All I could do was sit there, frozen to my chair, watching with a twisted stomach as Ondrej Pavelec lay motionless on the ice just 2:35 into the start of his regular season. It was something so eerie and surreal, like a scene straight out of a morbid hockey nightmare.

I’ve had them many times before, as I’m sure you have as well. Terrible collisions with brutal blood-letting results. Shadowy moments of playing in a game without a mask and then taking a blistering slapshot to the face. A skate blade to the throat or the wrist. These are just a few of the creepy things conjured up by the hockey demons inside our mind. And how they don’t happen more often in the wide world of hockey is kind of a miracle.

When Pavelec slumped to the ice and suffered what is being called a fainting spell, as a human being, I feared the worst. I saw no movement in his hands, his eyes were closed, and the spontaneous nature of the event was a sudden shock to everyone that witnessed the event. Nobody knew why it happened and nobody saw it coming. Whenever a player lays motionless in an episode where no body contact

In the minutes that followed, I simply couldn’t focus. I didn’t even care about the hockey game. I just wanted to know if he was still alive. I was even surprised the hockey game continued after such a dramatic event and extended break. Fortunately, reports finally started filtering through Twitter and the TV that he was in fact alert, resting and fully coherent once again.

When something so scary like this happens, it’s important to use it as a way to inform goaltenders of all ages and skill levels. Now I’m no doctor, scientist or health expert, but I think Pavelec’s collapse preaches and reinforces obvious precautionary measures that all goalies should take in order to optimize their readiness for a grueling hockey game.

Below are five crucial aspects of goaltending that I feel all goalies should keep in mind before they hit the ice:

1. HYDRATION -This is the most obvious precautionary measure of them all. Drinking plenty of water not only lubricates muscles and joints, it keeps the mind fresh and sharp. When the body starts to get tired, so does the mind, and vice versa. There are millions of legitimate scientific studies that prove the importance of staying hydrated, so be sure to drink water throughout the day if you know you’ll be playing a big game. There’s nothing wrong with electrolyte-based drinks like Gatorade and Powerade, but they have a lot of sugar and salt and can actually dry you out instead of hydrate you. If you play in a weekend tournament, consume a lot of protein and keep a water bottle handy!

2. PRE-GAME STRETCHING - Doing a multitude of different kinetic and static stretches prior to a hockey game is vital to loosening up muscles and getting the blood flowing. It’s key for a goalie to elevate their heart rate off the ice in a gradual manner so that when a game begins, the heart rate does not go from low to high at an exceedingly fast rate. I personally suggest riding the bike for a few minutes or doing a few running-in-place exercises, calisthenics and eye-hand coordination drills.

3. STEADY WARMUP - Some goalies get so amped up for a big game that they over-extend themselves in the warmup. Remember that you have three periods of hockey ahead of you – conserving some energy by taking limited shots prior to the game and spending more time stretching goes a long way in keeping the heart rate at normal levels. You’ll notice that most NHL goalies will stand up when stopping shots in the warmup, as they focus more on watching the puck into their body than executing full butterfly mechanics. They simply conserve energy for what matters – the games.

4. WATER BOTTLE WISDOM - Every goalie should have a full water bottle on the top of their net during play and a reserve bottle on the bench. Use them often and use them wisely. If you feel like your body temperature is rising, be sure to spray some water on the back of your neck and get some inside your chest protector. Spray some on the top of your helmet so it can drip down the sides of your face as well. You can also take timeouts and periods of inactivity to lift your helmet on the top of your head to let your upper body breathe. This will help cool you down, as goalie masks bottle up a lot of hot air and can make you feel stuffy.

5. FOCUS ON BREATHING - This may seem a little silly, but the power of controlled breathing is often underestimated. It also goes a long way mentally to establishing a calm demeanor in the net. Breathing is such an internal reaction that we rarely think about the rate at which we inhale and exhale. If you feel like your heart rate is elevating, use the power of your mind to control your breathing. Inhale deeply, exhale at the same rate. You’ll find this not only calms your nerves but regulates the heart rate as well.

—–[ TGG ]—–

What happened with Pavelec was a scary incident that I hope I never see again. Since the doctors still don’t know exactly why he fainted or what caused the episode, it becomes even more important for goalies everywhere to learn from Pavelec’s experience and take a moment to dissect how we manage our bodies when stopping pucks. You might find there are some precautionary measures that won’t only keep you from getting overheated, but will improve your stamina and focus in a grueling hockey game.