By Sam J. Dodero, former All-American college goaltender, and someone who went from putting on his first pair of skates at the age of seventeen, to seven years later being invited to camp with the Chicago Blackhawks. Sam has also been teaching goaltending for seventeen years

What style is best suited for a goaltender - your traditional stand-up style, or a butterfly/flopping style, or a mix between the two?

Too many times I have heard coaches tell me or their goaltenders that they are going down too much! The goaltender may have had a bad game or had given up a few goals, and immediately it’s because they go down too much. I have even seen coaches tell their goaltender "Do not go down, no matter what!"… Well, if you tell a butterfly goalie, or a goalie who is accustomed to, and has had success in using a flopping style, not to go down when attempting to make a save you might as well put a chair in the nets and hope for the best.

I have absolutely no problem with a goaltender going down often to make a save, as long as they have incorporated that type of style into their game and use it effectively.

Some goaltenders simply are physically built differently than others. Each goaltender has their strong points, whether it’s skating, reflexes, flexibility, or simply just body structure. The key is learning what their own capabilities are and using them to the best of their ability.

Goaltenders early on in their careers may have learned or have been taught how to use a traditional kick save or skate save; they may have felt comfortable with it and learned to use it effectively. Others may have been taught how to use a "V" drop, or half "V" drop, and they too have felt comfortable with it and learned how to use it effectively. On the other hand, a goaltender may have learned both and just decided to use one move or style over the other. I myself like to use both.

Problems accrue when a goaltender is forced to use a style or incorporate a move that they do not feel comfortable using, or even worse – are physically unprepared to do! The successful goaltenders learn and understand what their physical capabilities are, and employ a move and/or overall style that works for them.

I am sure there are always going to be concerns about goaltenders that use a butterfly style, or simply going down often to make saves. However, the concern should be directed toward the timing of when a goaltender goes down, and not their individual style which involves drop down moves to stop the puck.

Case in point - Chico Adrahtas, who I feel is one of the best goaltending coach in Illinois, used a butterfly style with great success during his playing career. Since his playing career has ended, Chico has trained thousands of goaltenders successfully at both stand-up and butterfly styles. The key is that Chico will first try to determine what style may be best suited for a particular goaltender, or what style a goaltender may be most comfortable using, and work with them to develop it . Many others goaltenders have been very successful using a drop style, including Dominick Hasek, who, during this time, was regarded as the best goaltender in the world!