Learn the blocker save in hockey goaltending: stick in front of the blocker, rotate the hand, steer the puck to the corner. With milestones and protection.
The blocker save is a save with the blocker on the stick hand: you do not stop the puck but steer it under control into the corner, away from the dangerous area in front of the goal. It belongs to the basic saves alongside stick, catching-hand and body saves.
The honest answer to “Do I have to hold the puck with the blocker?”: no, and you cannot. The aim is direction instead of a stop. The Hockey Alberta goaltender guide describes the basic position for this: the stick lies in front of the blocker, the blocker is thereby rotated slightly outwards, and the stick grip allows you to steer shots on the ice to the corners [1]. Hockey Canada lists blocker saves as part of the basic level of save selection, alongside stick, glove and body saves [2].
I found no study on the technique. The steps below follow the guides and coaching practice, the latter marked as practice.
Whoever masters the blocker has a hand that does not just protect but actively decides (practice). That is the difference between a goalie who endures pucks and one who directs them. Even for beginners it pays to start cleanly early, because a wrong hand position is hard to correct later (practice).
With the blocker you decide where the puck goes, not whether it comes.
Knees bent, chin in front of the body, hands in front of the body, stick on the ice in front of the blocker [1]. Milestone: your coach confirms on video that the stick lies in front of the blocker and the blocker is rotated slightly outwards.
The stick is held at the shoulders of the shaft, with the index finger on the side of the paddle and the thumb behind it. That way you can steer shots on the ice to the corners [1]. Milestone: you steer slowly rolled pucks into the same corner five times in a row.
For shots at hip and chest height, you rotate the wrist so that the puck rebounds off the blocker and goes into the corner. The direction results from the hand position at contact (practice). Start with slow shots at hip height and only later go to chest height. The flatter the blocker surface points to the target corner, the more reliably the puck goes there (practice). Milestone: ten light shots, seven of which go into the intended corner.
After every save you check where the puck is. The guide requires you to keep following the puck after the save and start the save process anew [1]. Milestone: after every shot you say aloud where the puck went.
Increase shot speed step by step, only once the direction is right. Vary shot height and distance so that your wrist does not learn just one movement. Have a video from the side shown to you in between. Milestone: in seven out of ten shots at medium pace you steer the puck into the corner under control.
Always wear full equipment including mask and gloves [4]. For children and teenagers: practise only with controlled shots. The blocker hand is protected by the high-density foam [3], but a shot to the unprotected area of the wrist hurts. Stop if your hand or wrist hurts. This guide explains and motivates, it does not replace supervised training or a coach. Also plan fixed breaks: when tired, you lose accuracy first and then posture, and that is exactly when most mistakes happen (practice). Agree with your coach how many repetitions per session make sense.
Say the corner aloud before the shot. When you say where you want to steer, your wrist rotates there automatically. This is coaching experience, not a study.
A save with the blocker on the stick hand. You steer the puck under control into the corner instead of stopping it.
Into the corner, away from the area directly in front of the goal. The stick grip allows you to steer shots on the ice to the corners [1].
At the shoulders of the shaft, with the index finger on the side of the paddle and the thumb behind it [1]. The stick lies in front of the blocker.
You need a suitable one: the blocker is a leather glove with high-density foam and plastic, and it comes in youth, intermediate and adult sizes [3].
Keep following the puck and be ready to control the rebound [1].
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