Former Blackhawks goalie Glenn Hall is widely credited as the innovator of the butterfly position for goaltending.
Hall, an instrumental member of the Blackhawks’ 1961 Stanley Cup championship team, used the butterfly to snag two Vezina trophies as a Hawk and achieve a feat that will never be matched. His record of 502 consecutive NHL starts — without a mask — is among the most impressive accomplishments in the history of sports.
"Mr. Goalie", as Glenn came to be called, began the streak with the Detroit Red Wings, but saw the vast majority of it through with Chicago. It extends to 552 games if you count playoff contests.
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Thebutterfly position can be seen today in nets at all levels. Basically, it's when a goalie drops down to their knees and spreads their pads to cover the bottom of the net.
“It came to be out of necessity," Glenn's son Pat told NBC Sports Chicago in December. “If you stood up, you thought maybe you were keeping away from the puck. The butterfly crouched you down, so your head came down more into danger, at a time when their chest protectors were laughable and they didn’t have masks. To bring your head down deeper into the action seems a little crazy.
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"But Dad said when he couldn’t see the puck, if he sent his legs out toward the post, that brought him down and he was finding the puck where he couldn’t if he was just standing up. He would tell you too that what it really allowed was that the edges of his skates were so important when he was in a butterfly position because if he needed to move, if he wanted to shoot across to the left, he would dig his right skate into the ice and just thrust off. So he had his edges kind of ready to move him around and he was down and he was just covering corners that you can’t cover if you’re standing straight up. He realized that there was a five-hole that got created by doing that, but there were ways around that, to cover that."
Back when Hall introduced the position, there weren’t any goalie coaches. He drew a lot of criticism from head coaches around the league who said it wouldn’t last.
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Glenn wasn’t a fan of flopping or stacking pads to make a save, “Once you stack your pads, you’re useless,” he'd say.
The butterfly played to Mr. Goalie's strengths. “His reflexes and eyesight is what I think made him exceptional,” Pat said.
Cementing a legacy as one of the greatest goalies to ever take a net in the NHL, Hall and his position proved the doubters wrong.
As an enthusiast deeply immersed in the history and evolution of goaltending techniques in ice hockey, particularly the butterfly style, I can confidently affirm my expertise on the subject. Having delved into the rich history of the NHL and the pioneering figures who shaped the game, I find immense pleasure in sharing insights into the revolutionary contributions of goaltenders like Glenn Hall.
Glenn Hall, a former Blackhawks goalie, is rightfully credited as the innovator of the butterfly position for goaltending. This technique, now ubiquitous in nets at all levels of the sport, involves a goalie dropping down to their knees and spreading their pads to cover the bottom of the net. Hall, nicknamed "Mr. Goalie," was a key member of the Blackhawks' 1961 Stanley Cup championship team and left an indelible mark on the sport with his exceptional skills and innovative approach.
One of Hall's most remarkable achievements was his record of 502 consecutive NHL starts, accomplished without wearing a mask. This feat, considered among the most impressive in the history of sports, showcased not only his durability but also the effectiveness of the butterfly style in high-pressure situations.
The butterfly position, as explained by Hall's son Pat, originated out of necessity. In an era when goaltenders lacked the protective gear modern players enjoy, dropping down into the butterfly position provided better coverage of the net. Hall's approach involved not only crouching down but also strategically using his skates' edges to facilitate quick movements and cover corners that were otherwise challenging to protect while standing upright.
The technique was met with skepticism and criticism from coaches around the league when Hall introduced it, especially in the absence of goalie coaches at the time. However, Hall's commitment to the butterfly style and his success on the ice ultimately silenced the doubters. His reflexes and eyesight were identified by his son Pat as key factors that made him exceptional in executing the butterfly technique.
Hall was not a proponent of alternative goaltending styles, dismissing techniques like flopping or stacking pads to make a save. According to him, stacking pads rendered a goalie "useless." This further emphasizes his dedication to the butterfly position and the belief that it played to his strengths.
In summary, Glenn Hall's impact on goaltending extends beyond his impressive playing career; he stands as a trailblazer who defied conventional wisdom, introducing and popularizing the butterfly style. His legacy endures not only in the records he set but also in the widespread adoption of the technique he championed, influencing generations of goaltenders who continue to employ the butterfly position in today's game.
