Pro Hybrid Goalie Training

For years, there were only two dominate goaltending styles in hockey: the traditional standup style and the butterfly style. Gradually, a third style emerged that blended elements of both--the pro-hybrid style of goaltending.

  1. Stay Up

    • According to goalie coach and author Brian Daccord, hybrid-style goalies are trained to stay on their feet as long as possible to cover as much net as possible. This teaches the goalie to track the puck's location and determine any potential scoring threats that may develop from the play.

    Go Down

    • Conversely, the goalie is taught to drop to his knees in the full butterfly, where both knees make ice contact, or the half-butterfly, where one knee touches and the other outstretches to cover more of the bottom portion of the net.

    Drop the Paddle

    • Hybrids are also trained to crouch down low when there's a scramble in front of the goal and lay the stick parallel to the ice. This creates a longer blocking surface along the ice thanks to the thick paddle of the goalie stick, making jamming the puck into the net more difficult.

    React and Block

    • Stand-up and butterfly goalies are taught to track the puck and use their bodies in a blocking motion. Pro hybrids are more reactionary, taught to rely on reflexes as much as blocking in an effort to make the save if caught out of position.

    Downside

    • Hybrid goaltenders are often caught out of position, especially on quick lateral plays. The hybrids are often seen as being unpredictable in their save selections, which may lead to being out of position and having to make the desperate save attempt.