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MENTAL PREPARATION The game of goaltending is 80 percent mental. Prepare your mind before you hit the ice. Take five to 10 minutes and find a quiet spot where you can be alone to focus. Visualizing plays and seeing yourself make the right play will help you immensely. It may...

Common perceptions specially among Twitter's most vocal fans are that the NHL's Department of Player Safety struggles with inconsistency that stars get preferential treatment that there is no rhyme or reason to the league's decision making. That couldn't be further from the truth however. During the 2014-15 season I visited...

It′s important to keep your head up when passing the puck. Most bad passes are caused by not looking up to spot your intended target. You should also be aware of where you are on the ice. Blind cross-ice passes are the leading cause of grey hairs among hockey coaches....

When it comes to receiving a pass you want to turn the blade slightly toward the ice to form a pocket. Keep the angle of the blade so it takes the puck squarely. Don′t hold the stick too tightly when you are receiving a hard pass or the puck will...

Blocker. Proper blocker sizing will allow a goaltender to control the face of the blocker. This will lead to better rebound control and protection. Similar to fitting for a glove from the end of the finger channels to the tips of a goaltender's fingers there should be no more than...

USA Hockey strongly discourages checking from behind but if it should happen while you′re facing the boards get your stick and gloves up to spread out the area of impact. Use your arms as shock absorbers....

I think the backhand shot is one of the most seldom used but effective shots in a sniper′s arsenal especially when taken from in close. Sometimes you don′t have the time to move the puck onto your forehand. That′s where a backhand shot comes into play....

Chest Protector. The size of a goaltender's chest protector should be determined by the goaltender's height. After gathering a goaltender's height the next step is to match the height with the selected company's size chart to determine the appropriate size....

Change with the seasons. Take advantage of the holidays that take place over the course of the season. We'll host various events to correspond with holidays such as Halloween Thanksgiving Christmas and the New Year. It can take a little extra effort but the same team effort you expect of...