The State of Goaltending: Part I
Community Hockey Creates a Culture of Opportunity, Development & Passion
"There's more opportunity here than most places I go. A lot of that is based on the community-run approach — having communities help cover the cost of ice and keep it affordable so kids can actually play." —Steve Thompson, USA Hockey Manager of Goaltending Development
Warroad's Hampton Slukynsky backstopped Western Michigan to its first-ever NCAA Title in April. Credit: Western Michigan Athletics
When it comes to developing goaltenders, no state does it better than Minnesota. From youth to the pros, Minnesota’s community model creates an environment where netminders thrive.
Steve Thompson, an Anchorage, Alaska native and former Division I goalie, travels around the country to help coaches, players, parents and administrators recruit and develop goaltenders.
"The passion for the game is so much higher here than what I’m used to seeing. I’m just always impressed with just how popular the sport is in Minnesota," said Thompson, USA Hockey's manager of goaltending development. "There's more opportunity than most places I go. A lot of that is based on the community-run approach — having communities help cover the cost of ice and keep it affordable so kids can actually play."
Minnetonka native Carly Greene led the Sacred Heart women's hockey team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance. The Benilde-St. Margaret's alum finished the 2024-25 season with the NCAA's best save percentage at .953. Credit: Greg Vasil
By the Numbers
The numbers don’t lie: Minnesota’s community model delivers. Keep in mind that just 1 out of 59 Americans are from Minnesota – 1.7%.
NCAA Hockey Goaltenders from Minnesota in 2024-25
D-I Men
20 out of 201 total goalies are Minnesotan (10%)
20 out of 121 American goalies are Minnesotan (16.5%)
D-I Women
22 out of 138 total goalies are Minnesotan (16%)
22 out of 81 American goalies are Minnesota (27.2%)
D-III Men
21 out of 297 total goalies are Minnesotans (7.1%)
21 out of 210 American goalies are Minnesotan (10%)
D-III Women
41 out of 251 total goalies are Minnesotan (16.3%)
41 of 211 American goalies are Minnesotan (19.4%)
Access to Ice
Affordability and access are critical to getting kids on the ice and between the pipes. Minnesota’s 300-plus community owned ice rinks ensure that our kids have opportunity right in their backyard.
“There's just so many rinks here, and the rinks are so affordable relative to the rest of the country,” Thompson said. “More rinks mean more teams, which means more goalies. That means kids can actually play, and families don’t get priced out.”
The 2025 CCM HP Dave Peterson Goalie Camp will be held July 31-Aug. 3 at St. Olaf. Credit: Steve Carroll
Staying Home
Minnesota’s youth hockey players – including goaltenders – can sleep in their own beds. They don’t need to chase opportunities, spend tens of thousands of dollars, travel the country, and uproot their lives.
Playing youth hockey for your association, and then high school hockey, keeps families, friends and communities together.
"Kids here aren't in such a rush to leave," Thompson added. "They stay local, they get more opportunity to play, and they're not stuck on a bench as often. You have to play hockey to get good at hockey."
Case in point: Alex Lyon grew up on a small island on Lake of the Woods, played youth and high school hockey in Baudette, and made it to Yale and the NHL. In Minnesota, hockey players can come from every corner, and they don’t need to leave home.
Just Play
You can’t maximize development if you don’t play. It doesn’t matter if your team is elite. What matters is having an opportunity to play in a fun, challenging environment. Goalies need to see minutes, stop shots, get scored on, handle the puck, etc.
“And I think a lot of our kids misunderstand that you have to be in the best league and they go to these leagues and then they don't play, but they're in the league and they think that's the solution,” Thompson added. “When it's really just, go where you're gonna play, go where you're going to get tested. And I think the Minnesota model lends itself to that because kids stay and they play locally, they get an opportunity.”
Two-time U.S. Olympian Guy Gosselin (Rochester, MN) agrees.
“Let the game be the teacher,” said Gosselin, USA Hockey’s manager of player development. “There are so many opportunities here to develop and have fun – at the rink and on the pond. The culture here really drives that, and it makes a huge difference.”
Opportunities for Advancement
To supplement Minnesota’s community model, the CCM High Performance Programs, which just celebrated a 30th anniversary, is providing even more opportunities for players to play with and against the best kids in the state.
And then there’s the CCM HP Dave Peterson Goalie Camp, which will be held July 31-Aug. 3 at St. Olaf.
The CCM HP Dave Peterson Goalie Camp, led by Steve Carroll, has become a model camp that USA Hockey and its affiliates are trying to emulate across the country.
Read: USA Hockey looks to replicate success of Minnesota’s goalie camp
Read: Michigan looks to emulate the Dave Peterson Goalie Camp
“The culture here is that the top athletes in Minnesota choose to play hockey, and that’s unlike anywhere in the country,” Thompson said. “The ice arenas, the support, the coaches – there’s more goalie coaches in this state than probably 12 other states combined. The community model works here and it’s easy to see why.”