Hockey Canada Hires Dustin Schwartz as Goaltending Head
Schwartz, a former Edmonton Oilers goaltending coach, joins Hockey Canada full-time to lead national team goaltending development.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Hockey
Hockey Canada has hired Dustin Schwartz as head of goaltending and national team goaltending coach, effective immediately. He reports to Scott Salmond, senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations.
Why it matters
The appointment places a coach with a decade of NHL experience in charge of evaluating, selecting and developing Canada's national team goalies. It also gives Hockey Canada a single leader for grassroots goaltending programs.
Schwartz's Oilers tenure covered 2015 to 2025, and the team reached two Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025. He will coach various Canadian national teams beginning in 2027, though the source does not detail the rosters involved.
The players
Dustin Schwartz
Schwartz is a former goalie who played four WHL seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers and Red Deer Rebels and won the 2005 University Cup with the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
Scott Salmond
Salmond is Hockey Canada's senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, to whom Schwartz reports.
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada is the national governing body for ice hockey in Canada, overseeing its national men's and women's teams and grassroots development programs.
The details
Schwartz will oversee evaluation, selection, mentorship and development of national team goalies. He will also lead Hockey Canada's grassroots goaltending development, including the Gold Medal Pathway and Development Hubs, and oversee new goaltending camps and symposiums.
Timeline
2013: Schwartz won gold as goaltending coach at the Ivan Hlinka tournament.
2015 to 2025: Schwartz coached goaltenders for the Edmonton Oilers.
November 2, 2026: Hockey Canada announced the hire, effective immediately.
2027: Schwartz begins coaching various Canadian national teams.
The Tech Race
The appointment follows Hockey Canada's Gold Medal Pathway and Development Hubs, which the organization uses to build a national talent pipeline. Adding a dedicated goaltending leader extends that pipeline to a position that often determines international results.
Schwartz's role centers on identifying and developing goalies for Canada's national teams, which affects which netminders get international opportunities. Grassroots players in Hockey Canada programs will see new goaltending camps and symposiums under his direction.
The takeaway
Dedicated goaltending leadership is becoming a central part of Canada's hockey development strategy. Players and families following national team pathways should watch how these camps and symposiums expand access to elite goalie training.
What happens next
Schwartz is scheduled to begin coaching various Canadian national teams in 2027.
Further reading
Explore more Canadian hockey coverage to see how national team programs are shaping up.
