Dustin Schwartz Takes Over New Goaltending Director Role
Hockey Canada appointed Dustin Schwartz as its full-time director of goaltending, as the national organization addresses a shrinking share of Canadian netminders in the professional ranks. Schwartz spent the past decade with the Edmonton Oilers before his contract expired in 2025.
Dustin Schwartz has been hired as head of goaltending, focusing on goaltending development in Canada and working with 🇨🇦’s national teams. 🥅Dustin Schwartz a été embauché pour superviser le développement des gardiens et gardiennes de but à l’échelle locale et des équipes… pic.twitter.com/8h2Q9SUpq4
The 47-year-old native of Stettler, Alberta, will oversee a comprehensive national strategy. His duties range from coaching the senior team at world championships to spearheading grassroots development and building educational resources for coaches across the country. Canada accounted for 44 percent of skaters in the NHL during the 2024–25 season, but Canadian goalies made up just over a quarter of the league’s netminders.
Addressing Pipeline Pressures in Canadian Netminding
Hockey Canada senior vice-president Scott Salmond told The Athletic that the organization built the position out of necessity rather than trying to mimic international competitors. Other major hockey nations, including the United States and Sweden, already employ full-time goaltending heads.
“Internally we recognize that we really needed this position to address some of the concerns that we’ve had to really have a day-to-day focus on goaltending and how we can improve that within Canada,” Salmond told James Mirtle. Salmond noted that the organization previously felt comfortable with its talent pipeline because large numbers of young players naturally gravitated toward the position, a trend that has since reversed.
Shifting Development Back Toward Athleticism
Schwartz plans to alter how young netminders train by shifting the emphasis away from rigid systems and back toward natural movement. As a former player, Schwartz suited up in the Western Hockey League for the Medicine Hat Tigers and Red Deer Rebels before playing in the CIS for the University of Alberta.
“We have to get back a little bit to the athletic part of the position,” Schwartz told The Athletic. “We spend so much time on the technical aspect of the game and there’s other elements that are super important in order to play the position at a high level. Our goal is to try and create as many goalies as possible and help them to develop to play at the highest level that we can help them get to.”
Schwartz has already begun evaluating players, spending time with some of Canada’s goalies ahead of the U17 World Challenge in Oakville, Ontario.
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