In Goal Mag: NHL Prepared For Feedback As Goalies Get Smaller Chest Protectors

[Lucky Pucker]

As others, I have no issue with reduction, so long as it is not at the expense of goaltender safety and protection.

The problem I have with this article is this explanation:

"The assumption is that it's primarily to increase goal-scoring, and it is," said Mathieu Schneider, special assistant to NHLPA executive director Don Fehr. "We'd be lying if we didn't say that was a big part of it. But I think the fairness is certainly a close No. 2 on that list. We're trying to come up with rules and guidelines that don't give players a distinct advantage because of their equipment."

So how exactly do composite sticks evade this desire to eradicate elements that give players a distinct advantage because of equipment? As the author opined (correctly, in my opinion), "Imagine spending years in equipment protecting sensitive areas, getting comfortable with it, trusting it, then having someone change it and facing slap shots off composite sticks. The NHL isn't going back to wood."

I watched Schneider for years when he played in Montreal, and he was never in danger of winning the "smartest player in the room" award - but this explanation really bothered me. Don't insult our intelligence; the league is a business, and you're trying to increase goals to make a more attractive product to attract the potential, as-yet unrealized market share. Period. No "...but a close second is..." I get that it's a business decision - it's the cold, rational, dispassionate and calculated side of the sport (read: business) that us fans sometimes forget, or else choose to ignore. Fans are passionate and often times irrational about the sport, and/or team(s) and or player(s) and/or position(s) we love - as is our right to be. But don't pretend this is part of a fairplay initiative across the board to make sure everyone in the NHL has fun, and has a fair chance.

[Lucky Pucker]

2 hours ago, Chenner29 said:

If we are talking equipment costs, I think polo is up there.

I don't know anyone who owns a horse.

As a taxpayer, I technically part-own police horses...

[stackem30]

Pretty excited for the season to start and for everyone to forget allll about this ...and they will. Everyone was freaking out about knee injuries when they shrank pads a few years ago, and nobody's really spoke of it since. Because it was fineee.

This debate is getting old. The smaller chest pads will likely not increase scoring. They will also likely not directly lead to injuries. It's just something they're doing so that they can feel they've done their due diligence in making sure that saves are being made for the right reason.

[BadAngle41]

3 hours ago, Chenner29 said:

If we are talking equipment costs, I think polo is up there.

I don't know anyone who owns a horse.

HA. That was going to be my next example... but decided to go w/ the more obscure sport.

[cuprajake]

im waiting for goalie stats to go up, 

no offence but todays game is miles away from what it was

[cuprajake]

see the new chesties made a massive difference to the score lines i see vegas won 55-11,

[MTH]

On 9/18/2018 at 1:06 PM, cuprajake said:

im waiting for goalie stats to go up, 

no offence but todays game is miles away from what it was

Well said. 

Today's goalies mixed with the current game - the goalies could use ski gloves and be just as good.

When us old dogs pick up their current sized gear - It feels like a ski glove on my hand.

[TitanG]

Another article from Sportsnet:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/impact-smaller-nhl-goalie-equipment-scoring/

I would say this one is pretty fair and less biased than some of their commentators in the past (*ahem*).

[SaveByRichter35]

On 11/1/2018 at 12:58 PM, TitanG said:

Another article from Sportsnet:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/impact-smaller-nhl-goalie-equipment-scoring/

I would say this one is pretty fair and less biased than some of their commentators in the past (*ahem*).

Good read, thanks for posting.

[RichMan]

This could mean the death of the blocking style goalie. As it has been mentioned before elsewhere, goalies who aren't already, will have to become more gloves active and thus a return in some ways to the early '80s game. 

Somewhere, right now, Fuhr, Vernon and Roy are all smiles  

[WillyGrips13]

This latest article is very fair and balanced. It even included the theory some on here had that some of the issues goalies have had with their chest protectors is due to manufacturers not quite getting it right yet. Also nice to see a story acknowledge the reduction in equipment that has already occurred. I feel so many people in hockey are unaware that all equipment has been reduced already and in some cases multiple times. 

My feeling is if they want to reduce equipment size they should do so without sacrificing protection. However I truly doubt the result will be as noticeable as they hope. After all, we’re 14 years on from the lockout that caused the lost season. That’s when they started all this equipment size reduction crusade. Perhaps it was needed, but the goals scored per game is roughly the same. 

Of course if you read the comments on the story, the predicable responses are there. Sadly regardless of what happens, there will always be people who think goalies are whiners, cryers, cheaters etc.

[FN-2187]

5 hours ago, RichMan said:

This could mean the death of the blocking style goalie. As it has been mentioned before elsewhere, goalies who aren't already, will have to become more gloves active and thus a return in some ways to the early '80s game. 

Somewhere, right now, Fuhr, Vernon and Roy are all smiles  

I love that perception of the impact, I've always preferred reactive style goaltending - even if it's not as efficient it's far more entertaining to watch! 

Unfortunately i see the continuous equipment trimming contributing to the trend of 'bigger is better' drafting as goalies get closer to basketball player height! 

The worst thing is the NHL doesn't seem to care about player safety or wish to cultivate a league in which fans appreciate highlight saves as much as goals. Simply call the hooks and interference, zero tolerance for headshots and the speed and scoring could flourish more naturally without penalizing goalies for developing at a far quicker rate than players over the last few decades! 

[Puckducker]

Interesting that the article specifically points out that the new CA's potentially will put out hotter and faster rebounds, and that will increase scoring chances.

I would think the opposite is true, at least based on how pads tech has changed to put out faster and faster rebounds to get the puck as far from the net as possible. 

I guess you can't cradle a puck into your pads the way you can with the CA, so perhaps that's the angle they are coming from.

[Math.]

14 hours ago, FN-2187 said:

I love that perception of the impact, I've always preferred reactive style goaltending - even if it's not as efficient it's far more entertaining to watch! 

Unfortunately i see the continuous equipment trimming contributing to the trend of 'bigger is better' drafting as goalies get closer to basketball player height! 

The worst thing is the NHL doesn't seem to care about player safety or wish to cultivate a league in which fans appreciate highlight saves as much as goals. Simply call the hooks and interference, zero tolerance for headshots and the speed and scoring could flourish more naturally without penalizing goalies for developing at a far quicker rate than players over the last few decades! 

Amen.

[coopaloop1234]

On 11/3/2018 at 2:58 PM, Puckducker said:

Interesting that the article specifically points out that the new CA's potentially will put out hotter and faster rebounds, and that will increase scoring chances.

I would think the opposite is true, at least based on how pads tech has changed to put out faster and faster rebounds to get the puck as far from the net as possible. 

I guess you can't cradle a puck into your pads the way you can with the CA, so perhaps that's the angle they are coming from.

I think the difference being is that:

1. Blocker/Pads have much 'hotter' rebounds than any C/A will have. You're going to get a lot more pop and ability to direct it further
2. C/A's having rounded edges and shifting properties doesn't allow the same rebound control you're going to get with a flat faced blocker/pad. It'll be pretty damn hard to consistently direct rebounds with your bicep.

[ThatCarGuy]

On 9/5/2018 at 7:12 AM, RichMan said:

you see some of these guys 6'2 and 150lbs bean poles they come out like the stay puft marshmallow man, its unbelievable. 

Indeed. I'm 5'10" and only 120lbs. I wear a Vaughn SLR Pro CA but I keep the thing tight on me because I like a little more feel and movement. I don't like to feel floppy. As you would expect, I'm a twig so pretty much everything on that CA is tightened completely. I also have pretty much zero upper body strength. All of my mass is at my stomach and lower.

[RichMan]

8 hours ago, ThatCarGuy said:

Indeed. I'm 5'10" and only 120lbs. I wear a Vaughn SLR Pro CA but I keep the thing tight on me because I like a little more feel and movement. I don't like to feel floppy. As you would expect, I'm a twig so pretty much everything on that CA is tightened completely. I also have pretty much zero upper body strength. All of my mass is at my stomach and lower.

LOLLL you quoted the quote I quoted from cuprajake. Still good  

[TitanG]

Markstrom at last check was in the CCM unit. Looks like he got stung in the shootout tonight:

[coopaloop1234]

10 hours ago, TitanG said:

Markstrom at last check was in the CCM unit. Looks like he got stung in the shootout tonight:

I mean, it's the collarbone area, that's not exactly the most bullet proof spot even in the old spec C/A's.

[raucebyalien]

Happened to Gibson last night too just before LA's 2nd goal - really harmless looking wrister from around the top of the circles, at first it looked like it hit collar bone, but when they slowed it down it seemed to hit him on the side of the chest, almost under the arm (probably exactly where there used to be an extended piece of floater )