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Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros in full yellow gear making a save in his crouched butterfly stance

Pro Gear: Juuse Saros Explains His Three “Batting Gloves”

Kevin Woodley | | 2 min read
Key Takeaways
  • Saros wears a GoaliePro padded glove with fingers cut out and extra thumb padding under his blocker during practice to reduce puck impact.
  • A FootJoy golf glove worn inside the trapper during games provides light protection while maintaining a natural feel — a tip Saros learned from Pekka Rinne.
  • GoaliePro gloves are practice-only for Saros; he switches to the unpadded golf glove for game situations to preserve puck feel in his catcher.
  • Lizard Skin gloves are an alternative option for goalies seeking additional hand protection under their equipment.
  • Saros ranked second in the NHL in goals saved above expected (27.06) this season, trailing only Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins.

Juuse Saros has been one of the best goalies in the NHL the past two seasons for the Nashville Predators, following up last year’s Vezina Trophy finalist effort by saving 27.06 goals above expected this season, a total surpassed only by Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins.

Saros is also one of the few goalies InGoal Magazine has seen to wear gloves under both his blocker and trapper in practice, so naturally we had to ask him about it.

Turns out Saros actually wears three different gloves under his equipment: two versions of the GoaliePro padded glove, one with fingers cut out and extra padding around the thumb for his blocker, that are used in practice; and a Footjoy golf glove he uses in the catcher for games.

Saros explained it all on camera for us after a recent morning skate:

“They kept it really light, so it feels natural,” Saros said of the GoaliePro gloves he uses just for practice. “And then I used the golf glove in the games, without the padding.”

As Saros said, he learned that last trick from Pekka Rinne and has used it for years. The other two are new and might be good for goalies feeling the puck a little too much in practice.

Another good option for goalies looking for a little more protection is the Lizard Skin Glove we reviewed on the InGoal Radio Podcast. You can see them up close in this video here and you can also check them out at The Hockey Shop.

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