Transcript
Speaker: Welcome to the DIY goalie podcast where hosts and goalie coaches Nathan Park and Connor Monday share their insights on how to become a better goalie.
Speaker: Goalies, how's it going? Welcome back to the DIY goalie podcast presented by True North Goaltending. How's it going? Nice to see everyone. Just me today in the captain's chair. Nathan having a little bit of a rough day today, so we decided to give him the day off.
Speaker: i've ah I am very, very excited to be joined by somebody who we talk about a lot on this pod, actually. Somebody who we reference a lot, somebody who both Nathan and i look up to very much, and somebody who's made a huge impact in the goaltending community, at least in the the Edmonton and surrounding area uh current goaltending coach for the edmonton oil kings uh he's also been a goaltender for the cam loose blazers and portland winter hawks of whl as well as played with the u of a golden bears and as well as on the i'm gonna call it the goaltending team it's not what i'm looking at here but it's currently also on the though i'm gonna call it the board of goaltenders with hockey alberta as well in doing their development. I am super, super pleased to be joined by Mr. Curtis Mooka. Mooka, how are we doing today?
Speaker: Good, good. No, thanks for the the lengthy introduction there, Mr. Monde. But no, all good on mine. Thank you for that. Sweet. Yeah, so we just wanted to touch on a few things here today as we believe that you can bring a really unique perspective um in terms of goalie development at different age levels. I mean, you're currently coaching at one of the higher levels in junior hockey, generally a step below pro hockey in the WHL, so we wanted to get your take on that. But before we get into anything,
Speaker: This is probably a question that I should know the answer to, but I sadly don't. I just wanted to get your brief background on how you got into hockey, how you got into goaltending, and kind of subsequently afterwards, how you got into goalie coaching.
Speaker: ah Yeah, no, my goalie journey started at a young age. um i You know, a lot of kids are specializing fairly early nowadays. I was a little bit later and saying that, like, 9, 10, so not, like, crazy late. But i i was a player...
Speaker: a Pretty good one, I'd like to say so. And then I just kept getting worse and worse. And they put me on D and then they shoved me in the net and had some success there. So ah yeah, that's kind of how that worked out. And you know to to play at the AAA levels and play with all my buddies, I had to be a goalie. So kind of bought into it and and enjoyed the run. i was very fortunate to play it at you know some good leagues and play on some really good teams as well.
Speaker: so So that was good. Yeah, then into the coaching. goalie coaching world was one that I didn't really seek out myself like I was still looking at playing pro in Europe after I graduated from U of A. Dustin Schwartz, who you've probably talked about on this on this podcast as well.
Speaker: um he He transitioned from the Oil Kings into the Oilers my last year playing um and that kind of opened up a door for for a lot of work in the Edmonton area and and Dustin kind of paved ah a pathway for me and and helped me along the way early in my coaching career so I owe a lot to him in that regard. And then, yeah, I just kind ran with it. And 11th year now um coming up and goalie coaching in an Alberta area. So, yeah, it's been been awesome. I've learned a lot myself, still learning. never Never satisfied, always looking to grow my knowledge and and my reach.
Speaker: should also mention as well that you do run Curtis Mooka Goalie Consulting, which we'll link that down into the show notes as well. um I guess just kind of talk a little bit about that and just kind of what Curtis Mooka Goalie Consulting is all about. You started that with an niin another former teacher of mine, Blair Faulkner. Just kind of how did all that start and just the conversations that you and Mr. Faulkner had?
Speaker: Yeah, no, um honestly, like when I jumped into the coaching world, I i didn't have a website or a logo or I it wasn't business wasn't, you know, my, my top of mind. I was just, you know, getting on the ice as much as I could working with as many goalies as I could trying to help out the, you know, the youth and younger, younger kids younger goalies. And, And that's, I just did that for a lot of years, you know, three or four years all over the place, you know, Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan, Shirt Parks, Spruce Grove, anywhere in the area was kind of just doing some camps with other guys in there and not my own really. And then I just kept getting sick of the question of like people, I kept to asking, where's your, where, what's your website? What's your website? I don't see You're like, where do I contact you? You know? So it was probably time for me to kind of, you know, join this, uh,
Speaker: this century and get a website and the social media and all that stuff. So that's you know when I had to come with a logo and and it became a bit more of a business. you know um But you know my DNA of coaching hasn't changed. I still looked and helped each goal I step on the ice with you know each day. and and find ways to you know improve their game and and the business side has just kind of gone you know uh with me as i as i do that stuff and you know it's i'm very humble to work with a lot of goalies and a lot of good goalies and you know go from all over the province i go to grand prairie once a month see some rural kids that don't get a whole lot so you know i respect what they what they have to put up with up up up there too right so that's kind of yeah where it's gone for now
Speaker: Okay, so let's dive into that a little bit. So you've worked or work with a lot of different organizations. Obviously, the Oil Kings generally come to mind. um believe you're still under with the Crusaders as well, if I'm not mistaken, Fourth Saskatchewan. and then as well as working, you know, in my old alma mater with the Vimy Ridge Academy and as well with Grand McEwen as well.
Speaker: What is your approach to working with... I'm going to just kind of generalize it as kids at different age levels. Like, obviously, a junior kid in WHL is going to be different compared to a kid playing U15 AAA compared to a kid, you know, maybe just starting out, maybe a few years playing, but still a little raw in some capacity. So just what...
Speaker: what does your approach to each session with the age level of kids that you're working with? Just what, just what kind of, what kind of prep work, what kind of ideologies do you have coming into the session before stepping on the ice?
Speaker: Yeah, no, that's a good question. i you know, what I think too is like, The best part of what we're one of the best parts of goal tending is um you can you can overcomplicate it and you can do a lot of stuff or you can, you know, simplify and break it down to its most basic form for me and for a lot of goal coaches and a lot of goalies is, you know, skating, movement, positioning and tracking. So I'll probably touch on all three of those things every single goalie session that I run. And no matter whether you're a pro goalie, a junior goalie, or a U9 or U11 goalie, I think there's an element that we need you need to touch on those three things. Okay. You know, in saying that,
Speaker: there's There's some things, there's some younger goalies. I'm not going to work on reading plays with the U11 goalie that that much, right? I'm going to focus more on the positional play, make sure they're being aggressive when they can, and they're seeing pucks consistently and and obviously skating like I just talked about. Now when I'm stepping on the ice with some junior guys or, you know, Sebastian Kosa, Carter Guyon, or some of the pro guys that I do work with, that's more about, you know, a bigger picture. What are we seeing develop in front of us? But it all comes back down to your ability to skate into a position and then track a puck, make a save, you know, kill the play and the play. So, um like I said, top to bottom, young to old, there's,
Speaker: a lot of lot of coaches do overcomplicate it I'm on the more simplistic side. And that's not to say it's easy. Some of my sessions are very difficult and very hard. But you definitely do need to tailor it to who you're working with. And I think anytime you can go to step on the ice, you need to know you know a bit of their ability and and that'll help with your prep work like you mentioned.
Speaker: What do you think some common misconceptions would be? um like And I guess im what I'm referring to is like i you get coaches or parents who are under the ideology that...
Speaker: you know, maybe you have to make things, Hey, like oh hey guys who play at, you know, the pro level or the major junior levels, you know, they make things more complicated. They, their drills are more busy and such. They're working on more advanced things. And so that's kind of where I'm driving out with this question is just like, what do you think are just some of the common misconceptions that particularly up and coming goalies or up and coming goalie families would have about the,
Speaker: guys that are training at the at the junior level or at the the semi pro the pro level. Well, yeah, and I would I would look at the pro level or the junior the junior level.
Speaker: And I watch NHL goalie sessions all the time. I'm very the fortunate working at Roger's place. I can, as as visiting teams come in or I can watch the Oilers have their goalie ice. it's It's very cool for me to do that. um But like they will literally do like ah one movement and a shot or or one slide execution on that. No shot even. It's just like a movement based drill. And it is very, very simplistic.
Speaker: or I do think that it is it is common for at the younger levels, especially to do like these crazy dynamic drills and tons of moving parts and screens and tips and I'm like way too much in one drill.
Speaker: And there's an element I do that. Like I do some of that stuff. At times I will come up with some dynamic drills, not to say everything has to be so simplistic. But I do think at the NHL level or the Western Hockey League level, and NHL, their goalie coaches are with them every single day. At the Western League, i'm I'm with my guys two to five times a week, depending on the travel. So, you know, for it's easier for me to be simplistic when I know their game exceptionally well because I'm there so much. Or an NHL goalie coach is there 24-7 with their guys. So they might just go target one little thing they want to tidy up, and then they just go do that. So if you come and watch that goalie show,
Speaker: You might be like, oh man, they're barely doing anything, but that's because they only need to tidy up some some small little part to their game, right? So, you know, on the minor hockey level, I do think sometimes it gets a little bit overblown and there's some kind of big drills out there that probably could be simplified. The other thing for me for on misconceptions, I'm not a big gimmicky guy. Like I don't, the white pucks and the mesh netting in front of your face. Like I know some goalie coaches will do some of the prop stuff. It's just not my style.
Speaker: I don't love it. To to an uneducated parent, they might think this looks cool and it's really, you know, helpful and and some stuff can be. It's less my style and that's just my personal beliefs. There's not not, not saying I'm right or wrong, but I i do feel sometimes you walk the rink see all these gadgets set up and it, It looks a little silly or to me it's silly, but some parent can be like, oh, that's really cool. But I don't know the value behind it always. So I would just be careful on that one.
Speaker: Okay. I can see Nathan now listening back on this, taking all the white pucks out of his out of his pocket out of his pocket. And that's not to say there's no value. I've used the swivel vision goggles before. like i you know I just try and make everything game. like i i get I try and get shooters good shooters at my goalie sessions and my goalie camps to replicate game-like situations. And that's it's just my style. I know some goalie coaches that like some of the gadgets, and that's fine. I'm not saying I'm the i'm right by any means, right?
Speaker: I guess just another question, you know, and again, kind of along the same breath, and you might have answered it already, is just, again, when it comes to your approach with, you know, development at different age levels, right? And you've already kind of talked about it already at the U11 level and probably younger that you're not so much focused on play reads and stuff along those lines.
Speaker: But ah what point or just kind of like... When you go into a session, how much of it is technical versus how much of it is game experience or game like experience rather, I should say.
Speaker: obviously that varies across different age levels and with different goalies. I know that we at true North goaltending do roughly the same thing that we're more so focused on the why aspect of it. So now we're not so much touching on, you know, game aspects, but it's like, Oh, Hey, here's like, here's the drill. And it's set up this way to emulate a game Lish like situation.
Speaker: So how much, how much of it is technical? How much of it is again, game like situations? Yeah, no, well like that will vary age for sure, like we talked about. um i I just love to hammer down the skating technical stuff early on.
Speaker: You know, i don't do a whole U9, do a little bit, try not to. a lot of my time is spent with the older guys, but I, you know, that U11-13 range is, to me, has to be a heavy, heavy dose of skating to build that foundation. Because if you want to get into tactical or game-like situations, but you can't skate, it's really, really like difficult to do that.
Speaker: when you're in U15, U17, and junior. so and And it's tough to fix skating as you get older. from from ah you know If I have my Whale Kings hat on right now and we're looking at goalies at the Bantam Draft, if you can't skate really well, it's it's hard for me to take a 15-year-old kid in two years' time when they're expected to come into the league at 17.
Speaker: to to really, truly revamp their skating entirely if they're not at the level. And that's, it's ah I almost have to not look at goalies at that, you know, when they're 15, if they can't move well. So that's for, again, for me, is is hammering the skating down really at at those younger ages. It's just no different than a forward or defenseman. If you can't skate, you can't play. That's the hockey. That's what hockey is. You need to be able to move with pace as a forward and a D-man. as a goalie, you need to be able to get across your crease, right? So, those are the fundamentals of the younger age for the tactical side of the game game side i think at the younger age it's more like getting out being aggressive holding your feet not going down too early and that'll and that's just basic stuff and that'll evolve into uh level and up it's a lot more depth management and and the sessions are you know at that point when you got some goalies that are are trending up it's like you're hiding the skating
Speaker: in their shooting drills. You're hiding the skating, you know, in some more game-like situation drills, but you're still working on it. They just, it's not just skating with no pucks. Right. Right.
Speaker: Okay. So let's kind of pivot here for a second. Just kind of maybe backtrack a couple, a little bit. um You had mentioned Dustin Schwartz, previous old Kings goal attending development coordinator, previous Edmonton Oilers goalie coach.
Speaker: Um, We talked about it off air long time ago. um just The conversations that you maybe have gotten to have with him, be able to pick his brain coming in with the Oil Kings, and then I guess by by proxy as well, just conversations with other WHL coaches, conversations with other and NHL coaches that come through Rogers' place when when they're coming in town to play the Oilers.
Speaker: Any, I guess for lack a better term, trade secrets? what do what do What do some of those conversations look like that you are legally allowed to tell us without possibly breaking any ah any NDAs? and um just just just what are just just what do those Just what do those conversations look like when you do have a ah a team like Carolina who recently won coming through town?
Speaker: Yeah, no no, I think it's just you're talking about like trends in the in the position. So if you look back at, you know, my early years of coaching, RVH kind of blew up, right? And it was like, it was news. Everybody was talking about it. And that was a big thing for a few years of, rvh usage entries exits movement on the post hinging uh toe bridge gate blade obviously some of those more debated subjects i feel like you're now seeing and i've been a big proponent of it the last two seasons is less rvh more overlap usage and i don't care if you're 6-3 i'd still like that like i don't think we just need to sit in the rvh And that's also where I'm coaching. I'm coaching in the Western League in minor hockey. If I'm coaching in the ah you know the NHL, maybe that's going to be a little bit different. And I've had those conversations with some NHL goalie coaches where they you know they give us their...
Speaker: what they're seeing at that level. And that's not always going to apply to my level or it's definitely not going to apply to the U15 level in Fort Saskatchewan, for example, right? So I think overlap RGH has been a one that we've talked about a lot. I've leaned on guys for screens and traffic help in terms of goalies coming into the Western Hockey League. It's a huge challenge for them. So just kind of picking their brains on some tips on how to work through some traffic and screen situations, different ways to fight for sight lines and sea lice.
Speaker: And, and just kind of other challenges along the way, but those are, those are a few that come to mind for me. Okay. I have so many questions here that I want to ask. um Let's okay. Let's, let's go this route. Cause this recently happened, both two goalies that have come through your system and with the oil Kings, Sebastian Cosa drafted by the red wings recently traded to Utah. And you'll said Parker Snell, who was recently drafted by Columbus. Um,
Speaker: worked with a lot of great goalies that you've had in your repertoire. um When you have a goaltender specifically in WHL in their draft year,
Speaker: how do What is your approach to that? Does anything change? um Any conversations at all? mean, again, like same same in that same conversation that you m ah yet that you and I had months ago, I had asked you, again, conversations with Dustin Schwartz when he was with the Oil Kings and were the Oilers kind of poking around at all, um scouts, anything along those lines. So just what, what is just to recap, just what is your approach with a particular goaltender? Does that change at all in their draft year? What do some conversations look like with NHL teams, goalie coaches, agents, et cetera?
Speaker: Yeah, you know what, like, Connor, we could probably do a whole episode on this topic because it is a lot. um The two that I have, the two main ones, like, and Carter Guyland, I would throw in there too. And he was in Shrewd Park, Crusaders, drafted by Detroit as well. at 17, kid out of Beaumont. at great Great goalie too. So like I've been to it a few times. Carter was like the backup on the Shrip Park team to a 20-year-old goalie. So, you know, we just spotted him into some games. He started getting some attention, just kind of rolled along. He just did – he was really solid all year long. Wasn't leaned on in playoffs because he was the backup, right? COVID, during COVID and the WHL did their bubble, that was Sebastian's draft year. So he was only able to play 19 games. I was allowed to do goalie sessions. I could watch the games, but I couldn't be around the team because I wasn't in their bubble or cohort or whatever. But um a lot of that was talking to and NHL teams. I think in Sebastian's year, I talked to 25 plus teams of the of the in the league. and And for good reason, he was a first round pick and and he's going to be a first round pick and everybody likely knew that. So Teams are digging into him, you know, very, very in-depthly, talking to his old school teachers and other billets. And, like, it was it was crazy how much that was dug into him. And then more recently with Parker, um just getting drafted last weekend, obviously, super happy and proud of him.
Speaker: um But, yeah, i talked I talked to a lot of teams myself, probably 20-plus for him as well. And he was a fifth-round pick. He's not a high-end pick. But this just shows you – The teams, some teams in the NHL, you know, build up their their goalie development teams or their departments and and are doing a lot more homework on these goalies. So does my approach change? I think it does. I think it has to. It is an important year for these kids.
Speaker: And there's a lot thrown at them. There's there's ah prospects games and all-star games. There's NHL teams meeting with these kids, you know, in in hotel lobbies before and after games or taking them for dinners to get to know them. there's ah There's so much that goes into it for these kids. um Sebastian had an unbelievable bubble year, like a 940, say, a percent or whatever. Very controlled, but he delivered with that excellent results. Short sample size, so tough for all those NHL teams to make that pick. But...
Speaker: he you know he did ah He did a great job and let his play speak for himself. And then parker Parker had some ups and downs, came of the gate very well, had some struggles end of October, November, right of the ship, struggled again, right of the ship, was our starter in playoffs. so You know, it's a tough year on everybody. it's It was a tough year on him, his family. It was tough year on me. Like, it's not just smooth sailing, but it makes last Saturday very rewarding when we do get to hear his name get called, right? So, like I said, feel free to ask more specific questions, but there's a lot that goes into the draft year for sure.
Speaker: It just, it all, ah all that's just telling me is that we're just going to have to have a part two with you. That's, I think we'll just, I think we'll just tease that, um, tease that there. Um,
Speaker: Pivoting again, um wanted to know, because you had mentioned previously, again, with conversations with different NHL teams that do come through the building, um talk about different shifts and different trends that happen kind of throughout the year and just kind of the differences and at that different levels. um wanted or Nathan had wanted me to ask you your view on how the goalie community can shift their development or and approach to catch back up with players we as we've kind of flip-flopped
Speaker: kind of almost every five-ish years, you know, like especially during the time when Carey Price was around, Pecorine, goalies were more dominant than shooters were. And now the shooters have kind of caught back up and have surpassed goaltending. And I think scoring has actually gone up and in the NHL this year. I think the average save percentage was about 890-something. Yeah.
Speaker: So just what would be, or just kind of what's what's your view on that? And what are just some of the conversations? mean, again, probably different in an in an NHL setting compared to a WHL setting, but you probably see similar-ish trends.
Speaker: Any conversations on that? Anything that looks like on that? And just that what would be, just sorry, just what would be your approach, I guess, as a development league like the WHL to kind of combat that?
Speaker: Yeah, well, a couple couple of things come to mind, like with, say, Percents being down at the pro level for sure, a lot of this, do you know why? i Like it's a lot of us is, well, it's it's the gambling. Like it's it's like if a shot's going two inches wide, they're like using all these cameras. So like after a period, there's 12 shots on the clock and you come out and there's eight because they're being like crazy, crazy tight on the shot. I've talked this is where I've talked to and NHL goalie coaches directly about this, where they they get so frustrated because their compensation. Some of these guys have bonuses that are tied to save percents.
Speaker: So they come out, the team gave out 15 shots in a period, the goalie saved them all, they come back up and it's it's actually 11. But that's all that that goes back to the gambling and the prop bets that they have to be so exact on this that if a puck was going wide, that they have to take it off the clock. So that's that's part of why save percents are down. now That's not the only part, but that is part of it. um a lot of look where the goals are coming from. They're coming from the power plays, right? Those are generally kind of trending up a little bit the last five years or so.
Speaker: But to combat all this, I think it's like you know we could talk technically, skating, tracking, positioning, all that stuff. I think it's just like we need to make goalies smarter. We need to make smart goalies be able to you know read plays and read tendencies and know where guys like to shoot and and give them that information. And we can you know do that in the NHL. You can definitely do that at junior. I do that with our junior guys the Royal Kings. We're playing medicine at the Rucks are coming to town.
Speaker: We know what they like to do. it's I mean, they're always going to do it, but we give them the information without overloading it, obviously, but we're giving them tendencies of the top three or four scores on each team that the goalies are going to have that information. And and then you know, in game time, which we're reliant on them to make the you know the proper decision decisions in real time. So I think it's, you know, outside of like better movement and better trackers and all that part of it is creating goalies with high levels of IQ so they can make, you know, make some of these tough saves in some of these tough situations like the penalty kill, like an odd man rushes. So i think, think that's part of it. And then just driving up to compete level. Like I look around, you know, of the minor hockey levels and, and,
Speaker: there's some competitive goalies out there and I'm not talking like diving and has six style. That's part of it. Sure. But I think just being Uber competitive is kind of gone by the wayside a little bit. And the ones that are have an edge. If you've got two guys that are comparable, I want the guy that's hates getting scored on in practices, hates pucks going in this net. So, you know, kind of rounding out that athlete, total athlete part of just being crazy competitive and hating to let pucks in.
Speaker: Yeah. i'd Yeah, I can, I definitely can see that. I wouldn't have thought that sports betting plays a huge role in it, but I can't say I'm honestly surprised. It must be frustrating, you know, I mean,
Speaker: as a goaltender, especially at, at that level. um mean, I guess like another example that I can think of, like I'm, I'm personally not a huge believer in stats. I i believe that, you know, you have like say percentages and goals against average tell part of the story. They don't tell the full story in my opinion. And we saw a lot of that during Stuart Skinner's time here in Edmonton, how many times he got,
Speaker: lit up on oilers twitter um just how much i guess of stats do you really pay attention to um obviously more than likely ah a little bit the analytics player probably play a huge part in that as well but just how much are you paying attention to that and just when it comes into your scouting reports of other teams goaltenders just kind of how does all that come together Yeah, yeah i'm I'm with you on that. I don't, to me, the stats don't, I honestly don't even look at them that much. Like I really don't. When I'm when i'm looking at goalies for the Oil Kings,
Speaker: It's probably one of the the lower things on my list that I look at. I look at their technical stuff, skating, tracking, positioning, mainly skating first. You check that box, I got time for you, right? um I would probably look at height over I would look at say percent to be honest. And like if if somebody tells me they say percent 720, okay. I'm proud that there's obviously a reason there, but ah it's probably going be backed up by the video that I watch as well. Right. So, yeah, um you know numbers, yeah, numbers are important for sure to some degree.
Speaker: but But for me, it's it's lower on the list. The analytical stuff, I'm starting to use a little bit more. More more so, though, on like what teams are going to try and do to my goalies. How are they going to try and create offense? right Are they you know using behind the net? Are they playing shots?
Speaker: Are sifters from the point? Are they down and ends? what What is their tendencies as a team? That's where I'll use some analytics to help me prepare my goals. And on the flip side, it's, it's you know, using some analytics on our goalies where why are they getting beat in certain spots more than others? And that's what I'll tap into rather than just like, hey, you that's 890. I got to get that up 10 points. You know, that's not never really had that conversation. And don't get me wrong. Everybody wants good numbers. When I played, I wanted good numbers. Everybody wants good numbers.
Speaker: But like you said, it doesn't doesn't always paint the full the full picture.
Speaker: Yeah. I mean, I think just i wish I wish a lot of people understood that more. mean, again, especially when Skinner was kind of getting run out of here. Yeah. yeah Hopefully he'll hopefully all will he'll have a better ah better year in and in Winnipeg. um Wanted to ask, again, your involvement with Hockey Alberta and kind of their development side of things. we ah We have been very, very critical of Hockey Alberta and kind of how they approach their goaltending development as well as how they're promoting their goaltending development.
Speaker: Working with guys like Ian Gordon, Matt Wenninger, Dave Rathjen, et cetera, What do you make of the program as it stands now compared to how it was before and what kind of collaboration with all of these other guys that you work with in that um kind of collective that you guys all have there um just in order to develop minor hockey and elite level goaltenders and the results that it's produced?
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, what I think Matt does a good job, and I'll say Matt because it's his, you know, he's the top of the goalie department at Hockey Alberta, and that's his full-time job. um But he he does a good job of bringing some really good coaches together.
Speaker: you know, multiple times a year. um It's a challenging thing um because there's there's time commitments and financial commitments for goalies and their families and the coaches. So for me, I generally get to one or two of those weekends he puts together each spring.
Speaker: each each spring um I'll do the 15-AAA one because it's two weeks before the baton draft, and it's a great look for opportunity for me to see some of these Alberta goalies in the final stages before the draft. right um but But it's tough. like I know Saskatchewan does nothing.
Speaker: close to what Matt does. BC, zero. Manitoba, nothing. I can't speak for anything east from there. um So so for the for Matt to do what he's doing when other provinces are literally doing zero from their from their hockey branch is really good. Could it be better? Yeah, for sure it could. But again, there's barriers and there's obstacles. It's tough to pull everybody together ah all the time. and And maybe that's more regional stuff that they could do, and that's probably the answer. But again, it comes down to to time and finances, and that's, you know,
Speaker: a shared cost on everybody. So it's it's tough. I wouldn't want to be tasked with managing it. I don't have all the answers on that. I would be i would love to hear some stuff from you guys if you had some ideas, because obviously i do work closely with Matt. But I do i do like the Camp City runs, you know, um but again, there it's just over, you know, it's a weekend for each age group essentially. And, and you know, they've done some virtual stuff over the years too, which which is cool. um i i probably like it myself because it's it's good networking and we bounce ideas off you know theo zubat out of calgary i didn't know theo four or five years ago i talked to him fairly regularly now he's the hitman's goalie coach so um it's you know it's created some cool networks for me personally um and i know the goalies that go really enjoy it the the ones i'm at they they really enjoy it so but yeah it is a challenge
Speaker: okay Okay, since you've asked me for my opinion now, which is a dangerous thing to ask, I've been thinking about this quite a bit recently and would like to know your opinion on it.
Speaker: Do you think that there maybe needs to be more collaboration between hockey over like a governing body like Alberta like like hockey Alberta and the guys and what's and the stuff that's Matt doing and collaborating more with guys like myself and Nathan true north goaltending level up goaltending saga goaltending down in Calgary just do you think there needs to be a little bit more maybe input collaboration with kind of more of the local hockey or goaltending companies that um that are across Alberta here
Speaker: yeah Yeah, for sure. And I don't know how Matt runs it. I would imagine it's like he has a tight group that he likes and trusts. And that's kind of what he, you know, sticks with.
Speaker: Um, Too many cooks in the kitchen possibly comes to mind, but I also think there's not only anything wrong with what you're saying of more you know collaboration from other guys. I don't i don't i know. I know you guys are in town. I don't know what what's in Calgary or elsewhere, really. um Maybe Eric and level up has no interest. I don't know. and Maybe does. I'm not sure either. yeah You know what i mean? But yeah Yeah, there there could be maybe more of an open forum for that. I was on Hockey Canada Zoom maybe a month ago, kind of talking about some of the struggles about goaltending in Canada, and I was just looped in out of the blue. I'm nobody in those circles, right? So and somebody threw my name out and looped me in on that side of it. So, yeah, any collaboration is not going to hurt. Like, I think it's – we're all pulling in the same direction. We all want the kids and the goalies in Alberta to –
Speaker: you know, to ah to, you know, advance to the highest levels that we can. um and And I do think the goalies, I mean, Parker's the only Western Canadian goalie drafted last weekend.
Speaker: He's an Albertan kid, right? Kosa, a few drafts prior to that. um You know, I think Alberta's done a good ah good job in comparison to the other Western provinces. and In terms of,
Speaker: getting some you know goalies moved on. But i'd love to I'd love the floor to come up to and make that even more. right And now look at the CHL, you're competing worldwide. How many American goalies came over um last last last year in the Western League? How how many European goalies just got drafted two days ago in the CHL import draft? like is You're competing against the world.
Speaker: It's not getting any easier on the goalie front. I feel like, honestly, that would be a good first step. And I don't... i like I'm not the guy to deal with the logistics behind that, maybe a little bit.
Speaker: But I think personally there needs to be a lot more collaboration between a governing body like Hockey Alberta and the um kind of the more the local, the the the private developments that are happening. And I think subsequently, too, that's maybe how you combat...
Speaker: And from a Hockey Alberta standpoint, um leagues like the PHL, like the HSL, because they're more development focused. Not to say that Hockey Alberta totally isn't, but yeah I think having that collaboration and being and having...
Speaker: the locals, the the the people who are on the front lines probably working with these goalies more than the collective um in ah on ah on a day-to-day or season-by-season basis, and they see these goalies firsthand.
Speaker: Personally, in my mind, i don't think I don't think that's a bad deal. I don't think that's a bad deal to to have a little more input from the people, from the boots on the ground who are working individually with these goalies throughout the entire season.
Speaker: Yeah, no, for sure. i'm I'm with you on that. And it's it's just getting creative. Like, I wish Hockey Alberta would say, hey, Mooks, here's, you know, 10 hours of ice in October.
Speaker: And yeah they'll bury the cost of it. and And, like, you can't gouge parents, but get get families out, get goalies out. Ice is the big one of the biggest hurdles. There's a lot of rinks where we live.
Speaker: There's a lot of demand. And it's tough to get ice at times. So it's it's, you know... it's just getting creative and coming up with different ways to help our goalies. Um, and, and those, those camps that Matt does put on, like there's a lot of different minds coming to one room and a lot of egos get checked at the door and we just go there and work and and work with the kids and, and help them out. But you know, you could, you could have 40 goalie coaches at those yourself, na like so many it's, uh, yeah, it's where do you draw the line? I think a little bit, right.
Speaker: How do you think it compares to USA hockey or what's going or what they do over in Europe and Russia and and all those places? Yeah, i don't i don't know what I don't know what about USA. like um they've They've had some really good goalies come through the program. um But if you look at the look at like the last five NHL drafts, don't don't look at this one, but the five previous.
Speaker: There's only been one, on average, one goalie drafted per year out of the USA, which was completely shocking to me. I thought there'd be like five or six every year. it's not the case um so i don't know how well they're doing like you look at their olympic team obviously there's studs there they have they have more depth than canada does that's irrefutable um but i i don't know like when some of those guys hellebuck and these guys age out like there is ah a bit of a drop off like ah you know they're they're the hot and a few others but
Speaker: obviously Europe is doing a great job. that They just seem to be bigger over there too. Like go look at the NHL draft. Everybody's 6'4 and up. Almost everybody. It's crazy. I did hear like in Russia and some of those countries, they like, if you're showing signs of success early,
Speaker: in your career i would imagine like u11 u13 they're like you're kind of pulled into like a cohort of like we're gonna help make you really really good and i don't know if that means you're moving away from your family and you're moving cities and stuff i don't know what that actually looks like um but obviously your europe is is developing some uh some Some really good goalies, some good depth in their net there. so But i yeah I don't know a ton of those countries. i haven't dug into it.
Speaker: Have you? I have dug quite a bit more into USA hockey. I hear, like mean i like I listen to the In Goal Radio podcast almost on the regular. And I know that Woody and woody and Hutch, they they they rave about that quite a bit. um Haven't really done much more beyond that. I know that they really, like their their entire goaltending platform that they have on their website is is easily accessible easy to digest for goalie parents goalie families and goalies to to understand and the drills that they have broken down as well that you can take and implement over onto the ice i think um is is easier and and even their goalie development
Speaker: ideology or the goalie development program is easier and it's more accessible and it's more well more well thought out if that's even a phrase um compared to what i've seen in hockey canada um i'm like i'm not gonna lie like if last time that i had gone through it it felt like i had to jump through five different hurdles just to find a pdf of something that was somewhat coherent I don't really know too much about Russia or Europe a whole lot. haven't totally directly looked into that. I just i just remember Schwartzy a long time ago kind of ranting and raving about them as well and kind of the development that they have there. I really more so remember that or remember him talking about how they emphasized more on shuff shuffling more in their crease compared to T-pushing.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah, no, and sometimes those smaller, I mean, Russia's not smaller, but like, Czechia and some of those are smaller countries, so if you want to get those those guys together, like, you can you can make that a lot easier, rather than a kid from Nova Scotia and a kid from Vancouver trying to train together, trying to bring it together, right? So, you know, Hockey Alberta's trying to mimic that a little bit with these camps. Yeah. And it's just this in season and stuff like this academy leagues, the AHL, there's so much games, there's so much stuff on the go. I don't know what else hockey Alberta could do with some of those more elite levels in terms of getting guys together because there's, their schedules are so packed.
Speaker: You'd have to really hit up the grassroots more, I guess. Yeah. Let's talk about um just kind of how much are you paying attention to things outside of what's going on in your inner circle?
Speaker: Like right now, and I know this is more so geared towards an angle that you had mentioned earlier that you don't typically touch on a whole lot. Brick hockey tournament happening at West Emmett tomorrow right now. I think they're just wrapping up their, their, their round robins right now, moving into their playoffs for lack a better term. Yeah.
Speaker: Alberta Cup here in Edmonton is or here in Alberta rather is is is another one. Alberta Winter Games is I think that's I don't know if that's more female, but I know that that's a thing that happens around here as well. And then as well as other various things that are happening in the more so elite minor hockey stream and just kind of stuff that's happening around the WHL as well.
Speaker: How much are you focusing on that? How much are you paying? How much are you paying attention to that? Any conversations that go on between you and scouts, other goalie coaches, other goalies themselves? Just are you kind of keeping tabs on that? Or is it just kind of like if it comes across your way, it'll so it'll be something that you maybe pay attention to for 10 minutes?
Speaker: Yeah, no, no, I'm tied into i'm tied all that. My whole life is hockey. That's my career. That's what I do. My son is coming up through it. He's eight you're at and right now, so he's he's a couple years away from trying for the Brick team if he's if he's you know in that category of players. I played on Team Brick back in 1999, so it has a soft spot in my heart. i went We went and watched a game on Monday. They lost a tight one to Manitoba's team. um so yeah i'm i'm still invested i might not watch everything but i'm always keeping tabs like i have to for certain levels you know a random u13 tournament no but the big ones the higher profile go to alberta cup every year um scouting you know for the oil kings uh watching goalies for them but also supporting some of my guys that are going to be there competing too right so um it's yeah it's all it's all part of it for me it's you know it's uh
Speaker: I try and check out at times of the season or of the year, sorry, where I don't need to be plugged in. um But all the bulk of the year, just ask my family, um ask my wife. It's ah it's it it is it's busy, but im I generally am in the know on all that stuff. And and social media helps. They'll summarize it. They'll keep the loop on it, right? You just kind of... I don't do a whole lot of posting myself, but I use it to just stay in touch with everything. So I'm definitely definitely involved and and invested in all of the local stuff for sure. Alberta stuff, Western Canada stuff, all the leagues that I work in coaching. I'll know everything that I need to know for sure.
Speaker: Same thing with the Western Elite Showcase that happened last month, give or take. Actually, I had the chance. Sorry to cut off there. I just, I had the chance, like Evan, I don't know if you know him, Evan Carrillo, avid listener of this podcast as well, had me, had me come out and do a couple of skates for them the this past, or that past month. So was, that was really cool to be a part of as well.
Speaker: Yeah. Some of those showcases, the draft day is a big one for the younger, like the first year U15s. I don't, I don't really work those personally. um i don't i try not to work a ton in the springtime, kind of my family time a little bit for me personally. I'll do a little you know training here and there, but um that would be my downtime. But I'm i'm still kind of just keeping tabs as as as much as I can and as much as I need to. But some of those showcases that go around on the circuit, I i don't fully know into all all the details on those for-profit ones, but theres there's some good opportunities out there.
Speaker: Well, I wanted to shoot a couple of rapid fire questions at you here just to kind of ah kind of cap off the ah cap off the pod here today. um First one is when you were playing, who was the goaltender that you looked up to the most?
Speaker: Patrick Waugh. Patrick Waugh. What would you say would be your favorite hockey memory?
Speaker: Oh, probably probably winning. I won two national championships with the U of A Golden Bears. was my last two years of playing competitively. So probably, probably you know, both they were both special. But I think anytime you're a national champion, that anything you do is very special. So that would probably be for me.
Speaker: Favorite coaching memory? Yeah.
Speaker: My favorite coaching memory to date would probably be, you know, Kosa. It's hard to pick one. Kosa getting drafted first round. Well, I mean, he was the top ranked or top drafted goalie in the world, which is pretty cool. Winning the Western Hockey League with the Oil Kings was very special.
Speaker: One in the future, we'll be watching Sebastian play his first NHL game live because wherever that is, I'll make sure I'm there for it. But yeah. Yeah, there's a few for you.
Speaker: um if you could get If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be? for As a player? as a player, goalie, whatever. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, i would I would say just surround yourself with the best people, the best, the smartest people, the the the most competitive people, ah the nicest people, the most punctual people. I just think it's, I think you're a product. I think you can, but a big part of you is, you know, um you're a product of what your surroundings are.
Speaker: um Obviously, it starts with mom and dad, but I think you know putting yourself in good circles um to learn, to grow, to get better, to improve yourself as an athlete or as a person. Surrounding yourself with with good people is huge thing for me. Okay, I have two more here. um My first one is with your son getting into hockey, how much are you coach? How much are you dad? Or do you just try to stay away from coaching?
Speaker: on I pick my spots for sure. um i want I want to coach him, want to help him. i haven't head coached yet. I just assistant coach so far. So kind of just kind of help out, push pucks, take more of the encouraging role. Yeah.
Speaker: but But yeah, i'm i'm I'm hard on him, but it's it's more of a pushing way. It's not an aggressive, mean way, crazy dad way. you know he And he is pretty good. He's one of the better kids in his age group where we live. So you know I see something there. So I'm going to push him in ah in a proper way. and But also you know have all the dad moments that are fun too, you right?
Speaker: And then lastly, this is going to expose me a little bit more over anything. In our one year that we worked together at Vimy, your brutally honest thoughts of what you thought of me as a goaltender?
Speaker: I felt like you're probably had the narrowest butterfly I have ever seen, which exposed your five hole and your knees. Like your legs are super narrow. That's my my main ah my main memory of you as a goalie. Battle compete was high though, for sure.
Speaker: nothing's changed. I can't, can't honestly say that. You gotta to get it better. of well, Curtis, this has been long time in the making. Very, very excited to have you on. Thank you very much for your time today. Really appreciate it.
Speaker: Yeah. No worries, Connor. Looking forward to part two if we need to do it. Sounds good. Hopefully ah Nathan will, Nathan will ah join us on the next one and we will leave it at that goalies. Thank you so much for listening to the DIY goalie podcast on or presented by true North goaltending. Make sure that if you are following us on your favorite social media platforms that you follow at t true North goaltending, except on Instagram, because we like to be different. That one.
Speaker: is a Y E G goalie coach. As I mentioned at the start of the show here, we will be linking Curtis's goalie coaching goalie consulting company ah down in the, the show notes as well, as well, as well as, is it just Instagram or face? Yeah. Facebook as well, or just kind of where can people reach out? Instagram is main one. I would say.
Speaker: Okay. um Yeah, so we'll link that all down in the description there as well. ah If you are a new viewer on the YouTube side of things or a new listener on theon on your favorite podcasting platforms, whether that be Apple, iHeart, or Spotify, hit the follow button, hit the subscribe button, or if you're a returning listener, thank you to to our for a little program. i Hit the like button, hit the share button. The more goalies that we are able to bring together, the better. We release new episodes every Wednesday. Go check us out. True North goaltending.com.
Speaker: As we do have one spot actually that had to, that opened up for our five day camp. Fortunately, we had a goalie back out there. So we do have one spot available there. Our four day camp has been sold out our, um,
Speaker: Intro to goaltending camp, I think still has some spots. And then our ring at camp as well also has some spots available as well. So go check that out. True north goaltending.com. You can follow myself on Instagram at Monday GC.
Speaker: And on behalf of myself, Nathan Park and Curtis Muka, this has been the DIY goalie podcast presented by true north goaltending. Make some safe goalies. We'll see you guys next time. Take care.
