Goaltender equipment to change

[imisssergei 0]

Per TSN, changes are coming.

I'm hoping these changes will shut up the people who think certain goalies are only good because they use big equipment.

Edited June 13, 2008 by imisssergei

[betterREDthandead 58]

Per TSN, changes are coming.

I'm hoping these changes will shut up the people who think certain goalies are only good because they use big equipment.

What larger than necessary piece of equipment do you think is most often used by NHL goaltenders?

You forgot jersey. Some of these guys are wearing sleeping bags out there.

[imisssergei 0]

You forgot jersey. Some of these guys are wearing sleeping bags out there.

I intentionally left jerseys off the list. Since the jersey style were changed to the new form fitting style, you don't see the ridiculously oversized Patty Roy jerseys any longer.

[10 Minute Misconduct 104]

their not really going to change much going into next year.

[imisssergei 0]

their not really going to change much going into next year.

No, the article says they will implement the universal measuring system the following year.

[10 Minute Misconduct 104]

No, the article says they will implement the universal measuring system the following year.

a couple people from tsn said their gonna make minor changes for next year because its hard to get it all straight what they want to do or something...like its hard for them to all agree on what they want to change.

[rbochan 15]

Lundqvist is toast.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

You forgot jersey. Some of these guys are wearing sleeping bags out there.

Well, when you're wearing a fat-suit for a chest protector a sleeping-bag jersey is all that will fit.

[digitaljohn88 4]

As a goaltender myself, I am in support of smaller equipment overall. More form fitting, only what's necessarry, etc.

But I am NOT in favor of sizing equipment based on body size. ie: Kolzig can have 40" pads but Legace can only have 32". The smaller goalies are already starting to fall out of favor in the draft, and this would only further that trend. Smaller goalies have to be faster and more reflexive, even when they are using the same size equipment as the big guys. I'd like to keep them around as opposed to a league full of 6'3 "blocking" goalies.

[spyder 0]

Poor Giguere.

[McCartyFanForLife 17]

Poor Giguere.

haha, I wonder why he wasn't asked to be on the committee

[Jocu 0]

You forgot jersey. Some of these guys are wearing sleeping bags out there.

I hope everyone isn't expecting big changes. Unless the new gear involves drilling a puck sized hole in the middle of Giguere's chest, then he'll be fine.

Blocking butterfly ftw.

All the NHL needs to work on would be slimer more streamlined C/As and pants, maybe make a +1 limit to thigh rise.

Make the gear fit the goalie. Legace can't wear the same sized pads that Valliquette wears. Nor can he wear the same sized C/A that Valliquette wears. Is it unfair since Manny is shorter than the average goalie? Yes, but tough ****. You shouldn't beable to beef up your height and weight with massive goalie gear. (And yes, John, I can say this being 6"2. "

They won't touch glove sizes or pad width.

This hysteria reminds me of when guys kept saying that no thighboards, new C/A sizing, glove sizing, and 11" pads would mean injured goalies and more goals. What happened? Goalies took around a year adapt, and we were actually faster and more mobile than before.

All this talk of safety brings me to this . . . has an NHL goalie ever been seriously injured (I am talking career ending) due to the equipment not being adequately protective? Aside from head and throat protection, I can't think of any goalie being seriously injured.

Bring on the resizing, unless the NHL wants to ban the butterfly, then who cares.

Edited June 13, 2008 by Jocu

[swiss_fan 3]

All this talk of safety brings me to this . . . has an NHL goalie ever been seriously injured (I am talking career ending) due to the equipment not being adequately protective? Aside from head and throat protection, I can't think of any goalie being seriously injured.

Sawchuk was

[vangvace 12]

Sawchuk was

Sawchuk's injury, and cause of death, wasn't because of stopping pucks.

But to answer the question at hand, I can't think of a NHL goalie in the last 20ish years to have a career ending injury below the neck.

[Jocu 0]

Therefore, it can be slimmed down some, but make sure it's safe. It's been doing it's job, don't eff it up too much.

[Opie 308]

Why choose a photo from 10 years ago when the uni's are definitely different now?

[Jocu 0]

Why choose a photo from 10 years ago when the uni's are definitely different now?

People love to show pictures of goalies from 10-20 years ago to back their points when the game is definately different now.

[Opie 308]

AHHH gotcha!!

[imisssergei 0]

As a goaltender myself, I am in support of smaller equipment overall. More form fitting, only what's necessarry, etc.

But I am NOT in favor of sizing equipment based on body size. ie: Kolzig can have 40" pads but Legace can only have 32". The smaller goalies are already starting to fall out of favor in the draft, and this would only further that trend. Smaller goalies have to be faster and more reflexive, even when they are using the same size equipment as the big guys. I'd like to keep them around as opposed to a league full of 6'3 "blocking" goalies.

But would you not start to see more talented goalies coming out of the draft?

[eva unit zero 271]

As a goaltender myself, I am in support of smaller equipment overall. More form fitting, only what's necessarry, etc.

But I am NOT in favor of sizing equipment based on body size. ie: Kolzig can have 40" pads but Legace can only have 32". The smaller goalies are already starting to fall out of favor in the draft, and this would only further that trend. Smaller goalies have to be faster and more reflexive, even when they are using the same size equipment as the big guys. I'd like to keep them around as opposed to a league full of 6'3 "blocking" goalies.

Smaller goalies don't need the extra length of padding to be safe. So at that point, we are talking about giving an unfair advantage to smaller goalies.

A goaltender's pads are supposed to be there for safety; not additional blocking area. If a 6'2" goalie only needs 35" pads to be safe (and successful, for that matter), why should a guy who is 5'8" be wearing 38" pads? There's no reason other than 'more blocking area' or 'guy is a sissy' to logically answer that question.

Goaltender pad length should be limited to an extent above the knee. Pad width should be limited to nine inches. Chest/arm protector should be more form fitting and based on the goaltender's size.

Ultimately, the league istrying to promote skill and scoring. It does neither of those when less skilled goaltenders are allowed to gain an advantage by cheating around poorly written equipment rules.

And honestly...what's wrong with a bunch of solid positional goaltenders dominating the league? If they're the best option for stopping the puck and winning games, they will play. That is true regardless of how big they are, or what the 'trend' is.

[imisssergei 0]

Smaller goalies don't need the extra length of padding to be safe. So at that point, we are talking about giving an unfair advantage to smaller goalies.

A goaltender's pads are supposed to be there for safety; not additional blocking area. If a 6'2" goalie only needs 35" pads to be safe (and successful, for that matter), why should a guy who is 5'8" be wearing 38" pads? There's no reason other than 'more blocking area' or 'guy is a sissy' to logically answer that question.

Goaltender pad length should be limited to an extent above the knee. Pad width should be limited to nine inches. Chest/arm protector should be more form fitting and based on the goaltender's size.

Ultimately, the league istrying to promote skill and scoring. It does neither of those when less skilled goaltenders are allowed to gain an advantage by cheating around poorly written equipment rules.

And honestly...what's wrong with a bunch of solid positional goaltenders dominating the league? If they're the best option for stopping the puck and winning games, they will play. That is true regardless of how big they are, or what the 'trend' is.

It's not giving an unfair advantage in any manner. I hate when people try to use that as any sort of argument. The equipment is withing all the guidelines, it's a level playing field, everyone has the same opportunities to use the equipment. Brody can't use the same pads Giggy does and visa-versa. Not because Brody is that much better, but because they play different styles. It's complete BS to say that smaller goaltenders have any advantage. It's no different than saying Bobby Lou is at a disadvantage because he is bigger than most goalies. Pointless argument either way.

[Guest Crymson]

Per TSN, changes are coming.

I'm hoping these changes will shut up the people who think certain goalies are only good because they use big equipment.

The changes will likely only affect goaltenders whose equipment is at the absolute size limit.

Yes, many goaltenders thrive on huge equipment. It's a matter of physics. Ask anyone who plays goalie. More pads equals less net to shoot at. That's an absolute.

As an example of this, see Manny Legace. I found it amusing that Gary Bettman called him out on national television during the All-Star game regarding the size of his equipment. His leg pads are maximum-sized, which is a change from earlier in his career. Goalies like he, Giguere, and that fellow Crawford from Chicago wear enormous equipment, and this allows them stop pucks simply by making minor positioning changes. On the other end of the spectrum, consider goalies such as Brodeur and Osgood. They are well below the limit in pad size and make their saves via intelligence and mechanics. Roy wore large equipment, but he could also move. Giguere cannot. He simply wears utterly enormous equipment.

Consider styles. Some goalies simply wear equipment large enough that ensures---this is common statistics---that more pucks will strike them than would be the case were they wearing smaller equipment. Other goalies wear smaller equipment but make the saves anyway. Any of us on these forums could strap on enormous equipment and do fairly well in net simply by positioning. As I said, it's simple physics. Meanwhile, it'd take any of us years of training and a boatload of talent to make saves by skill.

One of my favorite PbP lines from this this year's playoffs occurred after Giguere was beaten by Robidas for the Stars` first goal in the deciding game of that series. Modano had taken a shot from the point that Giguere saved, but the rebound went to Robidas along the right boards. Robidas shot the puck For most goalies, the angle that Robidas shot from would have made it very easy for them to slide from right to left very easily. For Giguere, it was not, and he was scored on. The TSN announcer explained, "When you make him (Giguere) move from coast to coast, you stand a chance. The shot from the point isn't going to beat him, but when you force him to move that gigantic equipment he wears, he's always going to be late getting there." That pretty much says it all.

As regards your hope that the changes will shut those people up who think that some goalies only succeed because of large equipment: shouldn't you wait to see what changes these equipment rule modifications bring first?

Edited June 15, 2008 by Crymson

[Guest Crymson]

It's not giving an unfair advantage in any manner. I hate when people try to use that as any sort of argument. The equipment is withing all the guidelines, it's a level playing field, everyone has the same opportunities to use the equipment. Brody can't use the same pads Giggy does and visa-versa. Not because Brody is that much better, but because they play different styles. It's complete BS to say that smaller goaltenders have any advantage. It's no different than saying Bobby Lou is at a disadvantage because he is bigger than most goalies. Pointless argument either way.

Please explain to me goaltending repeals the laws of physics.

More padding = less open net.

Yes, goaltenders are all within the rules right now as concerns pad size. Many believe that the maximum is too high. Thus, the maximum is being lowered. That's the point.

Edited June 15, 2008 by Crymson

[CUJO#31 0]

Well, when you're wearing a fat-suit for a chest protector a sleeping-bag jersey is all that will fit.

You can't talk about my wife like that...

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Please explain to me goaltending repeals the laws of physics.

More padding = less open net.

Yes, goaltenders are all within the rules right now as concerns pad size. Many believe that the maximum is too high. Thus, the maximum is being lowered. That's the point.

And just to add to your point, clearly if they are reducing the maximum as a measure to increase scoring, then it is a clear indicator that maximum padding = reduced scoring.