Goalie Science

Elite Goalie Method
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Goalie Science is a podcast by goalies for goalies. The podcast covers hockey rehab, performance and science, and is hosted by former professional hockey goaltender Dr. Jamie Phillips and professional goalie coach Derek Bujan Listen in each week as we discuss the latest science and science-adjacent topics in the hockey world, and cover in depth topics for athletes, parents, coaches and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 5 hr ago

    Why North America Has a Goalie Problem (And It's Not What You Think) | Goalie Science 147

    Key Topics: 2025 Draft Breakdown Not a single Canadian goalie drafted in the top 15 of the 2025 NHL Draft. Russia had 7 goalies drafted. Czech Republic had 6. The first Canadian goalie taken was Elliott Lennon in the 4th round, and he was US developed out of prep school. The guys break down what the numbers actually mean and what they don't. The Russian Model Russia identifies top goalies around age 11-12, places them near a developmental pathway (MHL, VHL, KHL), and brings them together for centralized camps several times a year to work on shared issues. The result is ultra-athletic goalies with a built-in pro pathway. North America has no equivalent. Goalie coaches don't collaborate. There is no standardized model. What Scouts Are Actually Buying Technique is teachable at the pro level. Athleticism, skating ability, and tracking ability are not. Scouts are drafting ceiling. That means size (6-foot-1 was reportedly the smallest goalie drafted) and raw athleticism matter more than technical polish at the draft stage. The COVID Factor The 2013 Ontario goalie birth year may be the worst in provincial history. Those kids were 8-9 years old during key development years and lost roughly a season and a half of minor hockey. This draft is the first wave. It will continue for several more years before it resolves. Sports Specialization and Burnout Jamie argues that burnout doesn't come from playing too much hockey. It comes from pressure. A kid playing summer hockey as a centerman with zero stakes is not burning out. A kid in Triple A baseball under the same win-at-all-costs pressure after eight months of Triple A hockey is burning out from the mindset, not the sport. Booge adds nuance from the applied coaching side, landing on athlete-led specialization, supported by off-ice athletic development and fun-based multi-sport activity. Over-Coaching and the "Science" Trend Both coaches push back on the trend of over-analyzing goalie mechanics with biomechanical tools and angle measurements on video. Buj example: a goalie with a blocker foot slightly behind him. The fix was a simple feel-based cue. "Push your blocker foot forward. It'll feel weird. That's fine." Solved in one rep. No iPad required. The concern is analysis paralysis and coaching athletes out of their natural feel. There is also a pointed critique of making "silly" warm-up drills appear scientific for content performance. Goalie Power Skating Jamie has brought in a dedicated power skating coach for his goalie group. The result: outside edge work that exposes how over-coached most older goalies are on inversion and inside edges. The younger goalies pick it up easier. The 15-17 year olds struggle and resist. Outside edge development gets a strong endorsement for long-term skating quality and puck retrieval ability. Pad Stiffness and Glove Angle Parting shot hot take: if you are not a fast, flexible lateral skater, you should not be in a soft pad. Soft pads require the athlete to control rebounds. Stiff pads do it for you. Match equipment to your athletic profile, not brand preference. Glove break angle deserves the same consideration. Upcoming Content Tydan skate blade profile podcast (Jamie visiting with his son to test multiple profiles) Pad Skins West Michigan event in August (free gear customization day for local goalies) San Jose Sharks Stan club membership for Buj  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1hr 3min

  2. 20 May

    What was Missing in Tryouts | Episode 146

    Tryout season is done. And whether your kid made the team or didn't, this episode is for you. Derek Boogaard just finished three weeks of evaluations — two teams he coached personally, five or six more he assisted with, and conversations with roughly 250 players. And the same problem kept showing up everywhere. It wasn't skating. It wasn't hands. It wasn't compete level. It was Hockey IQ. Kids who couldn't answer basic questions about strong side, weak side, or what they're supposed to do away from the puck. Kids whose hands were moving faster than their feet. Kids who could score 25 goals at Double A but had no idea how to earn ice time at Triple A. This episode breaks down exactly what coaches are looking for — and it's not the 15 most skilled players. It's the right players. The ones who can play a role, kill penalties, win battles in the d-zone, and connect the dots in real game situations. If your kid didn't make the team they wanted — or if they did and they want to stay there — this is the episode to listen to. You have one year until next tryouts. What you do between now and then is completely up to you. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    10 min

  3. 6 May

    The New NCAA 5-Year Clock Rule Is a Nightmare for Goalies

    Get the Complete Performance Program here: https://ghost.fitr.training/p/TheCompletePerformanceProgram Use code GOALIESCIENCE50 to get 50% off your first 2 months!   Try Sportaibility here: https://ghost.fitr.training/p/TheCompletePerformanceProgram     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1hr 33min

  4. 15 Apr

    I Cut Him Twice. Now He's Signing an NHL Deal

    📲 Ghost Rehab Complete Performance Program Running 365 days a year. Off-season training starts now. Goalie Science listeners get 50% off the first two months plus a 7-day free trial. https://www.ghostathletica.com/complete-performance-program Code: GOALIESCIENCE50 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1hr 7min

  5. 7 Apr

    Don't Get Cut - Tryout Season Survival Guide

    Tryout season is here and Jamie and Derek are in the thick of it. This episode is a full breakdown of everything happening right now — how real tryout decisions actually get made, what coaches are doing in January that most parents don't see, why the 7-day tryout window is mostly theater, how to evaluate goalies when practice formats don't tell the whole story, what happens in the war room, and why your reputation as a parent matters more than you think. Plus a gut-check for parents of young kids who are rushing their way into the wrong level too soon — and a shout out to Bauer for stepping up for a family that lost everything. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1hr 7min

  6. 24 Mar

    One Coach Cut His Best Players on Purpose | Epsiode 142

    Welcome back to Goalie Science. After three months off (and yes, Derek missed an alarm), Jamie and Derek are back and working through a backlog of topics that have been building since before the Olympics. This one covers a lot of ground. Here's what's inside: 🏒 Olympics Gold Medal Game Breakdown The US won. Canada is in shambles. But how can you not love that game? The pace, the decision-making, the skill level — this is how hockey is supposed to look. Jamie and Derek break down Hellebuyck performance vs. Binnington's, and why depth management makes all the difference at that level. 🤔 "Everyone Missed Hellebuyck" — Did They Though? The internet went wild after the Olympics claiming scouts missed Connor Hellebuyck Jamie pushes back hard. He was drafted fourth round. Jamie was drafted seventh. The scouts didn't miss him — he was exactly where he needed to be, and he earned his way up. The moral of the story isn't that the system is broken. It's that if you're good enough and persistent enough, the right people find you. ⚙️ Why System Fit Matters More Than Talent Edmonton's goalie problem has nothing to do with the goalies. It has everything to do with the system they play in. Jamie breaks down why lateral skaters thrive in Edmonton and why putting a square peg in a round hole destroys careers — and why Joe Wall might be the answer if Edmonton ever figures it out. 📊 The Scandinavian Experiment That Cut the Best Players Derek shares a study from a Scandinavian soccer program that intentionally cut their best U12 players and replaced them with late bloomers. Over a five-year period — it worked. The best 12-year-olds were no longer the best 15-year-olds. What does that tell us about how we evaluate and develop young athletes in North America? 📋 Tryout Season Survival Guide It's that time of year. Jamie and Derek break down everything you need to know: The difference between AAA teams and teams that play AAA — and why it matters more than the letter on the jersey Why your kid developing on a competitive Double A team beats making a bottom-feeder AAA roster How to read between the lines when a coach is stringing you along Why if you played 60 games for a coach, those 60 games already were your tryout The one question every parent should ask directly — and stop waiting for a vague answer 💡 Can You Actually Develop Hockey IQ? Money buys opportunity. It doesn't buy hockey IQ. And in the big moments — playoffs, championship games, pressure situations — coaches put on the kid they trust, not the kid with the best hands. So how do you actually build IQ? Film study is part of it. But the answer that came up? Coach. Volunteer. Teach it. The process of explaining the game to younger players forces you to connect dots faster than any drill ever will. 📣 Shout Outs Congrats to the Glancaster Bombers U12A — first team in franchise history to win the Tri County Championships Congrats to the Fox U18 boys — first state championship in program history Shout out to Eric Comrie for taking 30 seconds out of a game night to record a personal hype video for one of Jamie's remote mentorship goalies Big shout out to Mason Martin, Ryan Toyer, and Andrew Crochek — all three Ghost athletes invited to the USA Hockey 40-man U17 National Development Program camp Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1hr 18min

  7. 24 Feb

    Why Some Goalies Make the NHL | Episode 141 Ft | Roope Koistinen

    In this episode, Jamie and Roope cover: Roope’s background: Northern Finland, starting goalie at 4, full-time by 9 Why he started coaching while still playing: “I didn’t get the help, so I wanted to help others” How Finland’s goalie coaching education system works (levels, regional coaches, consistent messaging) The shift in Finnish coaching culture: more organized education and easier pathways into coaching Building a goalie development program from scratch at Kärpät: More resources + more ice time (4–5 goalie touches per week, not 1) Recruiting coaches and building a culture that values goalie development How Roope made the jump to North America and the Red Wings organization What Roope looks for in a new AHL/NHL prospect: strengths first, weaknesses second The non-negotiable skill: skating pace and sharpness (on feet + on knees) Can you turn a bad skater into an elite skater? His honest take Geographic goalie “identities”: Finland hands, Czech athleticism, Russian body control, North American compete AHL → NHL readiness: sustainable habits, success at each level, details that scale to 60+ games Why some goalies stick: passing the “eye test” + coach trust RVH teaching priorities: stay on feet longer, strong anchor, learn to recover to feet How AHL consistency is built: coach consistency, structured routines, monthly check-ins, and small drill evolutions ECHL as a development tool: not required, but often valuable for hunger and growth Roope’s parting shot: continuing education and staying hungry to improve every day Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1hr 2min

  8. 13 Feb

    Confidence is a Checklist | Episode 140

    30 Ways in 30 Days to become a better hockey player, delivered right to your inbox: https://app.arketa.co/ghostathletica/intake-form/7AeAoDC0KdRC5f35oYUs Charlotte Skates: https://calendly.com/jamiephillips/egm-semi-private-session-pay-online-clone The new website: www.ghostathletica.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    9 min
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About

Goalie Science is a podcast by goalies for goalies. The podcast covers hockey rehab, performance and science, and is hosted by former professional hockey goaltender Dr. Jamie Phillips and professional goalie coach Derek Bujan Listen in each week as we discuss the latest science and science-adjacent topics in the hockey world, and cover in depth topics for athletes, parents, coaches and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Elite Goalie Method
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    144
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Elite Goalie Method LLC
  • Show Website
    Goalie Science

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