Raiders hire Dan Ferguson as goaltending coach
The Prince Albert Raiders have announced the hiring of Dan Ferguson as the club’s goaltending coach.
“I’m really excited to work with the organization, an organization with a rich history in the WHL,” Ferguson said. “I’m looking forward to working with Curtis, Jeff, and the rest of the staff. I think working in different environments and seeing a lot of different goalies provides a good perspective. It helps with managing day to day situations and managing pressure.”
With 17 years of experience in the goaltending realm, Ferguson’s career has taken him all over Western Canada. Most recently, he was the goaltending coach for the Winnipeg ICE (2019-21), Rink Hockey Academy in the CSSHL since 2016, the Steinbach Pistons of the MJHL, the Flin Flon Bombers of the SJHL, and is a Hockey Canada Goaltending Advisory board member.
Ferguson will come in and work with Max Hildebrand, who is entering his final season of WHL eligibility. Hildebrand took on most of the load between the pipes last year with 51 appearances, and Ferguson says with the amount of ice time he got and the numbers he put up, he wants to make sure he feels as comfortable in the crease as he was last season.
“I’m not going to go in there and change him,” he explained. “I’m going to make sure he’s still himself and that he feels great every day.”
The backup situation this season will be a unique one. After Nathan Preston was dealt to the Tri-City Americans, Hildebrand is the only returning goaltender heading into training camp with any WHL regular season experience. So while the backup position will be finalized heading into the home opener in just over a month’s time, Ferguson noted the important advice he will give to a young netminder.
“Preparation is number one. Playing in the Western League every day is important. Managing your schedule is very important, especially with school. How you show up to the rink, when you show up to the rink is also important, as well as using your time in practice and watching video to recognize patterns in the game. For a young goalie, building a calm presence in net in your first year is a big thing. Puck handling is a big thing, seeing plays off the rush and how you’re handling the rushes and flow of the game is important. All of that comes over time, and just the talks day to day with both goalies on the team will help with that.”
