New Goal Pad Regulations for 2010-2011 Complex and May Make Little Difference
New regulations to keep goal pads proportional to the goaltenders’ size are complex and it is unclear if they will make any difference.
The most recent edition of the Hockey News has published an article Size Does Matter on upcoming changes to the rules to ensure goaltenders’ leg pads will be proportional to the size of the goalie.
In what sounds like a bureaucratic exercise that only a government official could like, Kay Whitmore, former NHL goalie and current guru of equipment size has come up with a complex formula to calculate permitted size of goalies’ leg pads next season. The NHL hopes that by keeping gear proportional to the size of the individual, they will make the game fairer and increase scoring chances.
disclaimer: I’m 5’8” and maybe, just maybe, that’s part of the reason I’m writing about goaltending and not earning a living being one. I wear 34” pads that do not come up to my waist, but they are wider than the NHL would approve of because I can’t afford new ones for beer league hockey.
Current 2009-2010 Leg Pad regulations:
Check out a video on Kay Whitmore discussing current regulations.
11.2 Leg Guards – The leg guards worn by goalkeepers shall not exceed eleven inches (11”) in extreme width when on the leg of the player. The maximum length from bottom mid-point to top mid-point of the pad is not to exceed thirty-eight inches (38”). The minimum length of the boot of the pad is to be no less than seven inches (7”). The boot channel of the goal pad must be flat or concave in appearance. No attachments such as plastic puck foils are permitted.
Calf protectors must follow the contour of the calf and ankle and can have a thickness of no greater than one and a half inches (11/2”). No raised ridges will be permitted on the calf protector that would be deemed to act as deflectors of pucks.
The knee strap pad is not to exceed six inches (6”) in length by five and one-half inches (51/2”) in width by one and one-half (11/2″) in thickness. The knee strap pad must be fastened to the inner risers. The total width measurement of the entire inner knee padding (pad risers) including the outer knee strap pad must not exceed two and a half inches (21/2”) in thickness. The inner kneepads are not to exceed seven inches (7″) in length, five and a half inches (51/2”) in width. The length of seven inches (7″) is measured from where the inner padding attaches to the leg pad and back to the end of the inner padding. Medial rolls (raised seam ridges) will not be permitted. All knee protection must be worn under the thigh guard of the pant.
I hate this new plan. Some short guy should take the NHL to human rights court as being given smaller tools to earn his living purely because of his stature. Darren Pang, if he was still playing, would have to buy kids’ road hockey pads to conform to these regulations. Is Martin St. Louis told he can only use a stick of a certain length?
Clearly goalie gear is a tool for stopping the puck. It is not just for protection or it would all be form fitting and the catcher would be replaced with a blocker. Every goalie deserves the same size gear for stopping the puck.
Aside from being discriminatory, this sounds like a significant waste of time and resources – and it is a shot in the dark at best. Even Whitmore himself admits as much when he says:
“This might blow up in our faces because goalies might end up being faster and quicker and maybe they’ll ultimately be better. Maybe I’ll end up getting fired because of this.”
So where exactly is the problem? Currently the NHL does not permit pads longer than 38” in length. Under the new rules apparently, 6’5” Pekka Rinne would be permitted pads that exceed this maximum. OK, so the tall guys see no change or, it’s not clear, they maybe get longer ones. I guess that also means that the guys a bit shorter than Rinne can keep their 38s. Wait, that’s most goalies, isn’t it?
There aren’t many goalies under 6-feet and they aren’t exactly the guys you need to open up for more goals: Theodore, Toskala, Turco, Osgood. OK, Tim Thomas as well. Or put another way –the guys stopping most of the pucks now are the same guys who won’t see a change in pad length.
Nice –the league expects a significant increase in scoring because a couple of short guys are apparently stopping every shot between their legs when in the butterfly unfairly. Right. We have a whole system created that makes life tougher on a few goalies who already have it tough. Sounds more like employment insurance for someone from the NHL home office with a tape measure and a pocket calculator.
Here’s how difficult the system is to try and understand. I haven’t seen it officially, I’m just doing my best to interpret what the Hockey News has written. They are a quality publication and in a well-written story I found it tough to sort out (did I mention I’ve taught calculus and physics).
A. Measure from the floor to the middle of the kneecap. Presumably with a straight leg. Subtract the length of instep.
B. Measure from mid knee-cap to the pelvis. (hmmm, exactly where I don’t know.) The top of the pad can cover 55% of that distance.
C. Add in the distance from the top of the boot to the bottom of the blade to get total length permitted on the pad. I’m guessing they measure along the top of the foot so guys with big feet get bigger pads. Great, I’m a size 8. This last bit can only be on the bottom of the pad – you can’t be a guy with long feet and use that to make the top of your pads taller.
A+B+C gives you the new permitted pad length.
We have then a complicated system that requires significant resources to manage. It will have a minimal effect on a few individuals. Whether you like it or not, it should serve to reinforce the advantage that tall goalies already have in today’s game.
Hey Kay, if you wnted to increase scoring why not just go back to the way it was in 1920? Goalie gets fined for going down, can’t leave the crease and wears no mask. That oughtta make the game more exciting.
Tell me, please, that minor hockey leagues won’t be adopting this.
Update: Pierre LeBrun comments on this issue.
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Paul Szabo Said,
October 11, 2009 @ 4:22 AM
Thanks for bringing back yet again how silly this whole bureaucratic exercise has become. For all the tinkering and pencil pushing by the NHL brain trust, have we actually seen much of a difference in goal scoring, SP, GAA etc? Of course not. The goals scored have a lot to do with the defensive systems in place that leave little more than bad angle perimeter shooting, goalmouth scramble goals and lucky screen shots. Those issues will never be changed with new equipment rules. And we all know what happens to the supposed “crackdown” on obstruction once playoff time rolls around.
This mentality strongly suggests that in the future only giant size goalies will be drafted. They are already bigger and will have access to bigger equipment, making the playing field far from fair.
The other issue is how this will eventually have an impact on minor hockey. Imagine the nightmare when opposing coaches start insisting that these rules be applied and verified for youth goalies. Maybe it won’t happen, but I wouldn’t bet on it. As the article points out, the rules are not terribly clear and not many seem to know exactly what they mean.
Chris Said,
October 14, 2009 @ 6:57 PM
Actually, I think what they’re doing is actually smart for a change. Just reducing the size of equipment didn’t really make it any easier to score. Now they’re targetting something they should have looked at years ago. With modern pads, tall thigh rises completely close off the five-hole, which allows many tall/flexible goaltenders in the butterfly to completely close off the bottom of the net. This eliminates the most frequent area for scoring and allows the goalie to concentrate on using his hands to catch higher shots. I’m not saying it’s easy, exactly, but it certainly simplifies the game. This is why almost every goalie in the NHL now plays an identical style.
By reducing this specific part of the equipment, the league might actually succeed in forcing goalies to stay on their feet and play a more complex/individual game, which may or may not result in more scoring but will certainly make for a more entertaining sport to watch. It’s not going to make the goalies happy, but that’s why they get paid.
And bear in mind, I’m speaking as an active goalie. 6′ tall and recently went from 34 to 37 inch pads – and let me tell you, it makes a big difference.
David T Said,
October 14, 2009 @ 7:40 PM
Whatever happened to a 1-0 game being entertaining? Must it be 7-6 in order for fans to enjoy it? I miss the low scoring games.
pszabo Said,
October 15, 2009 @ 2:44 AM
Here’s my two cents in reply to Chris:
If your logic applies, then why not make smaller batters in baseball use smaller bats? Smaller tennis players use smaller raquets? If one considers that the equipment has a defined size and is an integral part of the game, then let goalies wear it as they wish. Remember, the actual goal in mind was supposed to be creating more scoring. NONE of these changes have demonstrably proved that. Not one. Only Reebok and Nike Bauer can be smiling about this right now.
I too am an active goalie and goalie instructor. While I agree that there are limits to everything and that reason nees to be applied to the size of goalie equipment, I simply feel that the NHL is barking up the wrong tree. If the game is boring, it is primarily not because of the goalies’ equipment. It is because of the way the game is coached and officiated (defense first for the former, frequently inconsistent for the latter). Curious how the NHL is not applying the same rigourous scrutiny to players’ sticks, which are ridiculously more powerful than before…
Kris Said,
October 17, 2009 @ 2:05 AM
This method of thinking is just hindering us smaller guys. Because your body is bigger (more blocking area) you get to wear bigger gear?? Is the NHL trying to phase out smaller goaltenders?? I think it should be reverse…the smaller guy gets to wear larger gear, and the larger guy has to wear smaller gear. That way it evens the playing field. Personally I think they should just leave it alone. look back at the gear in the 80’s that stuff wasn’t small at all, and I bet over 80% was bigger than league regulations allowed after it was worn for a while.
Dan Said,
October 18, 2009 @ 6:31 PM
This is a great idea, you wouldn’t give mugsy bogues shoe lifts because he’s not manute bol’s size. Play with what you got.
David Hutchison Said,
October 18, 2009 @ 7:55 PM
Well, you also wouldn’t tell Mugsy that he has to have a thinner sole on his shoe because he’s shorter. I think bigger pads for bigger goalies is more like telling Manute Bol that he can wear lifts because he’s already tall.
Nick Said,
October 20, 2009 @ 5:51 PM
I think pszabo hit the nail on the head. The true issue is the team’s style of play be it overly defensive as to opposed to riskily offensive.
Another consideration in my mind is simply the level of skill distribution at the goalie position versus a forward/defensemen. What if every NHL game had NHL All-star caliber players? Granted, All-star games are less under par when it comes to hitting and penalties … but the scores of these games elevate with the level of skill. Assume all of the top goalies in the world are NHLers and realize that there are only 60 jobs to fill; there are approximately 900 forwards in the NHL. How many ’skill’ (read pure-scorers) players are in other parts of the world but not playing in the NHL that could school 3rd or 4th line NHLers? Aren’t the goalies going to be pretty damn good considering these numbers?
Kris Said,
October 25, 2009 @ 9:21 PM
Dan, no you wouldn’t because Mugsy isn’t trying to stop stuff from going in to a net. I say make the gear one size you can use, protective enough for all, and then everyone gets to use it up to that size limit. it’s similar with stick length.
It’s not goalie gear that is stopping scoring, it is the defense 1st style teams play. Take a look back when Gretzky was lighting up the scoring records….older pads were 13″-13.5″ inches wide, and goalie still had sunburn from being lit up.
Times change and so does how the game is played, athletes are bigger,better, and faster now, and the training they go though starts at a way younger age and is more advanced. How can you not expect them to get better at what they do?
Dan Said,
November 7, 2009 @ 6:03 PM
I don’t understand why the NHL is so hell bent on trying to increase scoring and penalizing goalies because it isn’t happening. Like Kris said, times change and the goalies of today are much better than the goalies of even ten years ago. In the 50’s and 60’s during the “golden years” of hockey, games were low scoring and nobody seemed to mind. In fact if you were to check GAA stats from this era they are similar to the GAA stats of today. However, even though I am a goalie I do have a problem with the thigh rises of todays pads and the size of the chest protectors.
Jason Said,
November 17, 2009 @ 9:08 PM
That is ridiculous. Seriously, I am 5′9 but by the new measurements…requires me to wear a 31 inch pad? I currently wear 34+2s.
How many more kids/Jr/Pro goalies do I need to see get their knees blasted out because they can’t wear thigh boards? Imagine that number amplified to the extreme’s with super short pads.
I think, like every goalie/goalie coach that there is plenty of scoring, especially in the NHL. I think Whitmore is just searching for job security and creating a name for himself. Lord knows he didn’t do it while he was playing.
Broice Said,
December 22, 2009 @ 6:44 AM
All this talk about scoring is ridiculous, the net should be 6′ X 4′ and pads should not be altered anymore. If anything, pads should go back to 12″, gloves and blockers should be kept the same. The only thing I could agree with is the shoulder area of chest protectors getting more form fitting for all netminders. Though if that was done all players should go back to wood sticks so that shots will be less likely to “hurt” netminders in the collar area. Wood sticks would also be a good idea because players may start to try to pick corners more than just blow it by the netminder, which I think is much harder to stop.
I measured myself and came up with about a 32″ pad I normally like a 34″ pad and believe me it in no way totally covers the 5 hole. When I moved to a 34″ pad I was wearing a 30″ before and my knees were getting a beating, I can only assume that about half the shots from before would get through and I could look forward to being crippled by the time I’m 30.
The NHL is averaging over 5 goals a game that means for every 1-0 game there needs to be an 11 goal game. Hockey should be around a 5-6 goal game… 3-2, is a good even game, enough goals and enough stops. Plus who the heck wants to see aimless goals drift through goalies legs or around (if the make the nets bigger also) goalies, that is not excitement. Back and forth play, shots, big saves, and action is exciting not games that have cheap goals!
Sara Said,
December 22, 2009 @ 7:07 AM
I agree, the game was/is fine without all this tinkering.