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Goalie AcademyBETWEEN THE PIPES · U11 STARTER

Welcome to the crease! Being a goalie is one of the coolest, bravest jobs in hockey. You don't have to be perfect — even NHL goalies let in goals. The secret is good habits: a strong stance, facing the puck, and getting back up fast. Tap each lesson below, then try the 🏒 at-home drill. You've got this. 🥅

👨‍👩‍👧 For the grown-up helper

You don't need to know hockey to help a ton. Your real job:

  • Toss balls, count reps, and run a 15-minute driveway session a couple of times a week.
  • Praise effort and bravery, not the score. Goalies get scored on — never let a goal feel like failure.
  • Before games, help check that all the gear is on and snug, and bring water.
  • Ask the coach for the one thing to work on each week, and practise just that.
  • Keep it fun. A kid who loves playing net will out-improve a stressed one every time.
📋 Goalie Talk — words to know
Five-hole — the gap between your legs.
Butterfly — dropping to your knees with your pads flared out to seal the ice.
Crease — the blue painted area in front of the net; your home zone.
Square — facing your chest right at the puck.
Challenge / cut the angle — stepping out to cover more of the net.
Rebound — a puck that bounces off you after a save.
Breakaway — an attacker skating in all alone with no defenders.
Screen — players in front blocking your view of the puck.
Glove (catch) side — the side your catching glove is on.
Blocker side — the side of your stick/blocker hand.
Top shelf / top corner — the upper corners of the net.
Paddle — the wide, flat part of the goalie stick (great for low shots).
Poke check — a quick jab of your stick to knock the puck away.
Freeze / cover — holding the puck still to get a whistle and stop play.
Save selection — choosing the right tool (glove, blocker, pad or stick) for each shot.
T-push — a push across the crease where your feet make a ‘T’ shape.
Post — the vertical pipes of the net; you ‘hug the post’ on wrap-arounds.
Shutout — a whole game where you let in zero goals. The dream! 🥅

📚 Where this comes from

These lessons follow Hockey Canada's official beginner-goaltender guidance:

Hockey Canada — Teaching a Beginner Goaltender
Hockey Canada — Butterfly Mechanics (PDF)

Always follow what your own coach teaches first — every program does a few things its own way.