[News] Flames expanding goalie deparment. Sigalet named director. Labarbera new goalie coach

[sureLoss]

https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/flam...nt/c-319815540

The Calgary Flames announced today the creation and restructuring of their goaltending department.

"The goal and mission of this change is to provide us with the best process to identify, draft, develop, procure and coach goalies for the Calgary Flames," said Flames General Manager Brad Treliving. "We believe this structure and process will provide us with the best and deepest goaltending expertise throughout all parts of the organization."

Jordan Sigalet has been named the Director of Goaltending and in his position will oversee all goaltending related responsibilities. Specifically, Sigalet will focus on NHL drafting, professional goaltending procurement and all goaltender development within the organization. This is Sigalet's seventh season with the Flames after three seasons as the Goaltending Coach with Calgary's AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. Jordan was drafted by the Boston Bruins in 2001 after a four year college award winning career at Bowling Green University.

Jason Labarbera has been named the Flames Goaltending Coach. In his role, Labarbera will oversee the day-to-day duties with the Flames netminders. Jason completed a 16-year professional playing career in 2016. For the past four seasons, Jason has served as Assistant Coach/Goalie Coach with the Calgary Hitmen (WHL). In addition, Labarbera has served as the Goalie Coach for Canada's National Teams including U-18 team the past two seasons and with Team Canada U-20 which won gold at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship. Jason will join the Flames after completing his duties with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton.

Thomas Speer will continue to serve in his role as Development Goalie Coach with Calgary's AHL affiliate in Stockton. Speer will oversee the development of AHL and Flames prospect goaltenders throughout the system. Prior to working with Stockton, Speer spent two years with USA Hockey as the National Goaltending Coach and serving as the goalie coach for their Under-17 and Under-18 teams. Prior to USA Hockey, Speer spent four seasons as the Goaltending Coach for the Allen Americans in the ECHL after four seasons of college hockey split between the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and UMass-Boston.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1339239600968015872

https://twitter.com/user/status/1339240506354671618

[sureLoss]

Interesting timing as the Panthers just announced a big expansion of their goalie department with Luongo and Allaire.

Labarbera has been goalie coach for the Hitmen and Hockey Canada U20 team the last few seassons

[Erick Estrada]

Great news. Change was needed. It may be overly simplistic to blame the goaltending woes over the years on Sigalet but I don't think the play of the goaltenders provided any evidence he was doing a great job.

[sureLoss]

Wes Gilbertson @WesGilbertson
#Flames GM Brad Treliving: “The goal and mission of this change is to provide us with the best process to identify, draft, develop, procure and coach goalies for the Calgary Flames.”

Wes Gilbertson @WesGilbertson
#Flames GM Treliving, continued: “We believe this structure and process will provide us with the best and deepest goaltending expertise throughout all parts of the organization.”

[troutman]

Too many cooks?

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by troutman

Too many cooks?

Not enough!

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Great news. Change was needed. It may be overly simplistic to blame the goaltending woes over the years on Sigalet but I don't think the play of the goaltenders provided any evidence he was doing a great job.

So much so, they just gave him a promotion!

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by troutman

Too many cooks?

too few hasn't been working out so great for us

[sureLoss]

Sounds like Sigalet's new role will be more a pro and amateur scout for goalies and a development coach. Will probably advise Labarbera

Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg
Sigalet’s new role “will focus on NHL drafting, professional goaltending procurement and all goaltender development within the organization”.

Labarbera takes over as goalie coach after four years in the same role with the Hitmen. #Flames

[Vinny01]

I think this move is a focus on developing a goalie prospect from the draft through to being a franchise goalie.

Irving, Keetley, Ortio, Gillies, McDonald, Parsons.

Many of these players at one point looked like high end goalie prospects but none found success here (Parsons still has hope).

Since Kiprusoff the Flames have had a long list of goalies with only Rittich being a player they developed in the minors and actually stick in the NHL.

There is stability in the organization with a long term number 1 in place but the focus needs to be developing Wolf and future goalie prospects to be poised for success.

[Krovikan]

How has the Hitmen goaltending been under Labarbera tenure with them?

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by troutman

Too many cooks?

It sounds like Sigalet's role is being expanded. I would guess the Flames want him focused more on organisational-wide development and systems, and I wouldn't be surprised if they want him to do more scouting as well. More than likely, this is freeing Sigalet up to do other things. It is so typical that some posters read this as an indictment of his work.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Sounds like Sigalet's new role will be more a pro and amateur scout for goalies and a development coach. Will probably advise Labarbera

Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg
Sigalet’s new role “will focus on NHL drafting, professional goaltending procurement and all goaltender development within the organization”.

Labarbera takes over as goalie coach after four years in the same role with the Hitmen. #Flames

Sigalet scouted Rittich, and turned a free asset into a NHL goalie from out of nowhere. He seems to have an eye for talent.

[sureLoss]

Pierre LeBrun @PierreVLeBrun
The Flames, I'm told, have been looking at this for a year... Really smart in my mind to go this route.

[Monahammer]

I read this as freeing up Sigalet for doing the things he has shown success at: Talent identification, relationship building, and the mental side of keeping goalies happy. Meanwhile the flames get to also bring in someone who might be superior at actual developing and maintaining the in game skills of the goalies.

Not an indictment of anyone, just a realization that improvement is still possible.

[Ozy_Flame]

Drafting goalies needs all the administrative support it can get. Those are long-term investments that need to be done right. Happy to see the structure in place to take goalies through the Flames system. My only thing left wanting is David Marcoux on the team, but this is a great team to position with.

[calumniate]

Tre said process - drink!

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Krovikan

How has the Hitmen goaltending been under Labarbera tenure with them?

Jason Labarbera made Nick Schneider what he is today.

[getbak]

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I read this as freeing up Sigalet for doing the things he has shown success at: Talent identification, relationship building, and the mental side of keeping goalies happy. Meanwhile the flames get to also bring in someone who might be superior at actual developing and maintaining the in game skills of the goalies.

Not an indictment of anyone, just a realization that improvement is still possible.

This makes sense to me. I guess Sigalet has been good at spotting goaltending talent. Is that all based on Rittich? I'm not very clear on what his role has been thus far in "procuring" goaltending talent.