Over the course of four days at the Warren Strelow National Goaltending Camp, some of the top young goaltenders in the country work with pro and college coaches who help them master the fundamentals of the position while developing a personal identity that translates to in-game success. Here’s what some of this year’s camp attendees took away from the camp and will look to add to their game this season and in the future.
Joe Exter, Michigan State University
There are two or three things that we hope they take with them. The bottom line is we want to make sure they realize the importance of continuing to grow in this position while maintaining proper fundamentals and continuing to work on them. Because there’s going to be new situations they’re going to face but they’re going to rely on the fundamentals when it gets down to it.
Adam Scheel, Lakewood, Ohio
The biggest thing they talked about all week is how you have to compete on every play. I think if anyone takes one thing out of this camp it’s just to compete and work your hardest whether it’s in a game or practice or off the ice.
Ryan Ullan, Hibbing, Minn.
I learned a handful of things that I’m going to try to incorporate into my game. One thing I really focused on was leading with my head and tracking with my eyes and letting my head drive me to the puck rather than just nonchalantly sliding and trying to block the puck.
Drew Commesso, Boston
I think one of the big things that the coaches talked about is the consistency of head checks and figuring out where the guys are and how to read the play. One of the things I’ve been working on is doing a better job of reading the play and getting a better hockey IQ.
Noah Grannan, Germantown, Wis.
All the coaches had different things to say so I took everything they said to heart and will try to incorporate it into my game. But one thing I’m going to work on is just battling for the second puck and concentrating on the rebound after you make the first save, and treating every drill in practice like it’s a real game.
Keith Petruzzelli, Quinnipiac College
The biggest thing I want to try, and I don’t know how well it’s going to work, is these days you see a lot of NHL goalies who don’t come off their goal line and come out to challenge until the puck comes over the blueline. That’s something I’d like to incorporate into my game.