moving up at 24
Question
Ok, so I'm a goalie, 24, living in ottawa On. I got into the game late, (grade 10ish) with floor hockey and moved to ice from there. It is my great passion to stand in the net and do absolutely everything to keep that puck out of the net. I constantly get asked, "who do you play for?" and they are always shocked when i tell them I'm "just" a mens league goaler. I honestly doubt I'm of NHL caliber, but with work and training i really think i could play at a decent level. But how do i get seen? no scouts ever go by the local rinks where i play, or the city outdoor rink where i work and train every night... could you point me in the direction of some form of tryouts, or something. I really want to give it my all, and if i dont make it at least i had know.
(the way the senators goaltending is going maybe i can be in the nhl after all...lol)
Answer
Hi Joseph,
This is the most popular question I get! I've answered this several times in this forum and I would direct you to them, but I see some are "private".
Now that the internet is a huge factor in life, look up area teams on it and see if they have staff listings. You can contact someone through that. You could also put together a highlight video and send it to the clubs. Some might have open tryouts, but probably not right now. At least you'd have an idea of when so you could be prepared. If an area team is in town for a game you could get in touch with them and see if someone could come over and watch your game or practices. Honestly, you'll probably have a difficult time because you have not played any high school, juniors, college, etc. Also remember, goalie is the most difficult position to make on a team because there are only 2-3 openings compared to 12+ forwards, 6+ D. Just an thought...
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