JMS Hockey

Speaking from a goalie's standpoint, warmup shots should be taken from the top of the circle to the blue line. Also, give the goalie time to track the puck before the next person shoots. Skating into the slot and taking a shot or deking doesn't do a whole lot of good from a warmup standpoint for a goalie. Too often there are multiple people shooting or approaching and that makes it difficult to set and focus on one shot. This is just my personal opinion, but I think warmup time could be cut much shorter and allow more time for playing if we used the warmup time in a better manner. I typically go through a line twice, and I am good to go, but the more random the warmup the longer it takes.

Amen Nick!! Hopefully most skaters will read this and change their routine to help out the goalies. I can't recall how many times my warmup consisted of just guys trying to deke and "shake & bake" the goalie. Catcher or blocker never touches a puck. I think a few shots high to the catcher and then blocker and then move the shots down. My opinion, but the skaters are there to warm the goalies up before the game..not practice their break-away moves. Also I sure appreciate it when the folks don't try to take my head off during warm-ups, can't recall how many times someone s drilled me right in the face mask during warmups! Proper warmup makes for a happy goalie which should translate into a better game!!

I also play goalie and agree with you 100%. The problem is most shooters think goalie warmup = opportunity for them to practice their shot/sniping. Which, unless they're one of the ten or so level 6 players at JMS, they're far more likely to hit the goalie dead center in the mask or throat area. At which point most goalies just stop warming up because they don't want to get injured before the game has even begun. And yes, deking is annoying because it's not conducive to warm up and most people take too long to do it anyhow. When in doubt just shoot low for warmups. If you ever watch the Gophers warm up or even the gold leagues of various mens leagues, they're shooting low to ensure they don't hurt the goalie.

Yup, I agree about the head shots. Come game time shoot at my head all you want, that's what I have a mask for. In fact I don't consider it a good skate unless I take at least one good head shot. :) That being said, when it is my own "team" doing it in warmups, it is annoying. I usually take about 5 shots in this type of warmup before I say forget it and go stretch in the corner until warmups are over. As I said before I take 15-20 good warmup shots and I am good to go. Spend the rest of the time working on your dangle or seeing how hard you can shoot the puck off the glass.

Wow, this is very interesting to hear. Thank you for posting. If anything, I would have thought the goalies would enjoy the opportunity to practice defending those types of shots. I'd be willing to bet a lot of skaters don't see it from the goalie's viewpoint. This will absolutely change my warmup practices.

I'm glad someone posted this. There have been many times where, before warmups, I convey this info to my team and they just do whatever the heck they want (shoot pucks past my head, deke) and it (often) results in me playing terrible during the game.

Amen to all you've said Nick, it's dead on accurate!! Getting hit in the mask or upper body during warm-ups is just ridiculous. If a skater has no idea where he is shot is going every time he takes one then for god sakes shoot from farther out so at least we can have a chance to duck!!

Mike - This is in no way meant to be a disparaging remark, so please don't take it that way. I was looking at it from the viewpoint of someone that has played their entire life. I suppose it would stand to reason that if you didn't play organized hockey you wouldn't be aware of pre-game protocol. The reason for the warmup is because as a goalie the last thing you want to do is pull a muscle, especially in your leg, groin, etc. Playing a "breakaway" before getting your muscles properly warmed up is a great way to do just that. As said before if you watch any high school, college or pro team you'll see the first thing they typically do is take one or two players and stand in the slot and shoot 4-5 pucks to the glove and blocker. These shots are not hard shots, and the goalie knows exactly where they are going. This gets your hands moving. Then usually the rest of the team will lineup at the blue line and shoot. After that a team will typically start moving more and getting into drills that more closely represent a game situation, but that is only after the goalie is warmed up. I'm by no means proposing anything nearly that organized, I'd just like to see more long shots and less close shots. And yes, keep the shots low. The games I've played in have been upper and elite games, and I still see that. It is funny because almost every time I've played the captain has come over to the corner and asked if I was ready, knowing I've only taken a few shots. They always seem surprised when I say yes.

Haha, yeah that's a good point Nick, I've done that as well. Sometimes I just skip taking shots in warmup at JMS and just stretch and the times I do face warmup shots I just try and make it out alive :D. Even in elite sessions this is often true (but not always).

Nice thread!! When the very short warmup gets counter productive I just head for the corner and do my thing. Interesting that you see the same problems at the upper/elite level as most of those guys should know the "drill" by now. When I was coaching the upper levels, if I noticed a shooter taking those types of shots for the warmup period he most certainly would have been "counseled"! I mostly worry about those injuries when not warmed up properly, guys doing the "shake & bake" on a deke trying to get me to do the splits, at 54 that would be a one time deal and they'd have to scrape me off the ice with a shovel!!!

I agree with what is posted above. My preferred warm up is some shots, but you won't see me going down on every shot. I use this time to remind my brain what my angles are. But I would like to say, if the goalie is not facing you while in the crease, please Please PLEASE do not shoot!!! I have no idea how many times I've been adjusting a pad or something with my back to the shooters and people are putting shots on net. Its very dangerous!! Thanks for looking out for us!

This is a great thread. I like that someone posted this again. It seems that every couple of years this comes up. I posted it a while back after getting my throat guard broken in a JMS warm up. Most JMSers started playing as adults. I know they aren't doing anything out of malice, they just simply don't know warm up etiquette. It's good to go over this again every so often as we get more new skaters. I would also like to add that throwing pucks at the net while the goalie is setting the net and prepping the crease can be dangerous. Fingers and the backside are exposed and getting hit there isn't fun. Plus stepping on a puck while roughing the crease can blow out a groin. Thanks again for posting this. :-)

good thread, now i know

I've had few friends that I have introduced to hockey over the past year and they have come to JMS sessions with me and the first thing I tell them is to NOT try to deke during warm-ups and don't move below the tops of the circles when shooting because the goalies hate it. I have a couple friends that are goalies and when we were younger, they would get pissed when someone would shoot below the circles or try and deke them. Although, during warm-ups I try to work on my shooting angles so I start below the circles, but to the side basically at the boards. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe when I work on my angles it helps the goalies as well.

Angles are fine as long as you're not shooting pucks at or past my head.

As someone that has never played goalie, I will say I have always been frustrated by players that take it in too close and try to pull moves. Agree 100% that when the goalies are in their nets during their warm ups it's to get them warmed up, and in all reality to build a little confidence for them. Don''t want to get them inside their own heads before the game even starts. Semi related side note- when skaters are warming up they should never be skating behind the net. Peel off to the other side and follow the boards, going behind the net either causes people to have to stop shooting in warm ups, or if they don't notice runs the risk of injury.

Headshots are why I don't take warmups anymore. I got sick of people just trying to crank it as hard as they could (with minimal control over where it went).

Good to know guys. im a skater and i never understood why some games the goalies would take warm up shots and others they wont. i can completly understand it now.

The idea of warming up the goal tender is to shoot at the pads, blocker, or glove. If you wanna snipe corners or go top shelf, do it on an empty net. Don't dangle in on a breakaway and deke or shoot close in either, shoot at the goalie farther out. Clearly some of you people have never played on an organized hockey team. Can't blame the goalies for complaining about this, the problem is very obvious in almost every session.

If the guys want to pick corners, do dekes... I figure, whatever! Sure, I'd rather take some shots, but when there are dekes going on, I typically just ignore it and don't make attempts at stopping it. Typically, the players will get it. I'm mainly there to get my bearings by taking a few shots, but mostly to get my feet loosened up. Last thing you want (in a game situation) is for your goalie to not be warmed up and the other team to have good scoring chances. Could be a slow start to the game that way!

Grant, I completely agree with you. That said this isn't just a JMS issue, I've had problems with numerous teams doing this and it lead to me playing some really awful games due to lack of real warmup haha. I play on a pretty good team now and they all shoot low. Some will deke which is kind of annoying but I just ignore it. I think BY FAR the biggest issue during warmup is people shooting high and taking slap shots. That can lead to injury where as dekes are just simply annoying.

The slap shot thing is interesting, never knew it was an issue. I always thought as long as you kept it pad level you were good. Granted I don't have a slap shot in my arsenal so I don't take em anyway.

Interesting following this thread the past two months. As a goalie I've commented on how I hate dekes & edge snipes for the warmups. In my case I just don't want to blow a groin trying to do the splits to stop the shot. As an "older" guy it takes me some time to get everything loosened up. That being said I have noticed an improvement on warmup shots for most levels. Never was too much of a problem at the upper levels. Guys are listening, Great!! Now..defense, take the shooter's time & space away. Don't be so kind to them and don't stand there thinking you're going to block the shot for your goalie..you're just screening him. I played forward/defense for about 30 years and if you take the guys time and space away, get a stick in the passing /shooting lane while letting your goalie get a good look...you'll be a hero with your goalie!! If the goalie has a good lane to see the shooter they probably will stop the puck...hopefully!! For me screens and trash in the blue paint are the hardest to handle.

Please pass along these comments to your friends re: goalie warm-ups: the purpose is to warm-up the goalie. stay out a ways, above the top of the circle. If you are out at that distance it gives the goalie a chance to see the puck and get "WARMED UP" hence the name...get it? That way it doesn't matter if you can control your shot - or not - we have time to dodge your head shots. The worst is out of control shots in close during warm-ups. No...the worst is guys that shoot without looking or understanding if the goalie is taking YOUR shot. This happens OFTEN. Even worse - at a recent JMS session I was skating into the net and got hit in the back. REALLY annoying, dangerous and LAME! On behalf of goalies everywhere - any help with these issues would be greatly appreciated! Thanks. Doug

Joe - Slapshots in warmups are just fine, as long as they are taken from at least the top of the circles and the goalie is looking at you and expecting the shot. Even at that distance they still shouldn't be at head level though.

It has been very helpful to read this blog and to pass these ideas on to others.....getting the warmup process from the goalie's perspective has been enlightening.....thanks guys... jay

bump - this should be mandatory reading for all skaters - JMS and league. Pre-Game Warmup shooting is for warming up the GOALIE, not for trying out your head-hunting nor penalty shot/breakaway skills: - take some shots of varying speed (wrist, snap, slap) from the blue line and from the top of the circle -- on net ... no breakaway dekes or running-in at the goalie. - take glove-shots, blocker-shots, leg-pad shots, low stick-shots - from different angles {be sure to keep them below the neck} and we're done. It's basically that simple, right Goalies?

Preach Mark! Spread the word buddy...much appreciated! Thanks, Doug

I noticed last Monday night guys lined up in a semi-circle for warmups. It was nice, and I only went through twice and was good to go. Well done guys (and girl)!

why not split the team up into each corner for warm ups like they do at every level. This will warm up the passes, shooting and goalie. The JMS games may just be pickup hockey, but there is no harm in a little structure for warmups. I have experienced first hand as a goalie the "swarm" that forms once we get on the ice. I was more worried about getting hit by the pucks that I wasn't looking at more then the ones I was trying to stop. So it will help with safety as well I think.

Right on Mark!!! Warmups have been getting better but still get the occasional dude who attempts to drill me between the eyes. I just give them the big glare and they say they're sorry...well sometimes! Couple of times the guys actually did the semi-circle for warmup. Very nice....reminded me of the "old days"!! Eric