Doug Melvin, Boise Idaho, Singlehandly Defeats Louisville Hawks - Almost

Doug Melvin, former professional goalie with the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers organizations, signed to a one-year professional contract with the East Coast Hockey league Huntington Blizzard. Melvin started in goal for the inaugural game for the newly formed Huntington Blizzards. With ECHL Commissioner Pat Kelly and other ECHL senior officials in attendance, Melvin played an exceptional game. Turning away 63 shots from the Louisville Hawks, Melvin was able to keep the game tied at two goals, despite the Hawks out shooting Huntington 63 to 17. With less than two minutes to go in the game Huntington was in the midst of a line change leaving only two skaters on the ice. From almost center ice, two Hawk skaters came in on Melvin all alone and after Melvin made the first and second saves, the rebound finally went in giving the Hawks a one goal lead. Huntington pulled Melvin for a sixth skater in which resulted in an empty net goal for Louisville. The final result of the game had the hawks winning 4-3, and outshooting the Huntington by 63 to 17. Though not a win for his team, the game was a considered a success for Melvin and helped him prove to himself that almost anything can be achieved if you try hard enough.

Principles of Goaltending II: Butterfly vs. Stand Up Goalies

Which is better: a stand up style of goaltending, or a butterfly style of goaltending?

Unfortunately, today you see very few true standup goalies. In fact, goalie equipment over the past 10-15 years has changed to adjust to more of a butterfly-type goalie. While I do believe that a butterfly style can work, and Tony Esposito is a prime example of how well it can work, I think the stand up style offers distinct advantages over the butterfly style of goaltending. The purpose of this blog is to show goalies the advantages of using stand up ice hockey goaltending.

One of the core principles of goaltending is to let the puck play you, instead of you playing the puck. Meaning you move and react to the puck, not pre-determine what save you will make before it happens. With butterfly style goaltending, you are choosing to drop to your knees, prior to the shot, thus predetermining the type of save that you will make.

And, by dropping to your knees, you expose the two upper corners, giving the opposition a good target to shoot. This eliminates the goalies’ advantage of covering those corners by keeping gloves and blockers high. Remember it is a game of inches, and you need every advantage you can get.

Finally, you limit your mobility to where you need to be if you drop to your knees just prior to a shot. Moving around on your knees is cumbersome and slow if the puck carrier passes and does not shoot. Moving on your feet is fast and can enhance your ability to control and recover rebounds when you are goaltending.

I’ve played professionally for a number of hockey teams. Please visit the Internet Hockey Database for a list of teams and my statistics.

I’m also President of DACC Associates, a security and management firm headquartered in Boise, Idaho. For more information about DACC Associates, please visit my website.

Doug Melvin’s Principles of Goaltending

My name is Doug Melvin. I currently reside in Boise, Idaho but have had the pleasure of living in many cities and towns across our country because of my involvement in professional ice hockey.

I have played ice hockey professionally for the Utica Mohawks (EHL), Manchester Blackhawks NEnHL), Salem Raiders (ACHL), Erie Blades (AHL), Huntington Blizzard (ECHL), Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) and the Boston Bruins (NHL).

The art of being an ice hockey goaltender requires a commitment and dedication beyond that of any other position. If your intent is to play well and to truly enjoy the personal and sports-related benefits of the game, then I hope this brief reflection will be of benefit.

At an early age, perhaps age nine, I started to develop the desire to learn and fully develop my ability to play ice hockey as a goalie. Over the next several years I began to develop basic principles that I believed provided the basis for an exceptional advantage in preventing goals from being scored, and contributing to the offensive flow of my team.

• The first principal of goaltending is one that simply states; “let the puck play you, not you play the puck”. This means that you should adjust your movements and positioning as the puck moves and changes whether it is on a players stick or while in the air. You “playing the puck” means that you predetermine the move you make prior to the person shooting or the play developing. While there is a great deal to be said (later) about anticipating a play or a shot, the basic tenet of goaltending should be to let the puck play you, not the other way around.
  
  
• The second principle of goaltending is that your eyes and body should follow the puck wherever it goes. The general rule should be that once the puck crosses the far blueline, you should be locked in on the puck while at the same time you are trying to see plays developing or outlets for the skater to pass to. At that point, wherever the puck goes, you must watch and follow.
  
  

Following the principles of goaltending has two significant advantages:

• First, this has a tremendous advantage in developing your ability to beat those offensive players in front of the net to the rebound. Remember as a goalie you have the advantage in seeing the puck from a different angle than that of any other player. What this refers to is that if you broke the process of shooting the puck as it moves towards the net into individual frames, you as a goalie see the puck longer in each frame then a player who views the puck from the side angle. This means that you can determine where the rebound will go and react to that before any other player gets their bearing on the puck.
  
  
• Secondly, by focusing on the puck, in a very Zen-like way, it forces you to block out everything else and concentrate solely on the puck and making the save.
  
  

The last principle of goaltending is that you must try to relax. Being tense when players shoot the puck will only slow you down, and make it so much more difficult to stop the puck and in many ways protect you, too. This is an area that is often the hardest to master. It requires dedication and practice and that search for the inner self. Once found you will surprise yourself with your ability to make incredible saves.

The last thought to leave you with is that a person can do whatever they want as long as they work hard enough. This applies so much to life and goaltending. Focus, dedication, and that constant striving for knowledge and improvement. Good luck!