The grumbling wasimmediate. The latest volley in a storied battle between goalies in search of anycompetitive edge and a league mindful of the fan-appeal of scoring came priorto the 2018-19 season, when the NHL moved to restrict the size of chest,shoulder and arm protection in goalie gear.
Goalies fearedmore than bruised feelings.
“You get stingersand bruises and stuff like that,” Vegas Golden Knights netminderMarc-Andre Fleury, who has taken to wearing an extra undershirt, told The Washington Post.
“You start to beafraid of pucks, actually, especially in the practices,” Blue Jackets goalieSergei Bobrovsky told The Columbus Dispatch.
Protection’s Past
In hockey’s earlydays, goalies wore leather pads modeled after those worn in cricket, filledwith furniture stuffing. In 1925, in one of the earliest efforts acknowledgingthe appeal of goal scoring, the width of goalies’ leg pads was limited to 12inches.
Masks weren’tcommon until the 1960s, after the Canadiens’ Jacques Plante caught a puck inthe face in the ’59-60 season and started using a fiberglass mask he designedhimself.
By the ’90s, that1925 regulation was long forgotten. Goalies were wearing huge chest protectorsand shoulder pads; sweaters so big they were loose even over that outsizedpadding; and five-hole sealing leg pads that were wider than a foot and nearlycup-high.
By 2003-04,per-team scoring had dropped to 2.57 goals per game in the NHL, the lowestsince 1955-56. Also a far cry from 1980-81 through ‘89-90, when NHL goals per game neverdipped below 3.67 per team.
In 2005, the crackdownon NHL goalie gearbegan. For the 2005-06 season, overall NHL goalie equipment size was decreased by 11percent. Per-team scoring immediately jumped to 3.08 goals per game. Over thenext several seasons, rules enacted included:
The NHL has evenforced change during a season, as when it ordered goalies to wear uniformlyslimmer pants starting in February 2018.
Padding’s Present
The current cropof equipment adjustments dictates that chest and arm protection must beanatomically proportional. All arm and shoulder pads were reduced in height byapproximately an inch.
Which is to say,it suddenly became a lot easier to tell a 180-pound goalie from a 250-pounder.That, according to the NHL’s vice president of hockey operations, was the idea.
“Three or fouryears ago, talking to some of the best goalies in hockey … they wanted us totry to find a way to make goalies look closer to the size they were,” KayWhitmore told the Canadian Press.
Whitmore, a goaliewith four NHL teams, said the tweaks didn’t compromise player safety, noting,“There’s no expectation that a goalie should have to do his job getting bruiseddaily.”
Some goalies havewelcomed the change, noting talent will rise to the top when oversized gearisn’t acting as an equalizer.
“It’s about beingsquare,” Toronto goalieFrederik Andersen told Sports Illustrated. “If I’mrelying on that extra inch, I’m in trouble already.”
Added fellow LeafsgoalieGarret Sparks, “It just pushes me to be better. I’m open to thechallenge as long as everybody’s covered.”
Scoring istrending up again. As of March 11, NHL goals per game, per team, were at 3.03, topping thethree-goal barrier for the first time since the 2005-06 goalie gear crackdown.
As a seasoned expert in the realm of hockey, particularly the intricate dynamics between goalies, their gear, and the league's regulations, I can confidently delve into the details of the article you've presented. My extensive knowledge on the subject is derived from a deep understanding of the historical evolution of goalie equipment, the impact of gear on scoring trends, and the ongoing efforts by the NHL to balance competitive play with fan entertainment.
The grumblings expressed by goalies, such as Marc-Andre Fleury and Sergei Bobrovsky, in response to the NHL's decision to restrict the size of chest, shoulder, and arm protection in goalie gear ahead of the 2018-19 season is a testament to the perpetual battle between goaltenders seeking a competitive edge and the league's consideration for the fan-appeal of scoring.
To contextualize this struggle, let's explore the historical progression of goalie protection. In the early days of hockey, goalies wore leather pads filled with furniture stuffing, resembling those used in cricket. Notably, in 1925, the NHL limited the width of goalies' leg pads to 12 inches, a move aimed at enhancing goal-scoring appeal.
The evolution continued into the 1960s when masks became commonplace, spurred by Jacques Plante's adoption of a fiberglass mask after a facial injury. However, by the 1990s, goalie equipment had ballooned, contributing to a drop in per-team scoring to 2.57 goals per game in the 2003-04 season.
In response, the NHL initiated a crackdown on goalie gear in 2005, reducing overall equipment size by 11 percent. Subsequent rule changes included limitations on leg pad width, blocker size, catching glove circumference, and leg pad height. These measures successfully led to an immediate increase in per-team scoring to 3.08 goals per game.
Fast forward to the present, the NHL has implemented new adjustments focusing on the anatomical proportionality of chest and arm protection. All arm and shoulder pads have been reduced in height by approximately an inch. According to Kay Whitmore, the NHL's vice president of hockey operations and a former goalie, the goal was to make goalies appear closer to their actual size, without compromising player safety.
Some goalies have embraced these changes, recognizing that talent should prevail without relying on oversized gear as an equalizer. Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen emphasized the importance of being square, while Garret Sparks welcomed the challenge, viewing it as an opportunity for improvement.
The impact of these adjustments is evident in the recent scoring trends, with NHL goals per game reaching 3.03 per team as of March 11. This surpasses the three-goal barrier for the first time since the 2005-06 goalie gear crackdown, indicating a positive correlation between equipment regulations and increased scoring in the league.
