James Mirtle - Why the world is passing Canada in goal

[dash]

A long read, but a very good one.

Net losses: Why the world is passing Canada in goal - The Globe and Mail

 

[Cobiemonster]

Yup there's definitely been a trend when it comes to less dominant Canadian goaltenders - I think part of it is that there have been so many really good Canadian forwards that maybe it's harder to develop really good Canadian goaltenders because they go up against so many great Canadian scoring forwards every night?

 

[Comeds]

A long read, but a very good one.

Net losses: Why the world is passing Canada in goal - The Globe and Mail

Well now we know one of the topics of Coaches Corner.

 

[forty_three]

Very solid read.

Teach the goalies how to stay level in good times and bad, and they will stay level.

I also think the European system of puck possession works well with the larger surface and teaches goalies better movement within the flow of the game. You don't see European goalies overcommit because they get punished for it on larger surfaces.

I always get strange looks every year when I place pucks around the zone and have the goalies lay their head on each one and look at the net while I get position. Knowing what the puck "sees" is a big factor.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Yup there's definitely been a trend when it comes to less dominant Canadian goaltenders - I think part of it is that there have been so many really good Canadian forwards that maybe it's harder to develop really good Canadian goaltenders because they go up against so many great Canadian scoring forwards every night?

I would think that should make them better though, not worse. And plus there have always been a lot of great Canadian forwards, it's not really a new trend like the goaltending "decline" is.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Very solid read.

Teach the goalies how to stay level in good times and bad, and they will stay level.

I also think the European system of puck possession works well with the larger surface and teaches goalies better movement within the flow of the game. You don't see European goalies overcommit because they get punished for it on larger surfaces.

I always get strange looks every year when I place pucks around the zone and have the goalies lay their head on each one and look at the net while I get position. Knowing what the puck "sees" is a big factor.

This is actually a great tool I think. Lots of lazy goalie coaches will just name drop the "shooter's illusion" and briefly describe what it is and expect the kid to understand everything without really seeing it.

 

[DragonfromTO]

And I apologize if I said anything that the article addresses, I commented before reading it. Gonna do that now and I'll probably have more to say after I do.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Anyone else think this was kind of a weird comment to include in the section about the costs associated with developing as a goalie?

Jim Bedard, the Detroit Red Wings goalie coach, said he sees kids “with masks that have $400 or $500 paint jobs, never mind the cost of the mask – it’s just amazing.”

I mean, does that paint job have anything to do with helping them stop the puck? If you want to talk about the cost of good pads and equipment that's one thing, but I'm pretty sure a goalie can develop his skills just as well without an image of a dragon getting buttfucked by a tiger while he flashes 100 dollar bills painted on his mask.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

I think it just goes in cycles. It all depends on what position the best athlete in any particular city or town in Canada wants to play. The athletes are definately their. I remember watching Pierre Turgeon play in the Little League World Series on TV one summer obviously a long time ago. The broadcasters made a point to mention he was considered the best hockey player in all of Canada in his age group.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Anyone else think this was kind of a weird comment to include in the section about the costs associated with developing as a goalie?

Jim Bedard, the Detroit Red Wings goalie coach, said he sees kids “with masks that have $400 or $500 paint jobs, never mind the cost of the mask – it’s just amazing.”

I mean, does that paint job have anything to do with helping them stop the puck? If you want to talk about the cost of good pads and equipment that's one thing, but I'm pretty sure a goalie can develop his skills just as well without an image of a dragon getting buttfucked by a tiger while he flashes 100 dollar bills painted on his mask.

Yeah. That was kind of poorly organized by the author.

I think the point he was trying to make was that most of the kids playing goal in Canada are rich kids, not necessarily talented or driven kids.

 

[blindbaby]

I think the point he was trying to make was that most of the kids playing goal in Canada are rich kids, not necessarily talented or driven kids.

Yup. Although it's moot because my kid plays soccer by choice, if he wanted to play rep hockey (assuming of course he was good enough), I don't think I'd be able to fund it. I'm certainly not poor, but the cost is staggering around here, especially with the travel.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Yeah. That was kind of poorly organized by the author.

I think the point he was trying to make was that most of the kids playing goal in Canada are rich kids, not necessarily talented or driven kids.

Oh yeah I know I got the point and I'm not really criticizing it, I think it's probably pretty valid. Just a weird and poor example to use to help make it.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Yup. Although it's moot because my kid plays soccer by choice, if he wanted to play rep hockey (assuming of course he was good enough), I don't think I'd be able to fund it. I'm certainly not poor, but the cost is staggering around here, especially with the travel.

I actually played multiple seasons on teams with poor kids who were basically paid for by the rest of the roster, I had one season when two kids I played with also got picked up in Regent Park and driven to every game by the team manager. But of course you don't get that benefit if you're just a 3rd liner.

 

[blindbaby]

I actually played multiple seasons on teams with poor kids who were basically paid for by the rest of the roster, I had one season when two kids I played with also got picked up in Regent Park and driven to every game by the team manager. But of course you don't get that benefit if you're just a 3rd liner.

Damn, that's where I used to play hockey when I lived in T.O.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Damn, that's where I used to play hockey when I lived in T.O.

They lived right in the middle of the shit too, Shuter and River. One of their older brothers was already doing serious time. 5-6 years or so after I moved down here and was in my early years of working in NYC one of my old teammates sent me a link to a Toronto Star story. I opened it up and it was about one of those two players we'd both played with getting shot in the head execution-style walking out of a building there.

 

[blindbaby]

They lived right in the middle of the shit too, Shuter and River. One of their older brothers was already doing serious time. 5-6 years or so after I moved down here and was in my early years of working in NYC one of my old teammates sent me a link to a Toronto Star story. I opened it up and it was about one of those two players we'd both played with getting shot in the head execution-style walking out of a building there.

Wow!

IIRC, Regent Park wasn't nearly as bad back in the mid-seventies when I was playing there. I actually lived in Casa Loma area, but got "conned" into playing down there by a school friend, mainly because my skating sucked so much, that's about the only place I could play. It was an outdoor rink, it was just off of Dundas, and the mix of players was about half black, half white. It was a pretty fun league.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Wow!

IIRC, Regent Park wasn't nearly as bad back in the mid-seventies when I was playing there. I actually lived in Casa Loma area, but got "conned" into playing down there by a school friend, mainly because my skating sucked so much, that's about the only place I could play. It was an outdoor rink, it was just off of Dundas, and the mix of players was about half black, half white. It was a pretty fun league.

I know, just call me Mr. Positive Vibes in this thread

 

[KennyBanyeah]

I know, just call me Mr. Positive Vibes in this thread

Look at it this way...stories about guys getting shot in the head is probably more positive than anything that we're likely to post in a GDT about tonight's battle of Ontario. Two teams playing shitty hockey right now.

Back to the topic of struggling goaltending, enjoy your early 2-0 lead tonight courtesy of Craig Anderson.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Look at it this way...stories about guys getting shot in the head is probably more positive than anything that we're likely to post in a GDT about tonight's battle of Ontario. Two teams playing shitty hockey right now.

Back to the topic of struggling goaltending, enjoy your early 2-0 lead tonight courtesy of Craig Anderson.

Do your defensemen need to work on their shots? Tonight will be an excellent practice session for that.

Also I looked it up and the murder is still listed as unsolved so if you have a little time to kill maybe you can work on figuring it out.

 

[forty_three]

Oh, and I need a copy of that binder.

And a babelfish.