RLH GOALTENDING SYNTHETIC ICE STUDIO SCHEDULING SESSIONS

The RLH Goaltending Studio is almost set. Sessions will begin July 10th. Schedules are being set. Be sure to reserve your session today by emailing red-line-hockey@hotmail.com with preferences. Pricing is to the right of this page in the "PayPal" section.

LOCATION
Inside the MetInc Warehouse at 5014 46th Avenue Edmonston, MD 20781...

NEARBY...

DeMatha High School (0.79 miles)
4313 Madison Street Hyattsville, MD 20781

U Maryland Campus (3.58 miles)
University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742

Wells Ice Rink (3.0 miles)
5211 Paint Branch Parkway College Park, MD 20740

Takoma Park Downtown / Farmers Market (5.4 miles)
Carroll/Laurel Streets

IKEA (6.4 miles)
10100 Baltimore Ave.College Park, MD 20740

RECENT RLH GOALER ACCOMPLISHMENTS. KUDOS TO ALL!

NICK RENTSCH ended up being the top pick of 5 goalies at the Spring 2009 Virginia Wild Squirt tryout. Great work Nick!

ALEX DEYOUNG makes the switch back and forth between ice and inline hockey. His U12 Mad Dogs inline team played in the 2009 2Hot4Ice National Tournament and took silver in the U12 Platinum division. Alex received the Most Valuable Goalie award with the highest save percentage for the tournament! Alex was also invited to play for Team Valken 97 in the ECHO national tournament in Atlanta. The team took Bronze in U12.

MIA BECKER, a “pre-RLH” goaler from Montgomery Youth Hockey Assn (MD) , made US National Camp and will be heading to Rochester for their select 15 camp. Mia will be attending the National Sports Academy in 2009-2010. Mia has backstopped the Southeast Champion Montgomery Youth Hockey Association in the USA Hockey National tournament at the U12, U14 and U16 levels.

KATHARYN DEMBOWSKI a former NJ Rocket and Susquehanna Rapid had a tough decision in the spring as to whether she would play for UMass-Amherst (ACHA Div I) or Castleton College (NCAA Div III) in Vermont. Katharyn decided on Castleton College and will get to compete in the ECAC.

If you've made a team, won an award, won a championship, set a record or made a personal best, be sure to let RLH know! Email red-line-hockey@hotmail.com.

AN RLH FAVORITE TAKES THE CAKE

Those who follow the RLH Goaltending blog, know that I think a lot of Mr. Tim Thomas. Well, it took a long hard road, but now everyone else does too.

Journeyman Tim Thomas was picked overwhelmingly by NHL general managers as the league's top goalie for the Vezina Trophy in 2008-2009. Thomas earned 22 first-place votes to take the Vezina Trophy. Columbus goaler' Steve Mason, awarded the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, was the next closest finalist with three first-place votes.

Thomas told a crowd at the Palms Casino Resort that winning the Vezina was a dream. He said he was more used to worrying about whether he'd be on a roster than winning awards.

ADVANCED GOALIES: USHL AND NAHL JUNIOR TRYOUTS

I have worked for an NAHL club and will attest that Junior Hockey is the route to college, and possibly pro, hockey. Junior Hockey is not for everyone. A player who makes it into the Junior A system needs to give up a lot in order to play at this level.

Whether you hope to play at this level or whether you want to see what the level of play is, it is worth tyoing out or at least watching a Junior A tryout.

Tryouts are coming up over the course of the summer for the USHL and NAHL. Click below to see schedules.

USHL Tryouts 2009

NAHL Tryouts 2009

Some recognizable former USHL and NAHL goalies in no particular order...

Mike McKenna - Springfield Junior Blues (NAHL) - Tampa Bay
John Grahame - Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) - LA Kings
Ty Conklin - Green bay Gamblers (USHL) - Detroit Red Wings
Rick DiPietro - US National Development (NAHL) - NY Islanders
Brent Johnson -Ccompuware Ambassadors (NAHL) - Washington Capitals
Ryan Miller - Soo Indians (NAHL) - Buffalo Sabres
Tim Thomas - Lakeland Jets (NAHL) - Boston Bruins
Jason Bacashihua - Chicago Freeze (NAHL) - Colorado Avalanche

FOR ADVANCED GOALIES: GOALIE PULLS AND SWITCHES

STUFF HAPPENS - GOALIES GET PULLED

As a team coach, I regularly had parents pull me aside baffled at why a son or daughter was pulled. I will say this – the decision to pull any goaltender is a completely subjective one. Why pull a goalie after 4 rather than 5 goals? Why not 3? Why not 6?

Well, generally when the goalie is pulled at a particular time it is for 1 of 2 reasons. The first is to salvage the game itself. If a goaler lets up 3 goals in the first period of a game there is plenty of time to turn the game around. There is also plenty of time for the game to go downhill even further.

Clearly something on the ice needs to change. Sometimes it’s the goaltender him/herself. Sometimes it’s the play of the team in front of the goalie. In either case, pulling the goalie can provide a break in the action that puts a “shock” in the system of a team to alter the way they, as a group, are functioning on the ice. If the game is young (less than halfway done), a coach is more likely to pull a goalie after 3 or 4 goals.

The second reason for pulling a goaltender is for the goaltender him/herself. Usually if the goalie is pulled after 4-5 goals or more, and it is more than halfway through the game, this is the case. The game is most likely NOT salvageable and it offers the starting goaltender a reprieve and a backup some valuable game minutes.

I write all of this because I was just thinking about all of the various goaltending pulls and rotations in this 2009 NHL playoffs. Here are just a few examples. Take a minute to think about what might be going through the minds of the coaches of the following teams when they made these moves…

EXAMPLES OF GOALIE MOVES IN 2009 NHL PLAYOFFS

WASHINGTON CAPS: The Caps started Jose Theodore in game 1 of the first round against the Rangers. Theodore was subpar and was replaced by rookie Simeon Varlamov who played the bulk of the 1st and 2nd rounds (14 games). Varlamov was later relieved by Theodore on at least 2 more occasions in round 1 and 2 just to start the next game. Clearly the “starter” role had reversed after game 1.

NEW YORK RANGERS: NYR start Henrik Lundqvist was yanked more than once in 7 game Caps-Rangers series. In each case Lundqvist started the following game.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Right after Marc-Andre Fleury pulled out a big win against the Wings in the Stanley Cup final in game 4, he was yanked after 4 goals in a 5-0 pummeling. Fleury returned to the net in game 6 to pull off a series saving 2-1 win.

END OF AUGUST H.S. & YOUTH PRESEASON MINICAMP SERIES

HIGH SCHOOL GOALIE 2009 PRESEASON MINICAMP SERIES

Saturday, August 22, 2009

8:15 am - 2:00 pm (Eastern Time)

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

6:00 – 8:00 pm (Eastern Time)

Saturday, August 29,, 2009

8:15 am - 2:00 pm (Eastern Time)

CABIN JOHN STUDIO RINK
10610 Westlake Dr
Rockville, MD 20852

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Male or female high school aged goaltenders.

BENEFITS
- 4 goalies max for Saturday sessions
- 6 goalies max for Wednesday session
- Handpicked shooters
- Written recap of exercises to replicate on your own
- Off-ice exercises and warm-up routine to replicate on your own
- Tune-up opportunity before fall
- Proper recovery between sessions
- High level “guest coaches/demonstrators”
- Parents and Coaches invited to observe and take part in Q & A opportunity

SCHEDULE
Saturday, August 22, 2009 8:15 am - 2:00 pm (Eastern Time)
Register, 1 hr on-ice workout, 2009-2010 preseason prep discussion, off-ice workout, lunch, 1 hr on-ice workout, player/parent/coach recap
4 goalie maximum

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 6:00 – 8:00 pm (Eastern Time)
Meet, off-ice warm-up routine, on-ice session
6 goalie maximum

Saturday, August 29, 2009 8:15 am - 2:00 pm (Eastern Time)
Register, 1 hr on-ice workout, 2009-2010 preseason prep discussion, off-ice workout, lunch, 1 hr on-ice workout, player/parent/coach recap
4 goalie maximum

SAMPLE SCHEDULE
**Schedule below is 2008 MiniCamp. Time and order of activities will be determined prior to camp.
8:15am - 8:45am sign-in & dress
9:00am -10:00am ice session on studio rink (footwork, butterfly, shot handling)
10:20am - 11:20am video / speakers
11:20am - 11:50am off-ice
11:50pm - 12:20pm lunch
12:20pm – 12:40pm easy jog
1:00pm – 2:00 pm ice session on studio rink (slides, agility, shot handling)
2:00pm - 2:15pm recap and Q & A with parents

COST
ALL MiniCamp Sessions (both Saturdays and Midweek) $415.00
2 Saturday MiniCamps (no midweek session) $350.00
1 Saturday MiniCamp (Aug 22 or Aug 29) $185.00
1 Midweek Session (Aug 26 only) $75.00

REQUEST A REGISTRATION / WAIVER FORM: Email Bob D at red-line-hockey@hotmail.com.

PAYMENTS: Pay Early to Secure Your Slots.

Make Checks Payable to "RED LINE HOCKEY" and send to the following address.

RED LINE HOCKEY
P.O. Box 5882

Takoma Park, MD 20913

or

PAY VIA PAYPAL to red-line-hockey@hotmail.com

Please add $5 for Paypal payments.

MINICAMP ACCEPTANCE & CANCELLATION POLICY
Attendees will be accepted on a first come first serve basis after payment is received. You will receive confirmation via email. If your first choice(s) are not available you will be notified via email to make alternate choices. Cancellations must be completed no later than 8/1/2009 to receive a refund. Cancellations after 8/1/2009 due to unforeseen circumstances will be offered credit toward sessions in 2009 or 2010.

DETAILS FOR 12 & UNDER MINICAMP FORTHCOMING. STAY TUNED!!

Fill Out The Summer Program Survey To Be Sure Sessions Are Scheduled When YOU Want

Thanks for taking time to fill it out!

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB2298KHPHAR7

Goalie Article in LIVE SCIENCE

Key to Hockey Goalie Success Discovered
By Charles Q. Choi, Special to LiveScience
posted: 26 October 2006 10:02 am ET

Excerpt--

"Goalies often focus on physical things like improving technique but they overlook the decision-making," Panchuk said. "This study shows that you also need to focus on your decision-making and your thinking processes. Having optimal focus is just as important as being in optimal physical shape."

RLH Comments--

There is a reason why someone like Domik Hasek always seemed to get some part of his body behind the puck.

SERIOUS RLH FUN FOR ADULT GOALIES

It's never too late to start anything - hockey included. More and more adult goalies are taking up RLH Goaltending sessions finding that not only are they fun, but that they are a major workout!

If you are an adult beginner, intermediate or advanced goalie, and would like to come out, be sure to contact Bob via email at red-line-hockey@hotmail.com or phone at 703-244-1916.