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Word in goalie coaching community is Calgary Flames hired Thomas Speer as their AHL and development goaltending coach. Speer was with US National Team Development Program, and takes over for Colin Zulianello, who left Stockton-based job for family reasons
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Thomas Speer, who recently completed his first season with the NTDP as the goaltending coach for both the Under-17 and Under-18 teams, will serve as an assistant coach for Team USA the first time.
In addition to his duties as the NTDP’s goaltender coach, Speer also oversees the Warren Strelow National Goaltending Mentor Program.
Prior to joining the NTDP Speer worked as director of amateur goaltending for the Dallas Stars, a goalie development coordinator for USA Hockey in Texas and Oklahoma, as well as director of camp development and personnel for Elite Goalies in Allen, Texas. He also served as a goaltending coach for the Allen Americans of the ECHL for four seasons.
From the Team USA Hockey website.
He likely has some familiarity with Dustin Wolf as well as Tyler Parsons.
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Last edited by Reggie Dunlop; 08-24-2019 at 07:00 PM.
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Don't think Speer ever formally worked with Wolf or Parsons. It doesn't seem like he worked with the Hlinka team, only the U18 Worlds team in the spring. And he wasn't part of the Summer Showcase for the U20s.
Don't think Speer ever formally worked with Wolf or Parsons. It doesn't seem like he worked with the Hlinka team, only the U18 Worlds team in the spring. And he wasn't part of the Summer Showcase for the U20s.
That's why I said "some familiarity." I was unsure of any direct personal interaction.
He would though, have colleagues that did. Giving him some insight into the players.
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Thomas Speer: Goaltending Coach
Bryan Erspamer: Head Athletic Trainer
Chris Demczuk: Video Analyst & Team Services
Joe Wieszczek: Assistant Equipment Manager
Zavgordniy is not eligible to play in the AHL this year until his QMJHL team is done for the season because of the CHL/NHL transfer agreement.
The depth chart for the Heat looks like:
*indicates needs to clear waivers
^indicates AHL deal
italics indicates cannot be sent to ECHL without player's permission
LW
Dube Kirkland* Lomberg
Gallant^
Morelli^
C Quine*
Philp
Pospisil
Ruzicka
Gawdin Froese*
Hults^
I am keeping Dube at LW because that is where he played most of last season in Stockton
There appears to be a logjam at C and LD. The high probability that Quine and Davidson being the 13th F and 7th D respectively will likely help with the jam. Kylington will be an early callup if he isn't with Calgary to start the season. There are going to be LD that have to play on their offside. Hults, Amorossa, and Gaudreau likely start in the ECHL and get called up for injuries.
Pospisil has stated before that he does not like playing wing.
Ruzicka is really good at faceoffs but his propensity at taking some shifts off may better suit him to rotate to wing especially in his first pro year.
Last edited by sureLoss; 08-31-2019 at 10:12 AM.
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I hope Dubé sticks with the big club and Quine likely becomes the extra forward up with the Flames too.. would be nice to see some of the kids overtake the veterans on the top line of the Heat.
Should be a big year for Phillips and Gawdin. Mckenna (+ Philp) is my darkhorse. So looking forward to see how Ruzicka, Pospisil and Tuulola perform.
I may be a sucker for big names and draft pedigree, but our Heat roster looks horrendous outside of the goalies for this coming year with the graduation of Dube and Kylington.
I may be a sucker for big names and draft pedigree, but our Heat roster looks horrendous outside of the goalies for this coming year with the graduation of Dube and Kylington.
It is horrendous.
We have no real star AHL players to insulate. We need major steps from a few players for this team to even come close.
From top to bottom the team is lacking, although the goalies maybe able to steal a few games.
Really need big steps from Gawdin, Phillips, Neilson and others to even come close to not being bottom dwellers.
We may have although the youngest roster in the league though.
Last season the Heat were 4th in GF/G with 3.45 and 30th in GA/G with 3.71.
The Heat did lose some of their top offensive guys in Graovac, Rychel, and Lazar, but the Heat last season were more score by committee than being carried by those 3. I still expect a reduction in GF/G but that is okay. It is also looking more likely that Czarnik gets sent down this season, which might help the offense a lot.
The real killer last season was the GA. One of Gillies, Parsons, or Zagidulin need to step and take 1A and have a great season.
What worries me the most is the D group. Yelesin and Leslie need to be big time difference makers with Valiev, Hamilton and Nielsen returning and AOM gone (arguably the Heat's best stay at home d-man). The forwards will need to tighten up their 2 way games otherwise.
Last edited by sureLoss; 09-06-2019 at 11:33 AM.
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I don't know much about the D signed at the AHL level, and assuming Davidson/kylington spend time with the big club, I'd expect the flames to invest in some seasoned vets to bring a strong d presence too stockton.
I don't think playing on a weak defensive team is, generally, good for a goalie development program. Although, I'd love to know of the 20 or so top starters in the league, is there any kind of trend around the kind of teams they played for in their core development years (ie. it it better to play on a crap team and just get peppered with tons of shots and Grade A opportunities, or does strong structure create the better environment for goalie development?).
Heat announce training camp roster (obviously more will be coming from Calgary once training camp cuts occur):
Most notable of the tryouts is former Hitmen player Adam Tambellini
Oilers acquired the draft rights to Hayden Hawkey in 2018, but decided to let him walk after he graduated. Another product of the Providence Friars. Was most recently at Caps training camp on a tryout
Woods, Goff, Parks, and Walker have ECHL deals with the Flames ECHL affiliate in KC.
Hayden Hawkey is a former teammate of Jankowski's at Providence (although he only saw action in 5 games that year). His freshman year was Gillies' first pro season, so their times in Providence didn't overlap.
He is a former Canadiens' draft pick who was acquired last summer by the Oilers. Since he completed his four years of College eligibility and made the right choice to not sign with the Oilers, he is now a UFA.
He did not attend the Oilers development camp in either of the last two years, which probably says a lot about his interest in ever signing with that dumpster fire. I like him already.
It's hard to see a fit for him in the Flames organization, who are going to have a hard time finding room for all the goalies they already have under contract.
He had really good stats in college. It's surprising that he hasn't received an NHL contract anywhere yet.
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