Able to see the game well, Nikolas (Niko) Luquiens uses his vision well in goal to track the puck and make excellent glove and blocker saves.  One aspect of his game Niko is working on is his speed in the crease and using this speed in a controlled manner.  This ability to bring up his speed and control it will put Niko in a good position in his crease to make saves and bring his game to the U13 team this upcoming season.  Looking at Niko’s strengths and what he needs to work on, you would expect Niko to have played hockey for most of his life.  Niko’s hockey career only began in September 2017, where he first learned how to skate and has thrived ever since.  Niko has quickly grown into the game and the more experience he gains, the better he becomes in the crease.  This quick success comes from watching videos on famous and current young goalies and studying their style of play to better his own.  The goalies Niko tries to replicate the most are Carey Price and 2021 Vezina nominated goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.  He also pursues the puck in a similar fashion to legendary goalie Dominik Hasek.  As a team, Niko plays soccer, basketball and runs with his teammates which gives them a good atmosphere and ensures that the team is cohesive.  When training on his own, Niko mainly focuses on his flexibility, cardio, and balance through different training methods.  Playing since 2017, Niko has had an amazing number of memorable moments in such a short career, including training with HC Lugano and being coached by Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins while he was playing in Switzerland before leaving for the NHL.  In the future, Niko’s objective is to continue improving and consistently have good games across the season.  He wants to be selected to participate in the International Hockey Peewee tournament in Quebec in 2023.  In such a short time, Niko has improved as a goalie quickly and as he grows in the position, he will gain more opportunities to be the best goalie he can be.  Niko has a long hockey career ahead of him, and we look forward to seeing what Niko can do as his career progresses.