Into the Goalieverse: How virtual reality could change the……

WOBURN, Mass. — The goalies of tomorrow will have healthier hips. They will be more inclined to stay on their feet instead of dropping into the butterfly to stop a puck. They will be in better command of box control, the technique that encourages more efficient movements to stop pucks. Through increased repetitions, they will be sharper at reading shooter releases and reacting to net-front tips. They will be freer of mind after poor performances.

All of these enhancements assume adoption of virtual reality training. Brian Daccord believes it is inevitable.

Daccord, among other titles, is the director of goaltending for Sense Arena, a Czech Republic-based company specializing in VR. Daccord cites Facebook and its sprint toward the metaverse. According to The Information, approximately 10,000 Facebook employees, nearly one-fifth of its workforce, work on virtual reality. To Daccord, it signals the certainty of VR’s future acceptance into everyday life.

Hence the coming Goalieverse.

Sense Arena’s platform is the Oculus Quest 2. At the cost of $899, goalies can purchase a headset and two controllers — one for the glove, the other for the blocker — loaded with Sense Arena’s software. For existing Oculus owners, Sense Arena offers a $99 monthly user license. Jonathan Quick and Philipp Grubauer are two NHL goalies currently using the system.

“It’s the comfort of knowing you can put the headset on at any time and catch some pucks,” said Daccord after demonstrating the system at the headquarters of Stop It Goaltending, his goalie training program. “Because anxiety is such a big part of the goalie’s world. I don’t know how much people who aren’t goalies understand the mental part of the game. There’s such an anxiety that goes along with it. Pregame anxiety is one of the worst. You can, at anytime, put your headset on and feel the puck. I think that’s probably the biggest thing for a goaltender.”

Once you put the headset on, your eyes control a red dot that acts like a laser pointer. By maneuvering the dot, you can launch any kind of preloaded drill: shots from the point, tips from in front, one-timers off passes that cross the center line. 

Bots that look like pylons on wheels take the shots. There is also a function where real-life shooters, filmed in action, put shots on goal.

With a controller in each hand, you catch pucks or steer them aside with your blocker. The better you read the release and track the puck, the better your odds of making the save will be. After each drill, a stat board appears showing your save percentage. You can also run a replay from the shooter’s perspective to see how you made each save and where each goal went in.