(CBS DETROIT) — Nearly 27% of the minutes played by professional goalies this year were logged by Americans, said Steve Thompson, manager of goaltending for USA Hockey.
But according to the governing body, that is not enough.
In 2017, USA Hockey established the 51 in 30 initiative, setting a goal for 51% of professional minutes in the creases of both the men’s and women’s leagues to come from American goaltenders. With a rate of 11%, just six years earlier, the government initiated change.
In recent years, USA Hockey has made noticeable investments in the development of homegrown goaltenders.
During the 2024 National Goaltending Camp, held at the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, six of the 24 participating goaltenders call Michigan home. Several of them attribute the quality of their state’s goaltending to the amount of youth programs available locally.
