Meet Maggie, the New Brunswick dog going viral for her goalie skills

A German Shepherd from New Brunswick has become both a puck stopper and a showstopper on social media, all thanks to her love of hockey.

Maggie’s owner Yannick Devost recognized the furry goalie’s talent after shooting pucks in his backyard in Tracadie, N.B.

“She always had great reflexes,” he says. “When she was a young puppy, it was very obvious she was good at catching balls, or whatever we threw at her, she would catch and bring back.”

Devost says he used basic commands to teach the young pup the rules of the game. Canadian through and through, it didn't take long for Maggie to get the hang of things.

“Instead of taking real pucks, I took soft pucks, because I knew Maggie would be around and would probably run in front of the puck,” Devost says. “And that's exactly what happened!”

After a year and a half of daily training, and receiving many compliments on her skills, “Maggie the Goalie” recently made her first appearance on TikTok.

Her first “Save of the Day” video went viral, with Maggie proudly catching one of her soft pucks in her mouth in Devost’s basement.

@maggiethegoalie #maggiethegoalie #saveoftheday #dogsoftiktok #hockey #nhl #hockeytricks # germanshepherd #dogtricks ♬ Break My Stride - Chateau Pop

“It got a few million views and it was crazy, a crazy feeling,” says Devost. “Everyone was calling me and telling me, ‘Your video was posted here and there online.’”

TikTok users love the two-year-old’s skills too, with almost five million likes on her page and comments that read, “Better than the Leafs” and “It’s Air Bud.”

Currently, Maggie is undergoing rigorous training to play other positions.

“I’m teaching her to take a stick, like a soft mini stick, on the floor and take it in her mouth and to shoot to the net,” Devost says. “So that's going well.”

Until canines can be drafted by the NHL, Maggie will keep sharpening her skills -- ones that Devost hopes to one day test at a rink.