Steve Thompson, of Alaska Goaltending Academy, leads a drill for goaltenders at Treadwell Arena in February 2017. Thompson is celebrating the “Try Hockey Day” on Saturday with a free goalie clinic on Mendenhall Lake. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Steve Thompson, of Alaska Goaltending Academy, leads a drill for goaltenders at Treadwell Arena in February 2017. Thompson is celebrating the “Try Hockey Day” on Saturday with a free goalie clinic on Mendenhall Lake. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Hockey goalie guru hosts outdoor clinic

The clinic falls on USA Hockey’s ‘Try Hockey Day’

A one-of-a-kind hockey demonstration is coming to Juneau this weekend.

Alaska-bred coach Steve Thompson will be holding a free one-hour goalie clinic Saturday on Mendenhall Lake. Thompson, USA Hockey’s Pacific District Goalie Coach-In-Chief, said he wanted to do something special to celebrate “Try Hockey Day,” slated for Saturday, and thought of a skating adventure he took while in Juneau in 2017.

“We skated and went through the ice caves and from that point on I was like, ‘I want to do a goalie clinic on that glacier one day,’” Thompson said via cellphone on Thursday. “That is just something that is unique to the world.”

Thompson is the founder of an Anchorage-based company specializing in goalie instruction, Alaska Goaltending Academy, and also coaches part time with the U.S. women’s national hockey team. The Anchorage native played competitive hockey through college — spending four seasons on the Alaska Nanooks — before getting into coaching.

Juneau Douglas Ice Association goalie coach Andrew Wells helped Thompson coordinate the event.

“We just feel like this is Alaska and we have the opportunity to do something that you can’t do basically anywhere else,” Wells said. “We’ve got a glacier right here; it’s a really cool, fun thing to do for the kids.”

The event will begin at 1 p.m. and last roughly one hour. Free gear will be provided. To sign up go to bit.ly/2EmJFRg.

“Any kids that haven’t played goalie before or like the idea of it but haven’t had a chance to play, we’re going to provide gear for,” Thompson said. “And then anybody that has their own equipment and currently plays is also welcome. It’s just kind of a way to celebrate the game and try and get some new people interested in it.”


• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com. Follow Empire Sports on Twitter at @akempiresports.


More in Sports

Metlakatla’s Drena Hayward (#15) passes the ball to a teammate in their opening game against Yakutat during the 75th Gold Medal Basketball Tournament on Sunday morning at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
75th Gold Medal Basketball Tournament opens with all harboring hopes for week ahead

Winners and losers not reading too much into opening games with some teammates still to arrive.

The Thunder Mountain High School Falcons Region V champion girls basketball team pose for a photo during practice at the Thunderdome on Friday. The Falcons begin state tournament play Wednesday at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / For the Juneau Empire)
Thunder Mountain girls basketball team ready for back-to-back state tournament play

No. 4 Falcons begin school’s final chase for a title against No. 5 Dimond High School on Wednesday.

The Thunder Mountain High School Falcons Region V champion boys basketball team pose for a photo during practice at the Thunderdome on Friday. The Falcons begin state tournament play Wednesday at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / For the Juneau Empire)
Thunder Mountain boys basketball team begins final state tournament play

No. 6 Falcons (19-9) open Wednesday against No. 3 West Valley High School from Fairbanks.

Hoonah’s Mark Prpich (22) drives the lane against Juneau’s Doug Draowski (5) on Saturday during last year’s Gold Medal championship game for M bracket at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé on March 25, 2023. Prpich finished the game with 10 points. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
75th Gold Medal Basketball Tournament tips off Sunday

25 regional teams to compete for titles in four brackets; no Juneau teams playing this year.

From left, Lauren Shea, Chantale Bégin, Isabelle Côté and Noelle Helder propel their 28-foot boat Emma off the coast of Florida during a training run for their crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. (Photo courtesy Noelle Helder)
Alaska Science Forum: Marine scientist rows across the Atlantic

The first days were the hardest days, Noelle Helder said. Imagine being… Continue reading

The author and his wife ride a lift at Eaglecrest over the weekend. (Photo by Jeff Lund)
I Went to the Woods: All you can eat pizza

There are times you’re confronted with the culmination of your career as… Continue reading

Dallas Seavey sits with his lead dogs Sebastian, left, and Aero after his sixth Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race win on Tuesday in Nome. (Anne Raup/Anchorage Daily News via AP)
Dallas Seavey wins 6th Iditarod championship, most ever in the world’s most famous sled dog race

Dallas Seavey’s path to an Iditarod championship was like none he’s faced… Continue reading

The 2024 Alaska Airlines Region V Basketball Tournament mass pep band, a combined musical extravaganza of Southeast high school pep band members, prepare to play during a game between Haines and Craig last week at the B.J. McGillis Gymnasium in Sitka. (Heather Gluth / MEHS)
Region V Basketball Tournament awards

The conclusion of the Alaska Airlines Region V 2A/4A Basketball Tournament on… Continue reading

A pine grosbeak munches on some old berries. (Photo by Kerry Howard)
On the Trails: Animal tracks and pine grosbeaks

February had an extra day this year, a cold and gusty one.… Continue reading

Most Read