Hawks striving for net gain in goaltending 

Goaltenders with the Halifax Hawks Minor Hockey Association receive instructions from a coach during an under-7 practice at the Halifax Civic Centre. (Contributed)

The Halifax Hawks Minor Hockey Association is doing its part to keep the goaltending pipeline in Canada flowing. 

Having noticed fewer kids were donning the pads at the introductory level, Hawks technical director Tim Boyce sought feedback as to why. 

“It seems like it’s become a problem with many minor hockey associations in Nova Scotia, getting kids to play the position and stay in the position,” said Boyce. “Through the last few years, we’ve struck up a few different groups internally to come up with different ways to create interest in the position and convince kids to play the position and stay there long-term, and the feedback we were getting was mainly from parents and not the kids themselves. 

“Hockey is an expensive sport to play and some parents weren’t happy with having to buy new goalie equipment every couple of years. There was also the mental aspect of it. The goalie is the last line of defence and there can be that sentiment that if the team loses, it’s the goalie’s fault, and that, of course, can have a negative effect on a young kid’s mental health.” 

In June of last year, the Hawks association purchased four age-appropriate nets with help from Sport Nova Scotia’s Sport Fund, for use with its under-7 introductory program, which has 117 players registered. The nets measure four feet wide and three feet tall, compared with the standard six-foot by four-foot net at other levels. 

“We use age-appropriate nets at the U7 and U9 level,” said Boyce. “And I could see us using them at the U11 level as well, because the kids aren’t physically prepared to have to defend the larger net just yet. We have some fairly small goalies in U11, even at the top levels, and they are struggling. 

“The technology has developed so much the last 15 years or so. You have kids that are coming in with these sticks that are costing several hundred dollars apiece and are able to shoot the puck at a pretty good pace, so that’s another challenge goaltenders are facing.” 

HRM councillors and Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore attended a Try-A-Sledge event in February hosted by the Dartmouth Crossing Speed Skating Club and Hockey Nova Scotia. (Joanne Macrae)

It’s for those reasons that Boyce isn’t worried about the pendulum swinging too far in the other direction, with goaltenders taking up too much space and adding a higher degree of difficulty to scoring. 

“We don’t keep score at the U7 and U9 level,” said Boyce. “At that level, it’s about the core fundamentals that will hopefully bring some success as they get to older levels. To be honest, I think it’s good that goaltenders need less room to make saves because it gives them a major boost of confidence.  

“It adds to them having fun and feeling successful, which is important because to me, goaltending is dying in Canada. We’re not doing enough to promote it and support it. At every level in our association, from U7 all the way up to U15 and U18, we’ve had instances where we’ve struggled with finding goaltending.” 

Boyce said the change to age-appropriate nets has been well received by members. 

“It’s been awesome,” said Boyce. “We help out with goalie gear for our U7 and U9 levels, and every set of gear that we have has been spoken for this year, whereas in some years we couldn’t give it away. Hopefully in four or five years down the road, that will translate into our U11 and U13 teams having two goalies per team, which is our ideal target because right now some teams are having a hard time finding one. 

“Everyone from our coaching director to our goaltending coaches to the parents and especially the kids themselves seems to be happy with it.” 

Boyce said the age-appropriate nets are primarily being used at the association’s home base at Centennial Arena, but since the association also books ice time at the Dauphinee Centre at Saint Mary’s University as well as the Halifax Forum and Civic Centre, it is looking at adding more nets for those venues.  

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