Pro Tips with Thatcher Demko: Toe Ties

When it comes to creating the perfect toe-tie gap between pads and skates, most goalies right up to the NHL go by the number of knots they tie into the skate lace that connects the two, or perhaps some combination of two knots with a small loop in between to approximate the desired length.

Thatcher Demko got a lot more specific with his answer, both in terms of how long and why.

The Vancouver Canucks No. 1 talked about the importance of having his toe ties set up properly when he’s in Reverse (or RVH) during a lengthy, in-depth interview on Episode 136 of the InGoal Radio Podcast, and included a specific measurement for how to do it. Demko prefers to seal his post with the bottom edge of his pad, or toe bridge, rather than with his skate blade.

“If I’m in the reverse, I just don’t like seeing that little three-inch gap of space between the skate and the post, so I always am hitting that toe bridge,” Demko said. “It takes more time to perfect and be able to hit that every time because it’s a smaller target.”

Having the right gap between the bottom of the pad and the skate makes it easier.