Ice Hockey Systems Question

What common physical qualities do the best goalies in the world have?

Justin Goldman Answer

Physically, body control. Body control is everything. It’s not always about how strong you are, or how fast you are, or how quick your reflexes are. It’s all about being able to control your movements and being set and square and at the right place at the right time.

The more that you can become aware of how your body moves and what you need to do to position yourself correctly, whether it’s the VH on the post or the reverse VH or you play a little bit deeper because you got a longer torso and a big upper body.

The more you are aware of what your body is capable of doing and what it’s limits are and maybe some areas you are not as strong and you continue to work on those, that is going to increase everything about your game plan, it’s going to improve everything about your game plan, it’s going to allow you to know how to manage 2 on 1 plays. It’s going to allow you to know how to manage 2 on 1 plays, its going to help you understand how to be solid on your post plays and on your post integrations, so body awareness and body control I think is what you see with all of the great goalies in the NHL. 

They know exactly what they need to do and how they need to do it to be successful no matter what situation they are facing and they are not guessing out there. They know what their body is capable of doing, they know how to fill space in areas, and that body awareness and body control allows goalies to have their unique style but still have success.

That is why you see the Henrik Lundqvist’s vs the Jonathan Quick’s. They are extremely different athletes because they have extremely different bodies, but because they put so much time and energy and focus on managing their body and knowing what they need to do to have success.  

The awareness they have translates into control, and once you have control, you are going to have success stopping pucks.