Shane Skinner & Mike O’Brien
GMHA Technical Directors of Goaltender Development

Rock Solid Goaltending (RSG), formerly known as GDI Atlantic, was formed in 2007 to develop goaltenders in Newfoundland and Labrador.  The coaches at RSG are of the highest quality, and have all played at the ‘AAA’ and Junior levels of competition.  Our instructors have all come through the RSG program and are familiar with the high quality product that is offered.

RSG is owned by Shane Skinner and Mike O'Brien. Shane is currently completing his HP1 certification with Hockey Canada and is the Head Coach for the Tricom Peewee AAA Thunder and Assistant Coach for the male Under-14 HPP provincial team.  Mike is a D1 certified coach and has completed Hockey Canada's Goaltending Coach training program and is a certified instructor of the course in Newfoundland.  Together, Shane and Mike have over 35+ years of coaching under their belts at all hockey levels!

What separates RSG from other programs in Newfoundland is their structured approach that lays a foundation of skills to be built upon throughout the course of a 20 week intensive program.  Their program was developed by National Hockey League (NHL) Goaltender Coach Ian Clarke of the Columbus Blue Jackets.  They start with the most basic of skills and ensure perfection before moving on to more complex movements to simulate gameplay.  Each of their drills has been developed to teach a specific skill and outlines key teaching points to ensure coaches are highlighting all important factors.  They don't just tell students to do something, they explain why they are doing it and make sure they understand its importance!