Maria here from GoalieTrainingPro.com, checking in after a whirlwind trip to Stockholm for the IIHF Coaching Symposium. It’s been a week of travel, hockey, and goalie talk, and I’m happy to be back in the groove (even if my shoulders still haven’t forgiven me for those long-haul flights).
For those of you who travel for work or fun—you get it. Travel these days is a multi-hop adventure. My route looked like this: London, Ontario → Toronto → Munich → Stockholm on the way there, and Stockholm → Frankfurt → Toronto → London on the way home. About 17 hours of travel each way. But I made it, my luggage made it, and I even got to see Marc-André Fleury play in the Finland game. Totally worth it.
Stockholm Takeaways: Coaching, Community & Growth
The IIHF Coaching Symposium was incredible. I sat on a panel discussing off-ice training and injury prevention, which was a great experience—low stress, great people, and lots of valuable conversations.
What stood out most? The incredible community. Hockey people—especially goalie people—are just awesome. Walking into that room felt like joining a tribe. Everyone was kind, open, and willing to share knowledge.
I also loved the focus on developing the person behind the player. It’s not just about training athletes; it’s about coaching human beings. That shift—toward empathy, awareness, and adapting to today’s athlete—is something I’ve embraced and am continuing to learn more about.
And shoutout to all the researchers driving innovation in our sport. Seeing all the goalie-focused studies underway was super inspiring.
Let’s get to it!!
❓ What if I don’t have a true off-season?
It depends on how often you’re on the ice. If you’re skating 4+ times a week year-round, stick to an in-season program. But if it’s 1–2 times per week and you’re focused on getting stronger, fitter, and more mobile, go for an off-season program. Tailor it to your volume and goals.
❓ How can I get a wider butterfly?
Have you done the Butterfly Challenge 4.0? It’s free and designed specifically to help improve your butterfly flare. It’s basic but effective—deliberately so. It’s a primer to show you what targeted mobility work can do for your game.
❓ Should I keep doing the Butterfly Challenge after I finish it?
If you want to maintain or improve your mobility, then yes—keep it going! Think of it like strength training: use it or lose it. If you want more advanced training, check out Strategic Mobility for Goalies, which builds on the Butterfly Challenge with deeper, more comprehensive work.
❓ Is the Game Winning Goalie Formula an in-person or virtual program?
It’s entirely online—and global. We’ve got goalies from Australia to Tokyo in the program. You’ll get new monthly workouts, coaching, and a private group to ask questions, post your schedule, and get feedback. No Zoom workouts—I tried to make this as flexible and scalable as possible, especially for those of you with wild schedules (or time zones).
Quick heads-up: I won’t be live next week as I’m taking my mom to the eye clinic, but I’ll be back the week after that. As always, if you have any questions for Maria, please reach out to help[at]goalietrainingpro.com
Until then, train hard, rest well, and keep being awesome. Catch you on the flip side!