An essential training manual for hockey goalkeepers.

The Hockey Goalie's Complete Guide offers practical advice and information for goalkeepers and their coaches and trainers. Anyone interested in hockey goalkeeping will enjoy reading about NHL trainer FranÇois Allaire and his four-year development plan that includes:

• Basic techniques
• Skating techniques
• On-ice and off-ice training methods
• How to evaluate goalkeepers on and off the ice
• The trainer's role.

Step-by-step instructions and clear illustrations show how to execute each recommended technique, movement and exercise, and detailed color photographs complement the expert counsel. Each chapter has an at-a-glance summary and a chart that outlines all the techniques and exercises featured.

This authoritative and practical guide also includes forms that allow players, coaches and trainers to record and refer to a goalkeeper's progress and performance during games. These tracking forms are important for annual evaluations and for planning revisions to ongoing training programs.

François Allaire trained many goalkeepers over his 12 seasons working with the Montreal Canadiens. Since 1996 he has been a consultant for the Anaheim Ducks.

Francoise Allaire's profile page

I know [that] if I was a young, or even an older recreational goalie, this beautiful guide book is something I would insist on having. If I was a parent of a young goalie I would want him or her to learn from Allaire. In fact, I think this book should be provided to youth coaches right across the country and available in libraries everywhere. I do know that I will have to buy another copy for my collection. I showed this book to a senior men's league goalie friend of mine so that I could better gauge the book's impact. I think the fact that he refuses to give it back speaks volumes! After all, Francis Allure is the best in the business. If you want to improve your own goaltending technique, then you should be ordering up this book A.S.A.P.

Hockey Book Reviews