In this Episode of the InGoal Radio Podcast presented by The Hockey Shop Source for Sports , we chat with Canada's Gold Medal winning goaltender from the World Junior Championships, Joel Hofer, just after his return to Canada. Hofer, who was also named the Tournament's top goaltender is a fascinating story; he didn't play AAA hockey until he was 16, was never drafted into major junior hockey, and had never before played for his country.  In fact, when Canada brought their top junior netminders together this past summer for their Program of Excellence camp, Hofer was not on the list of invitations. As he always has, the 6'5" St. Louis Blues prospect kept working, producing a remarkable first half of the season with his WHL club, the Portland Winterhawks, and earned an invitation to the Canadian Team's final camp before the World Championships. He didn't start Canada's first game but once he got the net he didn't let go. His calm, steadying influence was a major reason for the Canadian victory.

For our gear segment sponsored by the Hockey Shop we wanted to talk to an NHL equipment manager to give you some insights into the gear in the NHL locker rooms and the role the equipment manager plays in keeping his goaltenders on top of their game. We found one who does all of that, and a whole lot more. A former pro himself, Carolina's Jorge Alves frequently takes the net in practice himself to give the Hurricanes' starters much-needed rest and it's a role that Carolina players have told us over the years is an important one for the club. In fact, Alaves was even pressed into service as an EBUG (Emergency Backup Goaltender) and fate saw him get into the game and he now sports an NHL career that lasted a record 7.6 seconds.​