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Every goalie in the NHL has one thing in common. They’re never satisfied with their current level of success. Over the duration of a long NHL season, goalies will often fall off the wagon of their normal success and find themselves in a slump. The typical fan would say an NHL goalie might be “content with making millions of dollars, regardless if he was winning or not.” Or my favorite, “He’s already been paid, why should he try to win now?” However, true competitors are never satisfied with the present success. They’re always hungry.

Like any useful save selection, the Blocking Butterfly has developed different variations to fit the needs of different goalies and goalie coaches. In this article we will go over the three different types of Blocking Butterfly’s. In addition, we will go through the benefits and pit falls of each save selection.

A few months ago, Future Pro Director, Jeremy Kalinecki, wrote on the topic and definition of Glove Discipline versus Glove Involvement. By definition, the use of a discipline glove is holding in position, out and open facing the puck, filling space in front of the goaltender’s body, in a catching position. Glove involvement is the use of an active glove, being able to catch pucks in front and around his or her body, pads, etc.

Much like being naturally right or left handed, people and goalies alike naturally have a favored or dominant leg. In any given practice, or any given situation, a goalie will gravitate toward recovering with their dominant leg be it right or left.

Leg dominance is made more apparent and more habitual each and every practice without even being recognized. In most practices, goalies lack the time between saves to actively follow rebounds.

Any high level goalie or player understands the value of indirect passing. Indirect passing is absolutely necessary to understand and use to continue moving up the ladder in the hockey world.

Indirect passing is generally used on the sideboards or back boards in a defensive manner. Most players and goalies will use direct passing whenever possible. Indirect passing is generally reserved for desperate situations with an understanding that it can also help create time and space for the goalie and players when breaking out of the zone or trying to enter the offensive zone.

A goalies most mobile asset for making saves and controlling the puck is their glove. Much like their stick, when used properly the glove can tilt the balance of power in the goaltenders favor during a game. Elite goalies possess the ability to control anything within range of their glove. This means they catch “11 inch” pucks, kipper catch, and always have the glove in a position to cover any loose garbage in front of the net. The key factor when dealing with glove saves similarly to stick saves is decision making.

I was walking out of a local rink last week after giving a private lesson to one of my clients. As I always do, I look at the advertisements for training, skate sharpening, equipment for sale etc, when one particular flyer caught my eye. The catch line, or sales pitch as it were, was “We will show you how to stop 80% of the shots guaranteed.”

Seeing an advertisement such as this can be a learning experience for goalies and parents alike.

Watching this years NHL playoffs, its hard not notice the heroic and often aw-inspiring performances of certain goalies, namely the Boston Bruins Tim Thomas. His athleticism and competitiveness are evident in every game. While Thomas’s work ethic and never-say-die approach to every loose puck has put him on every NHL highlight reel for save of the year, Thomas is actually creating these save opportunities because of a lacking and inefficient skill, stick involvement.