Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
Health and Fitness Tips for Hockey Players
Date:02/02/2018 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
A great hockey player is a healthy hockey player! Here are some health and fitness tips to consider that will help to improve your game as well as you’re your overall health. Eat Right & Stay Hydrated The key to becoming a strong athlete – no matter the sport, starts with a healthy diet. Be sure to follow a diet that is full of healthy food options such as rich l...
Non-Hockey Skills That Will Make You a Better Hockey Player
Date:02/02/2018 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
If you’re looking to improve your hockey skills and become a better player, the best place to start is off the ice. You might not know it, but there are many great personality traits and skills that can easily be applied when playing hockey. In addition to ongoing training, practice and skill development, here are some non-hockey related skills that will help make you a great hockey player.&...
How Often Does my Child Need to Play Hockey?
Date:08/22/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
How often does your child need to play hockey? There's probably a handful of glib answers to this question, but it's a question that many parents ask themselves during the hockey season. Half of hockey parents out there are worried that their child isn't getting enough time on the ice, while the other half are tearing their hair out as they wonder if they'll ever get a break. As yo...
Benefits of House league Hockey for Young Players
Date:08/08/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
Playing hockey has long been a treasured pastime in North America, and you may be thinking about signing your children up for house league hockey. At Rick Heinz Goalie School, we have worked with many families and trained very skilled players. Through our years of experience, we have learned that house league hockey offers young players numerous benefits. Keeping Your Kids Active and Healthy As ...
How to Deal with Tough or Unfair Penalties
Date:07/24/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
At the Rick Heinz Goalie School, we understand how frustrating it is when a referee makes a bad call. These can all but ruin a good game of hockey, but it's also something that you will have to deal with occasionally. When you think a referee is being unfair, try to keep the following things in mind to keep yourself from doing something that really gets you in trouble. Remember that Referees ...
Hockey Power Play Tips for Goalies
Date:07/05/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
To be a successful goalie, you must certainly be athletic, physically fit, agile and responsive on your feet. However, there is more to being a great goalie than physical attributes. Hockey is also a mental game. The power play is one of the most threatening events a goalie can experience, and learning more about the strategy behind power plays can help you to save more goals. Understand the Thre...
Youth Goalie Equipment Checklist
Date:06/16/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
We all know Hockey equipment is a large cost of your child’s participation in Hockey. Here is our list of necessary and nice-to-have equipment for your young Goalie for the next hockey season. Protective Equipment for Goalies (required) Goalie Helmet with Throat Guard Goalie Chest Protector Goalie Leg Pads Goalie Pants Goalie Glove Goalie Blocker&...
Hockey Penalty Kill Tips
Date:06/08/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
In hockey, there is no room for hesitation or uncertainty in a game that requires lightning fast reflexes and split-second decisions. In no other area is this more apparent than in the penalty kill. Here are some tips to help you during this crucial time: Do Your Best to Win the Faceoff With the most important first step being to gain control of the puck, this step is crucial. Make sure you put...
How Ice Conditions Affect Your Hockey Game
Date:06/04/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
You may spend a lot of time and effort practicing your ice hockey skills and learning better techniques, but goalies and players alike should be aware of how their environment can impact their game as well as their skills. The primary aspect of the environment in ice hockey that can affect your game is the condition of the ice. There are few things better for an ice hockey player than a hard, fres...
When to Pull the Goalie
Date:05/28/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
With the pace of hockey games getting faster and faster, it's more important than ever to use the right hockey strategy in key situations. This is crucial when it comes to deciding when to pull the goalie, since that can leave a team vulnerable to an open-net score. However, by being able to bring an extra skater onto the ice in effort to gain additional offense, it can be a pivotal point in a...
5 Small Things that will Make you a Better Goaltender
Date:05/14/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
At Rick Heinz Goalie School we strive to help athletes of all ages improve their hockey game by focusing on proper attitude and the fundamentals of the sport. Here are some things that you can do to help make you a better goaltender. So how can players grow as great team leaders? Here’s a look: Improve Your Reflexes Playing other sports can help you to develop the eye-hand coordinati...
When To Buy A New Goalie Stick
Date:05/01/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
A goaltender’s stick doesn’t really play that big of a role in their overall game, right? Wrong. Goalie sticks, while seemingly a simple piece of equipment at a glance, play a very important role in a goaltender’s overall posture and positioning – not to mention puck handling. Too small or too large of a stick, and a goalie may be forced to adjust their stance in a way tha...
How to Be a Team Leader On and Off the Ice
Date:04/27/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
In hockey, there’s arguably no more prestigious team honor of being named a captain or alternate captain. But the “C” or “A” isn’t just a letter sewn into your sweater, it also designates you as one of the leaders of your team – and being a good leader means shouldering a fair amount of responsibility, both on and off the ice. So how can players grow as g...
Post-game Analysis for Goaltenders
Date:04/20/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
The position of a hockey goalie is by far one of the most detail-oriented positions in all of sports. In fact, goalies must work hard and practice everything from keeping the proper posture in net to the fundamentals behind each save to be successful in keeping the puck out of the goal. It's something that's much easier said than done, especially when you consider that a goalie, while part...
The Art of Line Changes
Date:04/13/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
Hockey is a unique game for many reasons, but perhaps one of the more overlooked reasons is that substitutions are often carried out during gameplay. Yes, unlike in basketball, football and baseball where subs can only enter during stoppages in play, line changes often occur while the game is actually going on. Noting this, teams must practice changing on the fly so that bad changes don’t le...
Using The Trap Defense
Date:04/06/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
Mention the 1995 Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils to someone, and it's typical for the neutral zone trap to come into the conversation. The trap is a defensive strategy teams may utilize to prevent the opposition from gaining easy entry into the zone. It often consists of slowing the opposition's momentum and not allowing them to pass through the neutral zone with any sort of speed. ...
Characteristics of Great Hockey Players
Date:02/24/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
There are a lot of good hockey players in the NHL, but far fewer great players. Have you ever thought about what makes a player like Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews or Henrik Lundqvist more than just a “good” hockey player? If you study the great ones closely, they all share some common characteristics. Here’s a look: Characteristics of Great Hockey Players Exceptional skills...
Faceoff Tips
Date:02/03/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
The faceoff is an often-overlooked element of hockey that can give your team the edge by gaining puck control at the start, or resumption of play. However, despite its importance, when many centres approach a faceoff situation they have no real idea of what to do and end up improvising the draw. If you want your team to gain an advantage, it’s important to study faceoff techniques and proced...
Hockey Bag Equipment Essentials
Date:01/30/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
Hockey bags are large and bulky even with just the essential equipment stored in them, so you don’t want to load them up with a bunch of unnecessary gear. However, there are several tools and accessories you should include in your bag that you can use to improve your game. Check out our list below of hockey bag equipment essentials and how they help make you a better player. Skate guards S...
NHL 2016-2017 Season Update
Date:01/26/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
The NHL 2016-17 season is nearing its halfway mark, and some separation is starting to occur between the contenders and the pretenders. Aside from all of this, we're seeing some outstanding rookies, goaltending and goal scoring. Here's a quick rundown of the NHL season thus far: The NHL 2016-17 Season (So Far) So just why should a goalie be included in the game plan? Here's a look at ...
How to Beat the Screen as A Goalie
Date:01/24/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
In hockey, when a player sets up in front of the opposing team’s goaltender it is called a screen. Screening is a tactic used to deliberately make it difficult for the opposing team’s goalie to see the puck. Many times, a goal is scored solely because the goalie cannot see the shot. Because of this, it is essential goalies know what to do when they are being screened and how to best ti...
Why Goalies Should Be Included in Game Planning & Strategy
Date:01/12/2017 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
Most people think that the job of a hockey goaltender is to stop the puck. Just stop the puck - nothing more, nothing less. Unfortunately, many hockey coaches also think this way - and while it's true that the biggest responsibility that a goaltender is tasked with is keeping pucks from going into the net, goalies can provide a lot more value to the team than just being its last line o...
How Often Should Skates Be Sharpened?
Date:12/13/2016 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
Every hockey player, regardless of their position, needs to have their skates sharpened from time to time. Generally speaking, a sharper blade can lead to a more dynamic performance, better allowing players and goaltenders to push off, pivot and stop because the blade cuts into the ice surface better than a dull one. But how do you know how often your skates need to be sharpened? Here's a clos...
What Kind of Goalie Pads Are Right for You?
Date:11/21/2016 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
A goaltender’s pads are arguably the piece of equipment that’s most synonymous with the position. That’s because it’s these oversized leg pads that are crucial to keeping pucks out of the lower half of the net. But if you’re new to the goaltending position or have played for a while and are in the market for a new set of pads, it’s worth taking the time to do yo...
How Often Should Goalies Be Training?
Date:11/18/2016 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
In order to excel at hockey, you can’t just expect to show up to practices and play in games. No, if you’re really serious about mastering your craft, you have to put in the work when you’re away from the rink as well. This is especially true with goaltenders, as at the youth level it’s unlikely that there’s a goaltending coach working with them during practices. ...
What You Can Do in the Fall to Stay Ready for Hockey Season
Date:10/05/2016 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
The days are getting shorter, temperatures are becoming cooler and football season is kicking off. Yes, it’s fall – and one other important thing about fall is that once it hits, you know that hockey season is right around the corner. If you’re a hockey player or goalie, hopefully you stayed in shape and improved your game by attending either a hockey school or one or more hockey...
How to Pick a Goalie Stick
Date:10/05/2016 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
One of the more overlooked pieces of goalie equipment is none other than the stick. Yes, the pads, blocker, trapper and skates seem to get all the attention when it comes to goalie equipment – but you can’t forget about the importance of the stick. After all, if you pick the wrong type of stick, your game is likely to be greatly impacted. Goalie Stick Selection Tips -It’s all a...
Picking the Right Goalie Skates
Date:09/16/2016 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
Unless you're brand new to hockey, you already know that goaltenders and skaters wear different types of skates. Goalie skates are designed so that pads are able to fit properly around it, as well as provide more padding to protect the feet from pucks. But even if you're not new to the sport of hockey, it's never a bad idea to review what goalies should be looking for wh...
Do White Pads Give Goalies an Edge?
Date:09/09/2016 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
Any competitive athlete is always looking for ways to gain an advantage over their opponents. This competitive advantage may come via good old fashioned hard work and training, it may come from playing mind games with the opponent or it may come in other ways. For hockey goalies, one point of debate is whether the color of your pads has anything to do with how you perform. Specifically, some hocke...
Picking the Right Goalie Mask
Date:08/22/2016 Source:Rick Heinz - Goalie Player Hockey Schools
It takes a unique type of individual to willingly want to stop a 6 ounce piece of rubber coming at them at high speeds, but that’s what hockey goaltenders do. And in order to do it safely, they need to be equipped with the proper protective equipment. Yes, goalies need leg pads, a chest protector, a blocker, a trapper, special hockey skates and a larger stick. But arguably the most...
