The GDI was founded by Ian Clark in 1992, marking the beginning of its long and successful history. GDI is the world-wide leader in the development of hockey goaltenders. The tools and techniques developed by GDI have since revolutionized the way the game is played by goalies. Originally, GDI organized goalie summer camps and introduced various training measures (during and off season) across North America.
GDI has furthermore published a rich body of sustainable training material and specialized literature. Due to their outstanding expertise on the goalie position as such, as well as the ability to convey knowledge to coaches and goalies, GDI’s international reputation has since remarkably grown. We have to thank founder Ian Clark, for building this incomparable success and reputation. Managers, coaches, scouts and NHL agents as well as various other professional and junior leagues benefit from the broad GDI network and their expertise when it comes to the development, calling, reference, recommendation, information and placing of goalies.
GDI-trained goalies are currently part of over 20 NHL team rosters. In 2006, former New York Rangers goalie and long-term client Dan Blackburn joined the team as vice president, taking charge of the training service sector. GDI has made it their task to make their services become internationally available and therefore completely change the world of hockey goalies. GDI’s growth peaked in 2009 when 15 regional GDI managers were spread across the US, Canada and Europe.
The plan to make GDI’s training programs, their quality and philosophy internationally available has been successfully put into action. First GDI training facilities as well as an interactive website were set up and the first issue of the monthly trade journal ‘The Hockey Goalie” was published. On top, GDI created their very own line of goalie equipment.
Most of the original regional branches still exist today or have been further developed by former GDI coaches. Due to a strategic management decision, the GDI headquarter in North America was shut down in 2010. However, GDI-trained goalie coaches kept on establishing further hockey academies based on the GDI model and philosophy.
In 2006, GDI director Benedikt Weichert founded the first GDI Europe Hockey Academy in Germany. GDI Europe’s headquarter is located in Germany, cooperating with all of the US and Europe. It has since become an outstanding Academy for Goalies in Germany.
MILESTONES
- DEL Record I 2016/2017
- Back to Back DEL Champions I 2016 & 2017
- DEL Goalie of the Year I 2015/2016
- German DEL Champion I 2014/2015
- German DEL Champion | 2013/2014
- German DEL2 Champion | 2013/2014
- DEL Goalie of the year | 2013/2014
- GDI coaches German National Team | 2013/2014
- GDI coaches 19 DEL Goalies | 2013/2014
- GDI coached 15 DEL goalies | 2012/2013
- DEL Goalie of the Year | 2012/2013
- German Student BL Champions | 2012/2013
- German DEL 2 championship | 2011/2012
- DEL Goalie of the Year | 2011/2012
- German Upper League Championship | 2011/2012
- German DNL Champion | 2010-2011
- Participation in the Olympic Games, Vancouver | 2010
- Deutscher Pokalsieger | 2008/2009
- German Cup Champion | 2008/2009
Felix Brückmann
GDI Goalie Felix Brückmann was able to keep a clean sheet for 315:01 consecutive minutes in the 2016/2017 season. During this time, the Grizzlys Wolfsburg goalie achieved four consecutive shutouts, extending the former record by 101:45 minutes.
Danny aus den Birken
The 2015/2016 as well as the 2016/2017 DEL championship was won by EHC Red Bull Munich. While GDI goalie Danny aus den Birken didn’t make the cut in the first championship season’s playoffs, he more than made up for it in the following year as an active contributor and guarantor for the title defense. He was one of the main reasons why it was so difficult to score against his team.
Mathias Niederberger
In the 2015/2016 season, the league named GDI goalie Mathias Niederberger “Goalie of the Year”. During that season, DEG goalie Niederberger had been consulted by GDI coach Michael Elmer.
Dennis Endras
The 2014/2015 DEL season spawned another GDI-trained championship goalie. After their season-long domination, Adler Mannheim won the German Championship. Together with Youri Ziffzer, another GDI-trained goalie as his backup, Dennis Endras was the second consecutive national goalkeeper to win the German Championship.
Timo Pielmeier
GDI-trained goalkeeper Timo Pielmeier (GDI prospect 4 camp participant 2013/14) lead ERC Ingolstadt – The Panthers – to their first championship in the club’s history. He was named “Rookie of the Year” in his first DEL season which was crowned by a great playoff series, culminating in capturing the title in a game 7 winner. Timo Pielmeier was the first German goalie to win the DEL Championship in a long time. The last championship with German goalie participation before that was won by GDI-trained Oliver Jonas in the 2004/2005 season.
Jonas Langmann
GDI-trained goalkeeper Jonas Langmann (GDI participant since 2007) lead the Bremerhaven Fischtown Pinguins to their DEL2 championship. With only 22 years, Jonas Langmann is among the youngest goalies to ever win the DEL 2 championship. In his winning season he was also named best goalie of the regular season (GAA 2,42) and best playoff goalie (GAA 1,79). Since 2007, Jonas Langmann has been coached by GDI director Benedikt Weichert. For over 6 seasons, they have been working on his further development in the cities of Iserlohn and Hannover on a daily basis.
Danny aus den Birken
The DEL named GDI-trained goalie Danny aus den Birken “Goalie of the Year” in the 2013/2014 season. In the 2009/10 and 2010/11 season, aus den Birken worked together with GDI director Benedikt Weichert as his official goalie coach.
Goalies on the German National Hockey Team roster
In the 2013/2014 season: Danny aus den Birken (Cologne), Andreas Jenike (Nuremberg), Dimirti Pätzold (Schwenningen), Jochen Reimer (Munich), Niklas Treutle (Munich), Timo Pielmeier (Ingolstadt), Felix Brückmann (Mannheim), Philipp Grubauer (Washington), Dennis Endras (Mannheim) *this list also includes athletes on the expanded roster
19 goalies from 14 DEL teams
Danny aus den Birken (Köln), Daniar Dshunussow (Wolfsburg), Dennis Endras (Mannheim), Jakob Goll (Nürnberg), Dominic Gräubig (Berlin), Jimmy Hertel (München), Andreas Jenike (Nürnberg), Jonas Langmann (Hamburg), Matthias Nemec (Augsburg), Dimitri Pätzold (Schwenningen), Timo Pielmeier (Ingolstadt), Jochen Reimer (München), Benedict Roßberg (Düsseldorf), Lukas Steinhauer (Schwenningen), Elmar Trautmann (Wolfsburg), Niklas Treutle (München), Sebastian Vogl (Wolfsburg), Tyler Weiman (Nürnberg), Youri Ziffzer (Köln)
15 goalies from 14 DEL teams
Danny aus den Birken (Köln), Felix Bick (Düsseldorf), Daniar Dshunussow (Wolfsburg), Dennis Endras (Mannheim), Maximilian Englbrecht (Hannover), Jimmy Hertel (Nürnberg), Andreas Jenike (Nürnberg), Dimitri Pätzold (Hannover), Jochen Reimer (München), Tim Siekmann (Iserlohn), Lukas Steinhauer (München), Niklas Treutle (Hamburg), Sebastian Vogl (Wolfsburg), Tyler Weiman (Nürnberg), Youri Ziffzer (Köln)
Jochen Reimer
The DEL named GDI-trained Jochen Reimer “Goalie of the Year” during the 2009/2010 season. Jochen Reimer worked with GDI director Benedikt Weichert and GDI coach Sigi Harrer during his time with the Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg in the 2010/2011 season.
Michael Boehm, Florian Schulten and Janina Fuchs
The GDI-trained goalies Michael Boehm, Florian Schulten and Janina Fuchs won the German championship in the DEB student league (U16). Due to a great goalie performance, EC Bad Tölz was able to secure the junior championship. With Michael Boehm, Bad Tölz also had the best German goalie in the league: 1,03 GGA and 95,1% save percentage earned him two leading positions. During the championship season, the EC Bad Tölz goalies were coached by GDI goalie coach Michael Elmer.
Sebastian Vogl
GDI-trained goalie Sebastian Vogl (GDI participant since 2010) lead the Landshut Cannibals to the DEL 2 championship. In that season he also won the title “Best Playoff Goalie” (1,79 GAA). The EV Landshut goalies Sebastian Vogl and Thomas Hingel were coached bei GDI goalie coach Michael Elmer during their championship season.
Jochen Reimer
The DEL named GDI-trained Jochen Reimer “Goalie of the Year” in the 2009/2010 season. During his time with the Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg in the 2010/2011 season, Reimer was coached by GDI director Benedikt Weichert and GDI coach Sigi Harrer.
Andreas Jenike
GDI-trained goalie Andreas Jenike (GDI participant since 2008) lead the EC Bad Tölz to the Upper League Championship in the 2011/2012 season. He also won the title “Best Playoff Goalie” (1,80 GAA ). The EC Bad Tölz goalies Andreas Jenike, Florian Riesch, Jakob Goll and Marco Wölfl, were coached bei GDI goalie coach Michael Elmer during their championship season.
Thomas Hingel
GDI-trained goalie Thomas Hingel lead the EV Landshut to the DNL championship (German junior league U18) . With an outstanding playoff performance, Thomas Hingel won the most sought-after junior trophy. The EV Landshut goalies Thomas Hingel, Thomas Mende and Marco Eisenhut were all trained bei GDI goalie coach Michael Elmer during their championship season.
Dimitri Pätzold
During the 2009/2010 season, GDI-trained goalkeeper Dimitri Pätzold had the great honor to represent Germany at the Olympic Games in Vancouver. On February 19, 2010 he played against a Finnish national team stacked with NHL players. Despite a great total of 30 saves, his team lost with 5 goals scored against him. From 2010/2011 till 2012/2013 (Hannover) and during the 2013/2014 season (Schwenningen) he was coached by GDI director Benedikt Weichert.
Oliver Jonas und Daniar Dshunussow
Die GDI trainierten Torhüter Oliver Jonas und Daniar Dshunussow führten den EHC Wolfsburg zum ersten Pokalsieg in der Vereinsgeschichte. Im Finale wehrte GDI Goalie Daniar Dshunussow (Teilnehmer von GDI seit 2008) insgesamt 40 von 43 Schüssen der Hannover Scorpions ab und war damit der Garant für den Pokalsieg der Grizzly Adams. Die Goalies des EHC Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg: Daniar Dshnussow und Oliver Jonas, wurden in der Meistersaison von GDI Direktor Benedikt Weichert hauptamtlich trainiert.
Oliver Jonas and Daniar Dshunussow
GDI-trained goalies Oliver Jonas and Daniar Dshunussow lead the EHC Wolfsburg to the win of the first German Cup in club history. In the final, GDI goalie Daniar Dshunussow (GDI participant since 2008) stopped 40 of the 43 shots on goal by the Hannover Scorpions, therefore becoming the guarantor for the Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg’s big win. During the championship season, the EHC Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg goalies Daniar Dshunussow and Oliver Jonas were trained by GDI director Benedikt Weichert.
