The elite four-day camp covered both physical and mental aspects of goaltending, helping each of the 27 invitees master the fundamentals of the position while developing a personal identity that translates to in-game success.

"We wanted a bunch of guys who had one goal of getting better and pushing American goaltenders into the NHL, and this camp really played into that," said Thomas Speer, USA Hockey National Goaltending Coach. 

For the first time in camp history, currently active professional goalies from the NHL and AHL were invited to participate in an effort to create organic mentorship with the invitees.

“Having someone like Jimmy Howard out there, seeing how he competes and trains, you can learn a lot from that,” said Cameron Rowe, goaltender for the U.S. National Under-18 Team. “We look up to the professional goalies, looking at their path and how they got to where they are now.”

University of Notre Dame sophomore goaltender Dylan St. Cyr, formerly with the NTDP, agreed.

“It's awesome to see their [the pros'] work ethic on the ice and see how they carry themselves off the ice as well,” he said. “Picking their brains a bit and learn how they got to their level is a pretty awesome and cool experience.”

The Strelow Camp invitees were divided into three teams and rotated through various sessions throughout each day. The sessions included on-ice drills, off-ice conditioning, and presentations from current NHL goalie coaches. A presentation from Josh Tucker, a vision specialist, was also a highlight of the camp.

“We talked a lot about empowering the invitees and encouraging them to take ownership of their own development,” said Phil Osaer, American Development Model goaltending manager at USA Hockey. “If they are going to be elite, they are going to have to take their development into their own hands. Everything we did this week was aimed at giving them what they need to walk away energized for the season with new knowledge and contacts.”

The Warren Strelow National Goaltending Camp is named in honor of the late Warren Strelow, a former NHL goalie coach who served in that same capacity for the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. Strelow was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004, and is known as one of the most accomplished goaltending coaches in American history.

For more on USA Hockey goaltending, click here.