Passing of the skates

The Glacier Skate Academy has a new director lacing up her skates as the rink says goodbye to former director Chad Goodwin.

Goodwin is ending his five-and-a-half year stint as skating director to head up the new skating and training program for the new National Hockey League franchise the Las Vegas Golden Knights, started by Whitefish native Bill Foley.

The academy has been operating in Whitefish for over two decades and offers star skating, figure skating and hockey skating instructions, including the popular “Learn to Skate” program, at Stumptown Ice Den.

Goodwin was already set to leave Whitefish for a similar job in Saskatchewan, Canada, when former NHL player and Whitefish resident Murray Craven reached out to him about the opportunity in Las Vegas.

“He didn’t want to take me from Whitefish, but when he heard I was leaving he took me from Saskatchewan,” Goodwin said with a laugh.

In his new role, Goodwin will be tasked with starting developmental training programs at the new team’s ice rink, teaching basic skating, figure skating and power skating for hockey players. He officially began May 1, but didn’t officially hang up his skates at the Stumptown Ice Den until this week.

“It’s just a great opportunity to come in and develop a program, especially at this level, with an NHL team and the training facility. I’m just curious to see what I can do with it,” he said.

Filling Goodwin’s skates is Francesca Supple, who recently relocated from Madison, Wisconsin, to take on the job here in Whitefish.

Supple has been a skating coach for the last 35 years in Wisconsin.

Goodwin’s work in Whitefish will make the transition smooth, she said. In his time at the academy, Goodwin secured a year-round schedule for the rink while training scores of young athletes.

“Chad has done a really good job, and the kids have really good technique,” she said. “That was the biggest thing, he has a great thing started and I wasn’t going to have to start from scratch.”

Supple said she’s already been impressed with Whitefish in the short time she’s been here, noting a friendliness that reminds her of the Midwestern charm she grew up around.

“People are courteous in the grocery store, when you come to a four way stop, everyone says, ‘You go ahead,’” she said. “And it’s just a really good group of kids, and I think that’s obviously a testament to their parents and their coach.”

Continuing to build the Learn to Skate program at Glacier Skate Academy is the biggest priority looking forward, she said. Helping beginners examine their mistakes and find ways to correct them or just do a bit better the next time is what excites her as a coach.

“I like seeing the kids progress, even if they’re still falling, they’ve made that step better in the process. That saying, ‘Try, fail. Try again, fail better’ — it’s kind of that process. Of course you want them to succeed, but I think it’s more of the little steps that you make every day,” she said.

While Goodwin will be off in Vegas, he said he’s hoping to keep the connection between Whitefish and the young NHL team as strong as possible.

“I’m excited that Las Vegas has that connection to Whitefish more [than the Saskatchewan job], with the owner of the team and Murray being from here,” he said. “I think once they get all their stuff settled in two or three years from now you’ll see the team come here as a team building event sometime in September.”

“I think you’ll see the Golden Knights here on the ice in a couple years from now,” he added.

For more information on Glacier Skate Academy and to view class schedules, visit www.glacierskateacademy.org.