🟠Retreats
Introduction
The Global Goaltending Retreat is a professional development experience hosted by The Goalie Guild. This event is designed to support pro and national level goalie coaches from around the world. It is held annually in Breckenridge, Colorado.
The first-ever GGR took place in May of 2018 and featured 25 goalie coaches from 12 nations, including Slovakia, Australia, Sweden, and Finland. Since then, it has hosted over 150 pro goalie coaches from 20 countries, including emerging hockey nations like Jamaica, China, and Mexico.
Click the Recaps page for videos of previous retreats.
2026 GGR Preview
Below is a preview of the 2026 Global Goaltending Retreat. Details for this year's event. Please read carefully and reach out if you have any questions about attending!
DATES: June 10-14, 2026 LOCATION: Breckenridge, CO. RINK: Stephen C. West Arena RESORT: Hotel Alpenrock
SCHEDULE DETAILS: Check-in at Hotel Alpenrock will begin on Wednesday, June 10 at 2:00pm. Our welcome meeting will begin around 6:00pm at the hotel. There are two ice sessions (60-90 mins) on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Check-out is on Sunday morning, June 14. Remember that you DO NOT need a rental car for Breckenridge, as everything is walking distance. For more travel logistics, contact us.
PENDING SPECIAL GUESTS: I am beyond excited about this year's group of special guests. We have a few new faces already planning to join us and I know everyone will really enjoy spending time with them in Breck. *Dave Alexander -- St. Louis Blues & Team Canada Mike Valley -- NetWork Goaltending / Hockey Canada Hannu Nykvist -- Goalie House / NetWork Goaltending Kirk Allen -- Warrior Goalie Megan Harrington -- University of Toronto Adam, Alex, and Josh -- Along the Ice Dr. Jo Shattuck -- PantherTec Chuck Thuss -- PHPA *NOTE -- Some special guests are still pending — attendance is subject to change. KEY EVENT HIGHLIGHTS: For new guests, I've included a few very early highlights for this year's GGR. Don't forget to check out the Recaps as well. Every GGR brings so much to look forward to, especially when we take a year off. So buckle up, here we go with a bunch of early highlights!
Similar to previous GGRs, guests will be working together in small groups to complete an assigned project that is then presented to a Judge's Panel at the end of the retreat. The group projects include both on-ice and off-ice components, making it a fully interactive embodied experience for everyone. Returning coaches always do a great job of supporting new guests, which makes the time you spend together impactful and meaningful, both to your personal and professional growth.
One component of this year's group work will be learning about and exploring Kinesthetic Awareness Training. We will be doing this by using a new training tool called the PantherTec KAT. This type of training is becoming more prominent across a variety of sports domains at all levels, and goaltending is going to be no different. I tested this product last summer and the implications were ripe for exploring. Dr. Jo Shattuck is a Colorado native and I have met with her multiple times to discuss the tool she is developing and the technology behind it. Building modules together that can support goalie coaches all over the world will be a lot of fun!
Another new piece of technology that I am really excited to explore is a full body motion capture system, courtesy of Megan Harrington and the University of Toronto. I met Megan in Stockholm during the 2025 World Championships symposium and her current research endeavors are extremely important to the goalie coaching community. That makes this part of the event a rare chance to learn more from her about this tech and how it is shaping the way we manage workloads, design our practices, and hopefully lengthen careers.
Next, as we continue to emphasize understanding "the game beyond the crease," I am super stoked to have the brothers behind Along The Ice getting involved. These guys do an amazing job of dissecting scoring tactics and trends at the highest levels, and their ability to explain and organize a lot of details into relevant knowledge is perfect for our group. We know that the shooters currently have the advantage in the eternal tug-of-war, so the more we can learn from the enemy, the better. Having these guys (and a few of their shooters) out there with us will be a huge addition and something I've been really emphasizing and targeting these past few GGRs.
Lastly, every year I give guests a copy of The Power Within as a gift. This year, everyone will get the newest one, TPW3, which features Tim Thomas, Jeremy Swayman, and our good friends Hannu Nykvist and Thomas Magnusson. The series has been around for nearly 14 years now, and every time I give someone a copy, I'm always reminding everyone that I'm only half of the equation. The other half is Mike Valley, and for the first time since 2018, we get a chance to hang out and learn from him.
This GGR will of course include another beefy Online Toolkit for the group, which will also include all of the event details, logistics, and links to all of the previous GGR Toolkits.
Mission
The GGR is dedicated to developing and inspiring goalie coaches. By bringing top performance experts and goalie coaches together from different parts of the world, we can create a special learning experience that promotes sharing, collaboration, and stronger friendships.
To learn more about the work being done within the GGR, please read our latest Toolkits.
Coaches
Each year, The Goalie Guild invites pro or national-level goalie coaches to attend our private retreat. These coaches reside together in our host lodge and spend five days collaborating together by sharing drills on the ice and participating in group workshops off the ice.
If you currently coach at any of the levels below, please feel free to apply.
NA Pro Leagues
Euro Pro Leagues
National Teams
College / University
NHL, AHL, ECHL, SPHL, SHL, Liiga, KHL, DEL, NCAA, CIS, ACHA, all pro Euro leagues
Demo Goalies
Along with the coaches, we invite 12-16 Demo Goalies to participate in the GGR. Demo goalies not only get access to training with all of the coaches, but they can participate in the off-ice learning and team-building activities as well. They also stay at the same host lodge with the coaches.
Demo Goalies need to be 18 years or older and playing at the following levels:
Professional Hockey
College Hockey
Major Juniors
USA Tier 1 or 2 Juniors
Development
The GGR is focused on providing coaches with an opportunity to share ideas and collaborate with fellow coaches and sports performance experts. We create a "sandbox" environment where coaches are free to explore new techniques and methods in order to share ideas and discover solutions for various problems related to goalie training and development.
Topics at the GGR include:
Ecological Dynamics
Skill Acquisition & Development
Autonomous Supportive Coaching
"Coaches as Designers"
Human-Centered Learning
Empathy-Based Coaching
Innovation & Technology
Long-Term Health & Safety
To learn more about the type of education we provide at the GGR, please read our Toolkits.
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