Having elevated the games of current National Hockey League goaltenders Carey Price, Ray Emery, Tim Thomas, Tuukka Rask, Brian Elliott, Jason LaBarbera, and Devan Dubnyk. Eli Wilson has established himself as one of the premier goaltending coaches in the world. His relentless work ethic, vivacious personality, knowledge of the goaltending position and tenacious approach to the game has afforded Eli the ability to build an impressive track record.

Wilson had unprecedented success for four seasons with the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers. While there, Wilson’s goaltenders set new franchise records only to break them again two years later. During Eli’s tenure, the Tigers won two Championships and in both of those runs, the Medicine Hat goalies were named playoff MVP’s.

Eli's success as a goaltending coach is best demonstrated by the number of goaltenders he has developed that have gone on to win numerous prestigious awards including Stanley Cups, Conn Smythe Trophies, Venzina Trophies, World Junior Gold Medals, AHL Championships, AHL Playoff MVP's, WHL Goaltender of the Year, OHL Goaltender of the Year and CHL Goaltender of the Year.

In 2004, Eli founded the largest goaltending school in Western Canada – World Pro Goaltending. Known as Western Canada’s elite training centre for goaltenders, World Pro teaches a cutting edge compact butterfly style combined with read-and-react skills that focus on making goaltenders more efficient by simplifying their game. Up to his departure from the company in 2009, World Pro Goaltending was performing more than 5000 one-on-one training sessions annually; combined with numerous camps including the world renowned Elite Prospects and Professional (NHL) camps. World Pro Goaltending secured the services of Francois Allaire in 2004 and 2005 for its first 3 day Elite Camps. Eli Wilson was also a major player in the start of Professional Skate Services Goalie Centre, which in its first year was the leading selling retailer of goalie equipment in Calgary. Eli has worked with a number of manufactures of goaltending equipment over the years and has had a major influence in several advancements in goaltending equipment.

In 2004 Eli was named to Hockey Canada's goaltending consultant group along with Francois Allaire, David Marcoux and Sean Burke. Since 2004 Eli has consulted with C.A.A during their summer development camps in Los Angeles CA, this camp is for C.A.A's top young prospects. In 2007, Eli spent a month in South Korea working with the Kangwon Land Ice Hockey team and all the youth goaltenders in the country.

Wilson was the Ottawa Senators goaltending coach from 2007-2010. During his tenure, Eli was responsible for the Ottawa Senators goaltenders as well as for the goalies playing for their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators. In February 2011 Eli was hired by the Anaheim Ducks to work as their goaltending consultant for their affiliate Syracuse Crunch for the duration of the season. They went on to push Ray Emery's return to the NHL and the Crunch had their strongest run of the season while Eli was on staff.

In 2010 Eli established Eli Wilson Goaltending. Eli Wilson Goaltending is growing rapidly and currently runs 12 weeks of camps throughout Vancouver, Jasper, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Denver, Detroit, and Coral Springs. These camps range from entry level goaltending schools and clinics to NHL Pro Camps. Along with goaltending camps, Eli also consults with organizations throughout the world running private clinics.

 

Bob Essensa has worked with Eli Wilson at his Goalie Camps since 2005.  His main focus has been with the Detroit school and the pro camps.

Bob has a very good understanding of the position.  He has a calm approach to teaching and he is very good at pointing out details of the tactical aspects of the position.

Essensa is in his eighth season with the Bruins organization since he was named as the club’s goaltending coach on September 9, 2003. 

The Bruins goaltenders have had tremendous success during his tenure with the hockey club including Rookie of the Year and Vezina trophies.  Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask are 2 of the top goaltenders in the NHL.

Based out of his home in Michigan, Essensa joins the team at various times during the season to work with the organization’s goaltenders both in Boston and in Providence.

Essensa played for six NHL teams over a 14-year professional career and played his final NHL season with the Buffalo Sabres in 2001-02.

His NHL career record was 173-176-47 with a 3.15 goals against average and 18 shutouts in 446 games with Winnipeg, Detroit, Edmonton, Phoenix, Vancouver and Buffalo.

A lifetime student of the goaltending position, Chris instructs goalies, consults, and designs equipment.  He has been instructing goalies for 15 years and has achieved success with his NHL clients, collegiate and junior goalies, and all levels of amateur and youth hockey goaltenders. He constantly strives to innovate and remain on the cutting edge of modern goaltending evolution through both innovative techniques and equipment integration into the position. 

Over 300 students from ages 8 thru adult, male & female, take year round private lessons and attend his camps.  His students have won several state and national championships.  They continue to stand out as the best goalies in their league and in tournaments.  More refined in their movement, in control and rarely out of position, providing their team consistency in goal every game. 

Chris believes that Goaltender Training should focus on movement drills that are repetitive and train muscle memory.  Efficient goalie practice has everything to do with correct use of repetition and variety.  It is critical to not practice mistakes.  When goalies play faster, they don’t think faster, they simply rely more on previously ingrained habits.  So practicing correctly is critical to successful execution and performance, and drills must also replicate game situations.

 

This will be Robb Tallas' first year working with Eli Wilson at his Goalie Camps.

Throughout his 13-year playing career, Tallas appeared in 99 career National Hockey League games with the Boston Bruins (1995-2000) and Chicago Blackhawks (2000-01). The Edmonton, Alberta native also serves as a hockey instructor at the Florida Panthers official practice facility, Saveology.com Iceplex and has previously worked with several NHL goalies. He also has participated as an instructor at the Panthers goaltending schools, while conducting one-on-one goaltending classes with aspiring goaltenders. Some of the goalies Robb has had the pleasure of coaching are Tomas Vokoun, Scott Clemmensen, Jacob Markstrom, Tyler Plante, Brian Foster, Marc Cheverie, Alexander Salak, Roberto Luongo, Craig Anderson, and Ed Belfour. Additionally, he serves as an active member of the Florida Panthers Alumni Association.