Goaltender Development at OCMHA 

 

 

Our Approach 

 

Goaltender skills have become increasingly specialized in recent years.  No longer
is it enough to strap on some pads, stand between the pipes and hope for 

the best.  Today’s butterfly style goaltending requires focus on skills that are very 

unique to the position. 

 

To ensure the proper development of our young goalies, OCMHA recognizes the 

need to provide development opportunities for our goalies throughout the season 

beyond what they receive during team practices.  Our goalie development 

program provides skill development opportunities for goalies at all levels with 

emphasis on our younger goalies.

OCMHA we strongly encourage goalies at all levels to continue to develop their player skills.  
As a result, we strongly discourage full-time goaltending at novice and atom levels.  Players in the 
older divisions are also encouraged to alternately dress as player and goalie for team practices and
games.  The result for our players is more complete development as hockey players and more fun. 

 

Skill Development 

 

Our skill development program for goalies has three elements: 

 

- pre-season development clinics for all goalies to shake out those summer 

cobwebs before the season gets fully underway

- regular goalie development sessions throughout the season to ensure 

that goalies continue to develop their skills throughout the season
- training for OCMHA coaches to ensure that goalie skills continue to be
properly developed during team practices.

See the Goalie Skills Clinics page for details on upcoming preseason and in-season goalie skills clinics.

Goalie Equipment 

 

Hockey equipment is expensive and quite specialized.  When you have to buy 

goalie equipment in addition to player equipment, hockey becomes considerable 

more expensive.  Also, for players new to goaltending, goalie equipment can be 

confusing and complicated.  To reduce the expense, OCMHA has a number of 

sets of goaltending equipment available for rental.  For more details on goalie equipment rental,
please see the Goalie Equipment page.

 

December 21, 2015 Product Recall, Bauer Goalie Masks and Cages