It takes a different kind of personality to want to stand in front of someone winding up and letting a 100 mph slap shot go right at your head from 25 feet away, while your defense-man completely blocks your view. You hope you are lucky enough to catch a glimpse at the 6 ounces of black vulcanized rubber a split second before it's in the back of the net and the big red lamp gets lit…
Unless of course your name is Shane Clifford, better known as Cliffy to his students. In that case, and like his students, they thrive on it!
Shane Clifford has mentored numerous junior, college, and NHL professional goaltenders since 2001 and without needing to say it, well, he’s the epitome of a Local Legend.
His intro to the hockey world is far from the norm in so many ways:
Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, not exactly a hockey hotbed by any means, Cliffy was introduced to the world’s fastest game when he was 11, jumped into the pipes “cause he thought the pads looked cool”, and has been deeply involved in developing seriously talented netminders (that’s hockey lingo for goalies) ever since. The guy can walk into almost any rink in the continental USA and damned if someone doesn’t recognize the southern draw in his voice or see the young goaltenders following him, hoping to get a few words of wisdom from the Legend himself and become one of his #DAWGS.
To say he’s successful at bringing goalies to the next level through his coaching is an understatement. With the likes of John Gibson (Anaheim Ducks, NHL), Carter Hart (1st Goalie taken 2016 NHL Draft, Philadelphia Flyers), and one of the best to stand in the crease Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh Penguins, Las Vegas Knights), Shane has impacted the lives of hundreds of goalies all over the country. He’s made a huge impact and opened his own Goalie School that coaches and develops players ranging from 8 years old up to professionals.
Cliffy is Legendary to any young talent that crosses his path and rightfully so. If you're of paying age, or know of someone who is, it goes without saying… get that goaltender to Cliffy’s Goalie School or schedule some private coaching, because once they rub elbows with the Legend himself, their success rates will take off like a rocket ship.
Cheers to you Shane Clifford, best of luck, and keep pumping out some of the best Netminders to hunker down between the pipes!
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