Goalie Equipment

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=394104

While the NHL is committed to protecting goalies and the adjustments are being made with their safety in mind, the League has deemed that equipment should not be any bigger than it needs to be for protection. Equipment will be proportional to the size of the goalie.

Bottom line: Equipment is there to protect, not make saves.

"We came to the conclusion that we should move forward with some subtle changes for the 2008-09 season," said NHL goaltending supervisor Kay Whitmore, who played goal in 155 NHL games for the Hartford Whalers, Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames. "There will be more changes next year with more proportional fittings for protection only. We have to get back to the beginning of what equipment was for in the first place."

Discuss!

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

I say let the goalies use handguns.

I'm all for placing limitations on goalie equipment. What restrictions exactly I don't know since I'm not an expert on it, but I don't like how people ridicule some goalies saying that they are only good because of their pad sizes. Does pad size certainly help? Without question, but what do you expect some of these people to do to make saves, throw ice at the other players like a kid telling them to go away?

[digitaljohn88 4]

LMAO.

"It's not for protection," Lemaire said. "It's to stop the puck. If it's for protection, they can get a lot smaller. Ever hear of Kevlar? Stops bullets. Let's go to the police station and get them vests. They'll all be OK.

This guy has no clue how it even works

[The Secret 304]

I heard Kelley Hrudy describe goalies as either Puck Blockers (like JS Giguerre who rely more on equipment size and positioning to do their job) and Puck Savers (like Kipper who rely more on athletic ability to do their job).

The pads have gotten ridiculously bloated over the years and its taken the excitement out of the position because they can play a very boring Puck Blocking style and not have to rely as much on their ability (See Giguerre, Price and many others). I think shrinking the pads will force the goalies to have to use more of their ability to Save the Puck which will make watching the game more exciting. I think its about flippin time they do something about this issue personally.

[digitaljohn88 4]

I heard Kelley Hrudy describe goalies as either Puck Blockers (like JS Giguerre who rely more on equipment size and positioning to do their job) and Puck Savers (like Kipper who rely more on athletic ability to do their job).

The pads have gotten ridiculously bloated over the years and its taken the excitement out of the position because they can play a very boring Puck Blocking style and not have to rely as much on their ability (See Giguerre, Price and many others). I think shrinking the pads will force the goalies to have to use more of their ability to Save the Puck which will make watching the game more exciting. I think its about flippin time they do something about this issue personally.

The torso is by far the biggest area a goalie has to save a puck, even if chest pads are to be reduced in size. Evolution of the position is as much to blame for the blocking style as the gear.

[The Secret 304]

The torso is by far the biggest area a goalie has to save a puck, even if chest pads are to be reduced in size. Evolution of the position is as much to blame for the blocking style as the gear.

Yup, I have to agree with this statement although smaller chest pads and jerseys may create some bigger holes for the shooter to hit. Hrudy also made mention of this as well that even a goalies stance has changed/evolved to be more effiecient in blocking shooting area... both arm being kept tight to the body rather then spread out. Good point!

[wingslionstigers 12]

Yeah it wouldn't hurt. If they want goals that bad id much rather seen them to something like this than all the *** penaltys.

[TheCaptain19 49]

havent they already made regulations cutting down the size? maybe thats why goals seem to be up this year.

[CopenhagenWing 38]

While shrinking the goalie equipment should increase scoring, I'm not a believer of the high scoring games necessarily being more exciting than the low scoring ones. A 2-1 game can be just as emtertaining as an 8-6 game.

Great defensive play and great goaltending are parts of hockey as much as great goals and passes to set them up are. I'd hate to see those parts be considered an afterthought because people are getting to hung up on scoring.

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

havent they already made regulations cutting down the size? maybe thats why goals seem to be up this year.

If you had bothered to read even the first post, much less the article, you would know the answer to that.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

"It's not for protection," Lemaire said. "It's to stop the puck. If it's for protection, they can get a lot smaller. Ever hear of Kevlar? Stops bullets. Let's go to the police station and get them vests. They'll all be OK."

What a moron. Uggg.... the ignorance of some people! Why doesn't he throw on a kevlar vest and let me shot him 20 times. Then he'll understand the differance between preventing penatration and dissipating force to cusion an impact.

That moron should go take a material science class at the nearest engineering school.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

With that, Manny Legace's career will sudenly take a turn for the worse

[vangvace 12]

While shrinking the goalie equipment should increase scoring, I'm not a believer of the high scoring games necessarily being more exciting than the low scoring ones. A 2-1 game can be just as emtertaining as an 8-6 game.

Great defensive play and great goaltending are parts of hockey as much as great goals and passes to set them up are. I'd hate to see those parts be considered an afterthought because people are getting to hung up on scoring.

I'm not sure 8-6 games are what the league is going for once you get past the BS in the article. They way it sounded to me was that the NHL is looking to fit the equipment to the player better and to do a little shaving here and there. Nothing as drastic as with the last shrinkage. Also it sounds like the league is trying to set tighter standards on size between manufacturers.

Done slow enough and we might not even notice they transition.

[po-GoWings 1]

lemaire is right people and im not talking about the physics of kevlar. what is the point of the blocker? it certaintly isnt for protection. and the trapper? hmm why would a mitt provide any more protection than a regular hockey glove? most of all why they hell would the goalie have a big wooden stick to protect himself?

[Drake_Marcus 890]

lemaire is right people and im not talking about the physics of kevlar. what is the point of the blocker? it certaintly isnt for protection. and the trapper? hmm why would a mitt provide any more protection than a regular hockey glove? most of all why they hell would the goalie have a big wooden stick to protect himself?

God I hope you're being facetious.

[LIDDYGIBBY5 1]

I don't know if I am a fan of different size pads for different size people. Set a height and width limit for all of the pads and play the game.

Edited November 27, 2008 by LIDDYGIBBY5

[Pskov Wings Fan 71]

What a moron. Uggg.... the ignorance of some people! Why doesn't he throw on a kevlar vest and let me shot him 20 times. Then he'll understand the differance between preventing penatration and dissipating force to cusion an impact.

That moron should go take a material science class at the nearest engineering school.

While Lemaire might might not know material science his hockey knowledge is exceptional. I would not dismiss his opinion because of kevlar comment. Just looking at games from 80s it is obvious how much bigger goalies are now. And most of the increase in size is equipment.

[Guest Shoreline]

I see no reason as to why the goalies should have more padding than necessary. Ever since the days of Jiggy (very skinny by his standards) stacking his pads like the ******* marshmallow man I've been pretty disappointed at how the league let the game get bogged down both by the trap and by goalies go nuts with their pad sizes. Time to clamp down.

Edited November 27, 2008 by Shoreline

[vangvace 12]

Are knee injuries up this year?

[TheCaptain19 49]

did anyone catch what they said about osgood switching to brians or something? my friend said they talked about it the other night.

[Seraph 240]

I am for this change. Mostly because I find the brand of hockey that Giguere plays to be completely boring. I've watched us play that team in so many series and see him make save after save because he's a giant dirty-duck blob of doom. He doesn't ever look like he's doing anything either. I'm on the pro-athletic side of things. Basically, you should look like you're doing something when you make saves!!

Look how much more space there used to be:

EDIT: found better picture.

Edited November 27, 2008 by The Nephilim

[eva unit zero 271]

I am for this change. Mostly because I find the brand of hockey that Giguere plays to be completely boring. I've watched us play that team in so many series and see him make save after save because he's a giant dirty-duck blob of doom. He doesn't ever look like he's doing anything either. I'm on the pro-athletic side of things. Basically, you should look like you're doing something when you make saves!!

Look how much more space there used to be:

EDIT: found better picture.

The problem is that Tony Esposito wore his trapper on the wrong hand when he was learning...

[digitaljohn88 4]

I am for this change. Mostly because I find the brand of hockey that Giguere plays to be completely boring. I've watched us play that team in so many series and see him make save after save because he's a giant dirty-duck blob of doom. He doesn't ever look like he's doing anything either. I'm on the pro-athletic side of things. Basically, you should look like you're doing something when you make saves!!

Look how much more space there used to be:

EDIT: found better picture.

Modern gloves are smaller. Pads are the same width, but longer. The real difference is the chest protector and pants. Chest protector could not possibly get down to the size it was in that age, but it could be trimmed a little. Pants could be smaller, goalies just need to wear the right size.

Though I see no problem with the goals per game right now, and no real need to keep changing s*** honestly.

[eva unit zero 271]

Modern gloves are smaller. Pads are the same width, but longer. The real difference is the chest protector and pants. Chest protector could not possibly get down to the size it was in that age, but it could be trimmed a little. Pants could be smaller, goalies just need to wear the right size.

Though I see no problem with the goals per game right now, and no real need to keep changing s*** honestly.

Giguere's equipment is larger in every location. Leg pad width is probably the closest to Esposito's, followed by trapper size, but everything Giguere has is larger by a small amount at the very least. The blocker, pants, and chest protector are the most noticeably larger.

[digitaljohn88 4]

Giguere's equipment is larger in every location. Leg pad width is probably the closest to Esposito's, followed by trapper size, but everything Giguere has is larger by a small amount at the very least. The blocker, pants, and chest protector are the most noticeably larger.

You're right, blocker regulation right now is 8" x 15". Vintage blockers are usually 7 1/2" x 14 1/2". Marginal difference at best.

Regardless, gloves are NOT a problem, and are not even being looked at from everything I've read. (a lot) I don't recall seeing many players snipe top corner in any vintage games I've watched. The game has changed, that half inch isn't hurting anything.

For next year....

1) They are thinking about sizing pads by height, or just limiting the height more than the current limit of 38"

2) Chest protector and pants will fit the body contour closer, likely the biggest difference will be shoulder height

Fixing the chest protector, pants, and thigh rise should be all that needs to be done to end the silly gear debate for a while.

Edited November 27, 2008 by digitaljohn88