Goalies, The Most
Regulated Position
in All of Sports
While the Equipment has Changed,Mindset
and Protection Remain the Same.
No position in all of sports has seen equipment changed over the
course of the game’s lifetime like that of a goaltender in hockey. The
equipment has been revolutionized largely because of technology, style
of play, and league restrictions. All the
while, the mentality of a goaltender has
never wavered; stop the puck at all
costs.
There has been a very obvious trend
in the NHL and it is geared towards
creating a larger audience, and
attracting new viewers. While fans of
goal tending, and goalie coaches, love
to watch goaltenders battle it out on
opposite ends till one concedes a goal,
the everyday fan and new viewer prefers
to see a ‘lamp-lighting’ contest.
Even I can’t complain against that, and the NHL has begun making small,
but noticeable changes to increase scoring. It began with removing the
2-line pass rule, 3 on 3 overtime with a shootout to follow, if necessary.
Recently though, the NHL has now begun to address the sizing of equipment
(mainly the leg pads & chest protectors) worn by
the goaltenders.
The notion was that it would increase scoring
in the NHL, and really, it hasn’t. On average, an
NHL team scores 3 goals a game. It has wavered
around 2.73-2.89 goals a game, per team, over
the last decade or so.
There are millions of reasons as to why it has
made a slow rise of almost .25 more goals a
game, but mostly all players including goalies,
will not point to equipment changes as the
reason. Goaltenders have even been outspoken
about it making them even better, and more critical of things like their
depth and angles inside their crease.
According to a recent article in USA Today which was written by the
Associated Press, Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen said he is fine with the
changes, adding that an inch of missing shoulder coverage shouldn’t make
a difference in terms of results if he’s on his game.
“It’s about being square,” Andersen said. “If I’m relying on that extra inch,
I’m in trouble already.”
In the same article, Andersen’s
teammate and goaltending partner,
Garrett Sparks, who is considered to be
one of the more stylish and equipment
savvy goaltenders in the NHL, felt it
actually pushed him to take his skills
to the next level.
“It just pushes me to be better,” he
said. “I’m open to the challenge as long
as everybody’s covered.”
Those who keep current with the NHL know that once the revisions to
the equipment standards/requirements for the
goaltenders were announced, there was a frenzy of
people who were concerned with player safety.
I am happy to say that there should be no worries
at all, especially for goaltenders in the NHL. Plus,
need I remind you that NHL goaltenders used to play
without helmets, and essentially played with pillows
and stuffing for equipment at one point. I have also
monitored the NHL Injury Reports like a hawk,
and have found nothing to point towards the new
equipment for goaltenders creating a health risk.
The reason being is that safety is still a priority
in the league, and the technology used within the
By Brett Schaffer
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