At the IIHF Hockey Symposium, Steve Briere shared his path from humble beginnings to becoming an NHL goalie coach — and the lessons he learned along the way.

Steve Briere grew up in Canada with one dream: to become an NHL goalie. But his path was anything but conventional. Coming from humble beginnings, he couldn’t afford the specialized hockey training others had access to. Instead, Steve would watch sessions, study what he saw, and train himself. He even adopted unorthodox methods, like wearing his glove and blocker in the gym, in a relentless pursuit of improvement.

His journey took him through Division III hockey and eventually into retirement, but Steve wasn’t done learning. At 32, he enrolled at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, eventually becoming the director of the Innovation Institute, helping turn patents into companies. This investment in innovation and creativity would later shape his approach to goaltending.

“If you want it bad enough, you’ll find a way.”

Steve developed powerful training routines for goalies, creating detailed tracking systems and bringing a fresh, analytical mindset to the game. But his story wasn’t without setbacks.

He shared one of his biggest learning moments: his first NHL game as a goalie coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Montreal Canadiens — a 2–1 loss where head coach Mike Babcock ripped into the goalies. “I wasn’t equipped with the tools to help insulate my goalie, Jonathan Bernier,” Steve admitted. A few games later, the team faced Buffalo, and it happened again. “I failed Bernier,” he said, reflecting on how unprepared he was to provide the mental support his goalie needed.

Instead of letting failure define him, Steve committed himself to growth. He immersed himself in the mental side of the game, reading extensively, extracting key ideas, and building tools to help himself and his players. He learned to understand different learning styles and how to connect with players on a deeper level.

“Think for yourself. Be genuine.”

Today, Steve uses those lessons to support both his goalies and his head coaches. He understands the pressures they face and positions himself as an outlet and sounding board. His resilience, creativity, and commitment to self-improvement have allowed him to thrive in one of the most demanding jobs in hockey.

Coaching Takeaways

• Failure is a teacher. Setbacks can fuel future success.

• Invest in the mental game. Mental development is as crucial as technical training.

• Be a support system. Coaches aren’t just instructors — they’re allies for players and staff under pressure.

Challenge for coaches: How can you turn your own failures into tools for growth — for both yourself and your players?

Noteworthy timestamps:

• 0:50 It starts with a goal
• 1:55 Early years
• 5:25 Juniors/college
• 7:00 Jump to pro
• 9:50 Starting a goalie school
• 11:30 Onestophockey/Dartfish
• 14:20 Going back to school
• 18:10 Hunstville training
• 20:05 Mitch Korn mentorship
• 23:10 First crack into the NHL
• 26:00 Goalie academy in Minnesota
• 30:15 Coaching 6 teams at once
• 33:25 Interview with Babs
• 43:00 Failure 
• 46:40 Continuing education
• 49:30 Flow
• 56:10 Reminder of the day
• 58:40 Reviewing during a season
• 1:02:35 Workflow
• 1:05:05 Goal scoring project
• 1:07:10 Happiness is my guide