A new app is solving an age-old problem in beer leagues across the country, by allowing hockey teams to hire a last-minute goalie to backstop them to victory – or at least, competitiveness.
Former goalie Brennan Bleile, of Calgary, designed the app to address a common problem in adult leagues, where a dearth of goaltenders often leaves anyone with the right pads in high demand.
“I discovered that by being called, probably nightly, sometimes (by) two or three teams,” Bleile told CTV Calgary on Sunday, adding that he was often offered beer or money as compensation.
Bleile developed his Puck App to serve as a solution, by offering teams a quick and easy method for hiring goalies on a short-term basis. Goalies are available for approximately $40-$60 per game, with last-minute requests costing more.
“It’s nothing crazy – it’s more of a charity to make sure everyone has a goalie,” Bleile said. “But still, it makes it worth it.”
The app currently boasts a pool of 3,000 available goaltenders in Calgary, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. Bleile says he’s hoping to expand the app to U.S. cities in the future, and is also looking at adding a referee section to the app.
Calgary-based goalie Ian Thies says the app has been keeping him extremely busy this season, while serving up a wide range of talents for him to hone his skills against.
“There’s some guys that have played pro places, and then other guys have just picked it up this year so you get a diverse group,” Thies told CTV Calgary.
“I can play pretty much every day at 6 a.m., or noon, or even at 3 p.m., and then into the leagues in the evening,” he said. “It’s pretty high demand.”
The app is available for free through the App Store or Google Play. It boasts a four-star rating on both platforms since its launch last August.
“Fantastic app,” one user wrote in a five-star review. “I’d recommend it to any competent goalie, or a team (of any skill level) who needs someone to step in and play.”
Another user hailed it for achieving “critical user mass,” so that goalies are always ready and willing to accept an invitation. “Very user friendly,” the reviewer wrote.
With files from CTV Calgary
