys, and the object here is the three forwards move the puck around, and D tries to stop him, but you know, the forwards are trying to get that goalie to move side to side. So it works on lateral movement for the goalies and anticipating hey, is he gonna shoot? Is he gonna pass?

SPEAKER_10 1:05:18

How many passes before they shoot?

SPEAKER_08 1:05:21

Uh sometimes I start with one. Uh, some you know, you can work your way all the way up to two or three.

SPEAKER_10 1:05:29

Let's give a little lateral movement here with our goaltender so we it's accentuate that. All right. And anything else we got cooking here for our goaltenders?

SPEAKER_08 1:05:42

Uh this one is definitely one for lateral movement and just basic compete. Um it's on the goal line with the net facing the opposite way.

SPEAKER_10 1:05:55

So we're down here on this end. Any any particular word we want to put it? Uh towards the core uh corner.

SPEAKER_08 1:06:02

Right there good? Uh back it up just a little.

SPEAKER_10 1:06:07

Right there?

SPEAKER_08 1:06:08

Uh a little bit more.

SPEAKER_10 1:06:10

Towards the towards the red line or towards the uh towards the goal line.

SPEAKER_08 1:06:15

Alright, how's that? Good. And uh goalie in goal?

SPEAKER_10 1:06:21

We'll make this one orange. Always in that.

SPEAKER_08 1:06:31

Alright. And then uh you have you have a forward there, the puck, and you have a forward basically down low.

SPEAKER_10 1:06:42

Okay, so let's do one right here.

SPEAKER_08 1:06:51

Uh right in front of the net.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:55

Right there?

SPEAKER_08 1:06:56

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_08 1:06:58

I would put another forward on on the the boards. Uh yeah, right about uh back it up. Right about there. Alright. And so the forward on the board soft rims it in, and the forward's got to make a move uh to score on tight, and it's you know, the goalies gotta get down loads, gotta be able to move and compete for that puck with them.

SPEAKER_10 1:07:24

So you gotta get that stick work. Um you know, you've got to be able to can the goalie stop the puck and try to intercept it? They can, but that that's a pretty risky move. Yeah, that's right, because then you're out of you're out of position. Gotcha. Okay, so we've got three small area compete games that work on you know, track goalie tracking, lateral movement, and just outright compete. Yeah, Lexi, what's a good name for all these drills? What do we want to call these?

SPEAKER_01 1:07:55

Chaos.

SPEAKER_10 1:07:56

Bayless Chaos. Love it. How's that?

SPEAKER_02 1:08:04

Perfect.

SPEAKER_10 1:08:04

We've got a drill. We'll put in some descriptions on each one and update tags. But if you're watching us on YouTube, um after the show, head over to our website, too many menonthmic.com, if you're a coach, and you'll be able to download download these drills as well as many others from coaches from USA hockey and around the country and world. Thank you to Drift Hockey for helping us out. All right, folks. Well, appreciate everybody's uh you know time tonight time uh this evening. We're gonna obviously it's Wednesday night. Um hope everybody had fun. And uh, you know, personally, just want to say thank you all for being goaltenders and making life as a forward so much easier because we don't have to play defense, we don't have to stop the fun.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:49

Simon, thanks for the love to all the defenseman. Lexi, love your compete. Tim, love your balance of knowledge that you brought to the table. What a fun night. Thanks for joining us.

SPEAKER_10 1:09:00

Tim is like goalie.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:03

One thing, guys, guess what school district my son's in?

SPEAKER_10 1:09:07

Uh Ledou.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:08

Yes, he won't have goalie. I know.

SPEAKER_10 1:09:10

I know all the goalies coming to Ledou over the next 10 years. He's got that pipeline down.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:15

Uh trying to, trying to. Love it.

SPEAKER_10 1:09:17

Well, thanks everybody for joining us, and uh, we'll talk to you all very, very soon. And uh remember, like, follow, subscribe, swing on the mic on Instagram, YouTube, X, or wherever you get your pockets. See you next week. See you next week, everybody. Thanks. Thank you. Well, coach, I think we've got some hockey to go watch and some hockey to go coach. I learned a lot here from these goaltenders, and I hope our audience, and especially the the players and parents, did as well.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:46

I mean, they were fantastic. I love three goalies, three different approaches. Uh, I learned something tonight. I hope our listeners did too. Uh, check it out. Uh, thanks for listening to Too Many Men on the Mic. We will see you next week.

SPEAKER_10 1:09:59

And Grant, now you can come play goalie at our practice because you had some you had a free goalie coaching seminar here tonight. Yeah, you're an expert now. You're an expert now.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:07

Yeah, I was I was a catcher in high school. I think that skills translate, right? Absolutely, absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 1:10:13

See, I I love how he's he he's inching the bar.

SPEAKER_10 1:10:17

Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, hey, everybody, thanks again for watching, listening. He shoots, he scores. Take us home, Grant.