aggregated 6 weeks, 4 days ago
Key comments from Schwab
- move well and have good feet
- he doesn't beleive in a specific way to play goal
- getting off of the ice in the Summer
Former National Hockey League goaltender and Stanley Cup winner Corey Schwab enters his second season as the goaltending development coach with the San Jose Sharks. Schwab, 37, assumes the goaltending coaching duties for Sharks prospects in Worcester (American Hockey League), Kalamazoo (ECHL) and amateur leagues. He works closely with Wayne Thomas, whose responsibilities as the vice president and assistant general manager of the San Jose Sharks and general manager of the Worcester Sharks include coaching the goaltenders at the NHL level.
Before joining the Sharks organization Schwab spent three seasons as the associate goaltending coach and scout for the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he worked with the organization's goaltending prospects. The Sharks are smart and lucky to have Corey Schwab a part of their organization. He knows the goaltending position inside out and I wish I could've had someone like him in my corner back when I played goal. It was my pleasure speaking with Corey, he was a considerate and insightful interview. Below is the transcript of the interview in which I talked to Schwab about his coaching techniques and the goaltending prospects in the system.
Max Giese: Warren Strelow is a man that is held in high regard by anyone around the Sharks and I understand he was your goaltending coach in New Jersey. What kind of lasting effect did he leave on you and do you use any of that in your goaltending coaching today?
Corey Schwab: My first goalie coach was Warren Strelow. It was my first professional season of hockey, I was in the Devils organization playing for the Utica Devils (AHL). He set the foundation for the way I played throughout my career and now it gives me something to pass along to the younger guys. Working with him was the first time I had a goalie coach and someone to work with after practices. It was the first time someone worked with me on goaltender specific drills, like game situations where there is traffic and screens in front of the net, or mini in tight breakaway situations. He also stressed working hard every day and try to be the best goaltender that I could every day. He also wanted me to make the shooters I was facing better by trying to make every stop. Now I pass that along to the younger guys how to be aware of certain things as the play evolves. The goalies also need to work on specific things in practice and not just work for the sake of working hard. We work with them based off of things that pertain to their play at a specific time. This way they can enter the next game confident and comfortable, and knowing that they worked on what went wrong last game and they got better at it.
Max Giese: Seems like from what I read about NHL goaltending coaches, is that each of them has their own unique style of doing things. So it would be great if you could expand on some of your techniques and beliefs as a goaltending coach?
Corey Schwab: The number one thing is mobility. If a guy can move in the crease he can get into position early and makes saves in a controlled manner. Technically wise, every goalie has a different style and we leave that open. Me and Wayne Thomas work together and we don't believe in a specific way to play goalie. Each goaltender has their own characteristics and natural instincts. We like goalies who have some character and compete. There are different situations though that we coach how they should be positioned and it's important to teach them how to make the saves.
Max Giese: How much of what you do is the mental side of the position and do you think you have an advantage in relating to these guys because you were drafted, played junior hockey, and spent some time in the minors before making the NHL?
Corey Schwab: The mental side of the position is huge. Goaltenders today for the most part are all technically sound because they've had goaltending coaches when they were in college or playing junior hockey and even some had them when they were playing midget hockey. Wayne and I try to decide what certain things will work for certain guys. Experience is huge far as the mental part of the game. With my career path I had to fight for every job, whether it was in junior or in the American League or in the NHL. I bounced back and fourth often from the AHL to the ECHL then the back to the AHL before making the NHL. I pass along those experiences to the younger guys. I take my past knowledge and can relate it to their situations. It's important for athletes to have someone they can trust and talk to and relate their experiences with.
Max Giese: What certain attributes do the Sharks generally covet in goaltenders?
Corey Schwab: I don't have much say in that. My job is work with the goalies that we have and focus on making them better. The credit goes to the scouts and Tim Burke for drafting guys who ended up playing in the NHL. I've noticed that they can all move really well, they compete hard and battle, they have good instincts and a natural feel for the game with great hockey sense. The Sharks organization believes in developing goalies and puts in a lot of their time into developing goalies. They give these kids the time to develop and it's important that we give them as much of our time as we can.
Max Giese: Could you describe the style of 6-foot-6, 216-pound
goaltender Henrik Karlsson (Malmo - 2nd Div, 32GP, 2.45GAA, .921SV%, Sodertalje - 1st Div, 4GP, 2.49GAA, .929SV%), and what are some of his strengths and some of the things that you are going to begin to work on with him?
Corey Schwab: He's obviously a big guy but he moves pretty well too. Sometimes that's an issue for these larger goalies. They will have great coverage of the net but they just hit the butterfly for every save. He's not like that and he's a pretty patient goaltender. In the NHL you can't hit the butterfly on every save and he doesn't. I know our scouts have tracked him over the last couple of years and liked his progression and now we look forward to seeing him play in the Swedish Elite League. I don't know yet far as if he's coming to training camp or not this year.
Max Giese: Both Director of Scouting Tim Burke and General Manager Doug Wilson have said Thomas Greiss is ready for the NHL and his next challenge. Is the plan for him to be Nabokov's backup this year and get a few starts in the NHL this season?
Corey Schwab: I feel Greiss is ready to make the jump to the NHL. If you look at his career path he has progressed every year. Last year he got to play a lot of games in Worcester and in the last 15 games or so of the season he played very well and carried that team to the playoffs. It goes back to the mental aspect of the position. When a guy comes up to the NHL he needs to believe in himself that he deserves to be in the NHL and that he can win games there. How many games he gets in the NHL this year is not up to me, that's up to the coaching staff. But, I feel he is ready to compete and win some games for San Jose.
Max Giese: How would you describe the goaltending of Alex Stalock?
Corey Schwab: Style wise he's very competitive and battles to stop every puck. He has great hockey sense and it goes into his puck handling, which I think might be his strongest attribute. He's a great puck handler. There will be some adjustment for him there because in college he could freely go into the corners and move the puck, but in the pro's we have the trapezoid. So that adjustment will take place this year and it will take some time.
Max Giese: Could you elaborate on Alex Stalock's play last year in the Western College Hockey Association (WCHA)?
Corey Schwab: I got to see Alex for two weekends in Duluth and then watched him again in the WCHA playoffs. He's another goaltender that has progressed every year and he became a big part of that team last season. He elevated their status and was very consistent all season and finished very strong.
Max Giese: What were your impressions of Stalock when he came to Worcester at the end of the year?
Corey Schwab: He came in and was Thomas Greiss' backup for the playoffs. For him to turn pro and be able to be in Worcester and be the backup for the playoffs is going to make him more comfortable this year. He saw how pro coaches run practices and how professional players handle themselves. Alex saw how the game can be a job some days and learned how to approach the game as a pro. It was a great experience for him last year in Worcester.
Max Giese: Stalock is regarded as a student of the game and someone who really loves Hockey, did you see that in him when you worked with him one-on-one?
Corey Schwab: Definitely. Some goalies study other goalies and want to talk about them. I encourage our goalies to look at successful NHL goalies or their peers and study them. Stalock is just like that and is always talking and asking about new tricks he could use. He's really a person that wants to get better.
Max Giese: Some people think Tyson Sexsmith has been overrated because of the strong defense that was in front of him in Vancouver, what do you say to those comments?
Corey Schwab: I'm based out of Seattle so I got to see Sexsmith numerous times in Vancouver. I see it as a big plus that he played in that setting. Vancouver is a strong team and with that reputation Sexsmith was expected to win every night. There were no nights off for him and he always had to be mentally prepared. Not getting a lot of shots is a difficult thing for a goaltender. He was seeing 15-20 shots a game but people don't realize how many of those were quality scoring chances. It's easier when you're seeing 35-40 shots because you get to make some easy saves that get you into the feel of the game, but the amount of quality scoring chances against remained the same for Sexsmith.
Max Giese: How will his time in Vancouver prepare him for professional hockey starting this year with his rookie season?
Corey Schwab: That experience is a big plus for him and it will help him in the pro-game, especially with us where last year both in San Jose and Worcester we didn't give up a lot of shots. He can step in and feel comfortable in that scenario. The biggest thing is that experience in Vancouver is going to help him mentally in the pro's. His experience in winning a Memorial Cup is huge and it gives him something to fall back on whether he's having a good day or an off day. I'll use stuff like that to help him while mentoring him.
Max Giese: What's the scouting report on Sexsmith?
Corey Schwab: He's a technically sound goaltender with no wasted movement and he's proven that he can handle a heavy workload.
Max Giese: Is the plan for Stalock and Sexsmith to split the games in Worcester this year? Or is it important that they have a veteran to learn from?
Corey Schwab: I can't answer that and it's not up to me. It will be a decision for management and the coaching staff. Whatever they decide is fine with me but I feel comfortable with these two young men and don't have a problem with them being the two goalies in Worcester this year. My job won't change either way and it will be my focus to make sure they're getting better and mentor them through their experiences at any level.
Max Giese: Now what about the kid from Finland Harri Sateri, how is he developing?
Corey Schwab: I was able to watch Sateri and work with him over the past two summers at our July development camp. Working with him it's evident that he moves well and has strong fundamentals. He's a bit bigger than Sexsmith and Stalock with a solid and strong build. He has a good presence in the net and can handle playing lots of games.
Max Giese: How has he performed in the Finnish Elite League?
Corey Schwab: He's playing in a good league over there in Finland. I'm not a scout so I can't say how it compares to the AHL but a lot of players bounce back and fourth between that league and the AHL. So he's facing shots from good pro players and for a young kid to have the success in that league that he has had is great. I like how he's having to work for playing time and that he's competing with a 30 year old goalie for the starts. That's a good attribute for him to have because he's going to have to battle for a spot when he comes over here for the pro's. Nothing is handed to you over here and you have to be the best you can.
Max Giese: Has it been more difficult to work with Sateri because of his commitments to his team in Finland?
Corey Schwab: No because he's been committed to coming to our summer development camps and he's been very receptive. He wants to learn about what he might have to do and deal with over here in North America. He has been able to catch on to North American shooters habits and learn to deal with the smaller sized ice surfaces. Compared to the Olympic sized ice surfaces he's playing on in Europe, here in North America he's going to see a lot more traffic in front of the net and shots can come from anywhere, where as in the European game usually it's a pass to the open man that sets up the majority of the shots.
Max Giese: Do you spend most of your time during the season in Worcester working with their goalies or will you make the occasional trip to San Jose to work with Greiss and Nabokov?
Corey Schwab: I revolve around Wayne Thomas' schedule so we can give these guys the most hands-on instruction and mentoring as possible. Wayne is often in San Jose working with the NHL guys so I do spend most of my time either in Worcester or watching the amateurs. Wayne is the General Manager of Worcester though and does spend some time there as well.
Max Giese: When goaltenders train in the off-season, do they have to be on the ice more than a skater does to get the repetition?
Corey Schwab: It's important that goalies take some time to get off of the ice. The body needs to rest and recover. Especially today where everyone uses the butterfly and that creates a lot of wear and tear. The body needs time to recoup and the summer is about building strength. We want these guys to get stronger so they can sustain their strength throughout the year. Everyone is different though. When I played I wouldn't get back onto the ice until two weeks before training camp just to get feeling good and to get the conditioning down. All of the goalies in San Jose receive specific workout instructions from our strength coach Mike Potenza. Hopefully they follow that. Guys don't need to be on the ice all summer to enter camp in peak condition. The hardest thing really in the summer is to find pro-level shooters. In a big city where there are numerous camps around it's easier for the goalies to face pro-level shooters. If a goalie is from a small town like I was it's more difficult. It's a big step to go from junior or college hockey to the AHL and it's another big step up to the NHL. Our goalies figure that out in camp and it verifies what we are telling them over the year. They then know how you need to have good patience and feet to play in the NHL.
Max Giese: What's the year ahead look like for you? When guys like Sexsmith and Stalock were playing junior or college Hockey, how much did the Sharks send you to see them and maybe practice with them, or does Manager of Hockey Technology Paul Fink get you some video and then you email or call them?
Corey Schwab: I don't have a set schedule. I will go all over the place to see these kids play. Me and Wayne work together to provide as much coverage as we possibly can. My job is to coach these guys and mentor them. The process of getting a goaltender to the NHL is a very long one and the Sharks do a great job at providing a good setting for these goaltenders that promotes development and patience.