Jake Hildebrand is a 93’ birth year, 5’11” goalie who grew up a Pittsburgh native and trained with Shane Clifford. He played 70 games in the USHL for the Sioux City Musketeers before accepting a scholarship to play NCAA D1 hockey at Michigan State University from 2012 – 2016. A 4 year starter at MSU, he played 133 games and amassed over 3,800 saves. He earned team MVP honors 3 consecutive seasons and was named the Big Ten player of the year and Top Goalie in 14-15. During this historic year, Hildebrand broke a 55 year old MSU record when he tended the net for every single minute of the season. After his final game at MSU, he signed with the Allen Americans in the ECHL and finished the season, playing in 5 regular season contests and 8 playoff games. He helped backstop Allen to an ECHL championship and earned a ring with the Americans.
He currently plays for the Tulsa Oilers in the ECHL. Last year, his first full pro season, he signed a 2 way AHL/ECHL contract with the Rockford IceHogs. He attended the Chicago Blackhawks Training Camp and competed in “Festival Game” to a sold out crowd at the United Center.
During the 16-17 campaign with the Fuel, Jake played 47 games and made over 1,400 saves, twice earning ECHL goalie of the week honors. He received his first AHL call up to Rockford and played in 3 games. Jake was voted by the players and coaches in Indy as the Fuels’ Rookie of the Year. Often viewed as an undersized goalie, Hildebrand has enjoyed a staggering amount of success at every level he’s competed at, continuing to exemplify that size is only a number.
>I proposed some questions to Jake in hopes sharing his viewpoint will inspire and educate other goalies going through similar challenges to rise above and achieve similar success.
How tall are you and where would you categorize that among other goalie’s in the ECHL? What about while in college at Michigan State?
I’m 5’11…and 1/2″. I always make sure to say the 1/2 part at the end for good measure. While in college I’d say I was around the smaller side as most goalies were between 6’1-6’2, but since turning pro I’ve noticed a bigger difference than ever. Most goalies are 6’3 or taller due to the way NHL organizations and pro scouts portray bigger goalies as automatically covering more net and therefore being “better”.
What are some disadvantages to being smaller? 
Being smaller the disadvantages I’ve had to deal with mostly are just smaller limbs so I can’t extend to pucks as easy as a taller guy. For example, when I get in the RVH my shoulders won’t come up as high on the post so I’ll have to lean my head over to cover the top portion of the net. I find ways to improvise and make saves though, I don’t use something like that as an excuse. For the most part I think the hardest part about being smaller is the mental aspect of it. When all you hear is “there’s more room in the upper corners of the net,” you start over-think things and it takes away from playing your own game. That’s my best advice: don’t think you have to play like somebody else, do what works for you.
How do you use your size to your advantage?
I think being smaller has a lot of advantages to it, for starters there are smaller holes and less room for pucks to go through on a guy with smaller arms. If you look at a guy who’s 6’6 and a guy who’s 5’11, when you watch them move the longer limbs open up more and for longer periods of time. Every goalie will tell you if there’s a hole open, the puck can find a way to go through it. Also I find it advantageous for screen plays because tall guys have to look around or over players to find pucks, while I can look around or even a player to find pucks which I find to be easier. I’d say about 65% of goals scored in the NHL come in the bottom foot of the net.
The first thing I noticed about your overall game is that you move with elite level footspeed and agility. Talk about your skating development growing up and how it’s helped you surpass a lot of goalies.
Since I started playing goalie, my coach stressed crease movement and basically embedded it into my brain with the saying “if you can’t move, you can’t play” which as I grew up I was very grateful for. Players are too smart and skilled to just come down and shoot the puck on straight-on shots, so as they make more lateral plays you have to be able to adapt. Moving around the crease while staying square and maintaining optimal depth is in my opinion the most important thing. I work on my skating every day and it’s a staple of my game, stemming from those earlier days learning about the position.
After watching you up close and personal last season, I noticed how great you are at making shoulder saves and shrugging off high shots. Is this something you had to develop out of necessity and work on constantly?
I think one of the strongest parts of my game is my ability to use my shoulders and elbows on in tight plays, I call this save the “chicken wing”. My childhood goalie coach Shane Clifford and last years goalie coach Pete Aubry really stressed the importance of this save because players shoot the puck just too fast to be able to catch every one with your glove. The ability to use your limbs and shrug off pucks while not opening up huge holes is incredibly important. It’s also something I work on with constant reps in the off season so I’m comfortable doing it in a full-speed situation.
—> Click here to watch game highlights from his 1-0 win vs Wichita 1-10-17
Do you bait players to shoot high or just know it’s coming and read the release?
For me I never try to cheat or “bait” a player to go somewhere, but with that being said I do what I like to call as “build from the ground up”. By doing that I take away the bottom part of the net and create more of a wall, so that if a player has enough time and space to make a great shot and beat me bar down or post and in, then I can live with that
What do you need to be that much better at than a big goalie (mentally or physically)?
For me I think I have to never give up goals through my body, and use my movement to make a save or 2 a game that probably should have gone in the net. The mental grind of being smaller is so much about having the confidence in yourself that as long as you maintain proper depth and line up the center of your chest on the puck every time, the players really don’t have much too shoot out. I believe the confidence in that comes strictly from goalie specific drills that pound repetition in your mind to create that muscle memory.
Do you play with a chip-on-your-shoulder or is that counterproductive and take you away from in game focus?
Ever since I was young I don’t think I’d call it a chip on my shoulder, but more of a “screw you” mentality for lack of a better term. I think all elite athletes have this competitive edge and each person is different with their preparations or mindset, but especially as a goalie it’s incredibly hard because we have to deal with so many aspects that are out of our control (tips, bad defensive play, screens, etc). I approach games with the mindset that no matter what happens, I’ll do whatever I can to keep the puck out of the net because there is no room for an explanation on the score board, just a number. {Click to watch AMAZING desperation save}
Have you ever not made a team and suspect it was purely because your smaller than most goalies?
When I was younger it never held me back that I knew of, but once I turned pro it has for sure affected my opportunities. When my agent talks to teams, they will straight up tell him we aren’t interested in anyone under 6’1. Seriously
What advice would you give to younger goalie’s who aren’t as big as their peers?
I would tell them although they are smaller, that forces them to develop certain skills at a younger age than the bigger goaltenders. Reading releases, working on crease movement, and the ability to use your elbows and shoulders to your advantage will help you become an elite goaltender regardless of height. Like I talked about a bit earlier, as a goalie there are many things out of your control – height falls into that category- but if you negate that as an excuse, you’ll have the right mindset. The best goalies in the world are the best at controlling what they can: how hard you work and how well you prepare.