Goalie coach Joey Ali says he had a "phenomenal experience" in Palm Desert at the American Hockey League's 2025 All-Star Classic, an event he was picked to attend as a member of the NHL Coaches’ Association (NHLCA).
Ali, who lives in Surrey, was among four hockey professionals invited to "work with, and be mentored by, various staffs in the locker rooms and on the benches" at the league's all-star weekend in California.
The mentorship opportunity, given to NHLCA members from diverse backgrounds, happened Feb. 2-3 at Acrisure Arena, home of the AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Ali got to shadow All-Star Classic coaches Geordie Kinnear, John Gruden, Dan Watson and Joe Cirella over the two days, along with Beth Hanrahan, Suneil Karod and Jessica Turi.
Ali said the trip solidified his goal of being a goalie coach in the AHL or NHL one day.
"It meant the world to have the opportunity to be selected for this, and then to get to meet all these professional coaches," Ali said Tuesday (Feb. 4) while waiting for a flight home from Palm Desert.
"I had a chance to talk to Grant Fuhr here, and we had lunch with Anson Carter, (who) gave us insight on what the next steps would look like for us in the program," Ali added. "Going through this experience made it even more right there. It just further drives me to keep pushing hard. Experiencing this, I know where I want to be."
Ali and Karod are members of the NHLCA BIPOC Coaches Program.
In Surrey, Ali runs Proali Goalie Training on Landmark Way and Pro-Formance Goalie Schools. He's also a consultant and coach of several local hockey teams including Simon Fraser University, Langley Rivermen and Trappers junior squads, Cloverdale and other minor associations and Canadian Blind Hockey.
In 2020 he applied for membership in the NHL Coaches’ Association, which has led to on- and off-ice meetings at professional hockey levels, including opportunities with the AHL Abbotsford Canucks.
In Palm Desert, Ali caught up with former Canucks goalie prospect Michael DiPietro, 25, who played in the AHL All-Star Classic as a member of Providence Bruins.
"DiPietro was one of the best goalies at the skills competition," Ali reported. "I knew him from his time with the Abbotsford Canucks, in 2021, I think. He's just a great human being."
In 2022 DiPietro was traded by the Canucks to Boston Bruins.
"He reflected on all that, his journey from then until now," Ali said. "He said that he had lost himself (in the Canucks system), and he was really close to just stopping, but you know, with his support system, his family encouraged him to keep going. It was a really awesome conversation we had on the weekend."
Other pro goalies at the AHL event included Sebastian Cossa (Grand Rapids Griffins, under contract with Detroit Red Wings) and Victoria's Dylan Garand (Hartford Wolf Pack, New York Rangers system).
"It was fantastic connecting with those guys," Ali said. "I went in there with goalie reports, just trying to be prepared and not knowing anything, and the players loved the pre-scout at an all-star game, which was fun," he added with a laugh. "You know, the pros they are, the more eyes for them, the better. So I gave those reports to guys and shared contacts, it was cool."