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This weekend, it was all about the men behind the masks.

The sometimes-neglected position of hockey goaltender was in the spotlight this weekend at the Canada Games Centre during a World Pro Goaltending Clinic.

Instructor J.F. Martel has been putting on camps in Whitehorse for the past seven years.

Martel, a goalie consultant with the Western Hockey League's Medicine Hat Tigers, also works as Team Alberta's head goaltending instructor.

Martel told the Star he isn't preaching anything cutting-edge. In fact, it's the opposite.

"I think the biggest thing is going back to the basics,鈥� Martel said Saturday.

"Even with the older groups, it's all about reinforcing the base. Sometimes we tend to get away from that when you get to an older age. So we're always reinforcing the philosophy of keeping it simple.

"I think that's a philosophy that's getting lost nowadays,鈥� he continued.

"There's more goalie schools and more training. Everybody tries to be innovative a bit and tries to invent the wheel a bit maybe. I think what's getting lost in goaltending, is we used to be very good at the fundamentals, and that's kind of going away a bit.鈥�

Eighteen goalies hit the ice this weekend to take in the three-day camp.

Time on the ice was split between instruction and drills that stressed repetition and consistency.

"Something we're always trying to make a point of is times goalies need to control and be structured, and times when we need to be more athletic,鈥� Martel said. "I think the great goalies all find that balance.鈥�

Martel noted this was the first year he hosted a clinic in Whitehorse before the start of the hockey season.

"It's the best time to do it,鈥� he admitted. "The goalies are all going through tryouts and coaches don't spend much time with goalies in tryouts. Sometimes you kind of feel like you're being put to the side, and you're just a target.

"So right there, having someone that engages with you and talks about the position is great for them leading up to the season. It gives you a bit of confidence.鈥�

Fifteen-year-old Devon Troke will share the Midget A Mustangs cage with Josh Tetlichi this season.

He said the goalies at camp know how critical these times are, being able to soak up knowledge from an elite-level coach.

"It's good learning from him, because he's worked with a lot of good goalies at high levels,鈥� Troke said. "He's hard on the goalies and he makes you work. He works on the details like being tight, which helps because at this level, players can start to shoot really well.鈥�

Organizer Darryl Cann said the clinic was well-received, and was even attended by a goalie from Dawson City.

"At the start of the year, the goalies have had a break over the summertime and haven't had really as much focus on hockey and goaltending,鈥� Cann explained.

"So they are able to shake a bit of the rust off and get those fundamentals started again, and get them back in the game.鈥�