Fullright

Leaning towards the Panthers and Bob. The team plays heavy, good systems, and Bob is unbeatable if he gets on a run.

So, who do we like to win the The Grail? Might have been better to wait for the matchups to be finalized in a few days but I have a moment or two today.

Keep us updated please.

Pretty sure that is Roger Crozier. Nice find @Lucky Pucker

@Chenner29: ....So while it's very clear to me you've been given a raw deal with your current situation, I encourage you to keep your head up. To play a high level of hockey, you've developed a lot of very important intangibles that will stand out when you move into civilian life. Absolutely brilliant! @ThatCarGuy: Hang onto this....the endurance you are developing internally will help you the rest of your life.

I wanted to punch his lights out but this is back in the 82-83 season. And the fact is that if you have aspirations, you just have to eat it sometimes. Being from that time, I've seen worse than how coach humiliated me. @ThatCarGuy, has it worse than I did; he's overseas.

Congrats on having the guts to share your thoughts and feelings. Our culture in particular, at least during my time, was "shut up, eat it and move on". An unenlightened approach. Very glad you shown trust here on a delicate issue with your peers here; at one time or another, we've all felt the weight of what your're describing at one time or another. At the level you're playing, coaches are going to say things to you which they think are to motivate you. In college, I shut out a U of Minn team and after the game, coach said in front of the team that I stunk the joint out. He didnt say it quite so politely; the language he used was much more humiliating and hurt me to my soul. I did my best to just let it go and carry on. I did think to myself, what does this guy want and why am I putting up with it? The point is to reassure you that you are not alone. Try not to make a final decision at this point. Let your frustration/anger cool down some first. You do not want to look back down the road and play the "what if" thing with yourself. Try to think things through in a logical manner and go from there. I expect that being away from home in a foreign country is adding to or compounding your emotional well being. But do take advantage of your support system and confide in he/she/them and consider what they have to say. You are obviously a very good goalie. If you were otherwise, you would have been cut or traded. Try to remember also that you're playing at a seriously high level so the expectations and culture is going to be different than a mens league culture. Dont rush yourself and try to find something that gives you peace while you assess your goals and the way in which you want to obtain them. We all got your back so dont stop yourself from venting here. No one here will think anything less of you.

I dont know; when it comes to selling things, it's all about the bucks, isnt it? I am not imputing anything to the gear manufacturers. Their business is selling stuff and we're all gear sluts one way or another and most of us want the latest and "greatest". In other words, they have a built in market: us and, in an effort to be better, most of us chase new gear. Add to that the rule changes about gear in The Show and it filters down to all levels. When I get dressed, I am usually amazed at the other goalie and all the things he has to clip, snap, and buckle from the waist up. More than not, he looks at me and says "you must be nuts" which I just ignore or smile in response. It would be silly not to use modern materials but the stuff has to fit and has to help us do the job. I agree @RichMan; Brown cannot be beat for form and function. I havent done business with Passau in 3 or 4 years but I got really close to pulling the trigger with them on a new C/A. Getting something off the peg at the hockey store especially for the C/A seems like a roll of the dice. How it works in the store is a whole different deal on the ice.

Obviously, me neither. The unit was such a big evolution at the time. Up till then, I used heavily modified Cooper SA 95 and a Thompson "Turtle" chest protector. I think I was so excited about not getting major dents anymore (still got them anyway; just not as often) to the torso and arms, I didnt even realize the arm difference for several months after buying it. Watching the Hawks game yesterday afternoon, Pang had a segment with Mrazek between periods covering modern gear. I couldnt catch which brand he uses but he mentioned the slim line policy of the NHL. The unit though looked pretty stout. It has what he says is Kevlar pieces through out. Pang knocked on it and it sounded like knocking on a door.

The model label is too worn down to tell me the model number and I've had it so long that I just dont remember. If it provides a clue, the Heaton label is embroidered in the left floater, The bottom of the chest pad is straight across. Useless side note: sometime after I bought, I realized it was made for a goalie who catches with the left hand. The right sleeve has extra protection on the elbow.

Another excellent topic @RichMan. Pretty well written too. I am old and small. 61 yrs old and 5'6" and when I'm in hockey shape I weigh in at about 160lbs. Sleeve length in a dress shirt is 33 on the left arm and 34 on the right. In a dress shirt, I wear a 16.5" neck or depending on the shirt maker a 17" neck. I detest big equipment. For me, it is more important that I can move than block. I wouldnt characterize my playing style as acrobatic nor as standup. I am certainly not a blocking goalie; I lack the size to play that way. I suppose in modern nomenclature I am a hybrid goalie. My film is here in the video section so I am not sure what any observer would call me. I wouldnt argue the label anyway so your choice is fine w me. My C/A is the same one I've used for about 28 years made by Heaton. Over time, I've replaced worn out arm pad sections using sections from a "mule" bought at a 2nd hand store. A few years ago, I bulked up the floaters and chest by doubling up the floaters and belly pad from a medium youth C/A from CCM. The Heaton set is not wide from side to side; my mods added thickness front to back. This has kept my ability to move and not only added protection, but also helped with soaking up pucks to my torso. I have tried on modern CCM, Bauer, and Vaughn in the store and considered Passau C/A. I cant recall the specific models but they were senior level. They were just too big. The floaters clashed w my throat portion of my bucket. The chest portion was too long extending below my waiste, and felt too heavy and bulky. The same applied to the arm protection. I prefer my wrists to be able to extend and flex my hands. The sleeves went too far into my gloves and major surgery would be required to get the sleeves shortened to my preferred length. So, I think my bottom line is my preference is for my C/A not to extend far, if at all, beyond the plane of my torso and arms. I maybe an outlying relic for this juicy topic; there arent any physically small goalies any more playing at advanced youth levels or end of the road mens leagues. The dude at the other end is always much bigger than I. I was blessed to play junior and college in the Dark Ages; a person with my dimensions wouldnt even get a shot at a tryout these days. So I dont think gear designers consider a small goalie when they are working at the drawing board. Why should they? It would be like buidling a bird cage for a Dodo.

@MTH, doesnt sound odd at all and @coopaloop1234 is right in my experience. Better players means harder and more accurate shots but the shot is "cleaner". Plus, who wants 250 lbs Johnny Superstar who cant skate tumbling into you? Glad to hear that you may have resolved your issue.

Good advice above. You might want to be sure about what's leading to the hole there before changing your stick. You've been around for a long time. Last thing you want is fix one problem and create another. If it were me, I would focus on the technique the fellas above have emphasized and see whether that resolves the problem before changing your stick. I've always used a short paddle but when I tried longer ones, they almost always affected my balance and my stance some.

My two cents: do not paint yourself into a corner. Good advice above. Take some time and catch your breath. Sounds like you had a lot hitting at once: gear, a crap culture, and some struggles on the ice. This happens to all of us over time. So a step back might be helpful. You dont want to look back 5 years from now and say to yourself I wish I had kept playing.

English Metaphor by Farnsworth....dont ask.

This is a sad day then. You've been an inspiration to me and your example has motivated me to keep trying to get back. Like they say, father time is undefeated but you sure kicked his ass for a very long time. Congrats! P.S. You have a lifetime of experience and wisdom to share. Please dont fade out.

@RichMan, sorry man, I should have kept my mouth shut re the WHA.

@RichMan, agreed. Butterfly slide is a whole different phenomenon than the butterfly itself. Next to impossible to do in leather pads; impossible for me certainly and I tried hard. I dont recall ever seeing Hall doing it. Esposito's way around that problem was the 'stack. Modern pads made it possible; the impact of equipment and style/approach/orthodoxy cannot be overstated.

@RichMan, another good topic! Problem I am having is the meaning of unorthodox in the current context. For my time, starting organized hockey in 1971, almost all goalies played a standup style. The unorthodox goalie at the time was Tony Esposito. He took what Glen Hall called his "v style" and amplified it. Roy took the butterfly style and amplified it further so that it became the approach taught to this day. Contemporary goalies now all pretty much play the same way. Because he lasted so long, the last unorthodox (meaning different) is probably Martin Broduer and perhaps MAF. Each stood and still does stand up to make stops whereas everyone else butterflies which used to be called flopping. Searching my compromised brain, I think Cujo might be considered unorthodox because he did both the last several years of his career. Tim Thomas and Hank probably fit into the unorthodox category. I think the current doctrine of butterfly needs to adapt just the skaters adapted to it. Right now, I think the skaters have the edge. Almost every night, someone bangs one in off the side of the goalie's head while he's in a VH or RVH. Also, almost all of them instinctively drop to butterfly once a shot is released. It strikes me as bizarre that all management wants is big guys in net but then 6' something men drop and get beat up top. The net is only 4' high. They are all excellent but are many of them that distinct from each other? Another element that changed is quickness and "reflex goalies". Hand and foot speed to stop a shot is less important now. On that standard, Soros can probably be considered unorthodox to some degree because he is damn quick and is probably as quick as Richter, Palmateer, Fuhr, Ranford, and Don Beaupre when he broke in. I am not sure why but the thinking seems to be that quick reflexes are not that significant. Orthodoxy seems to mean big men who are pretty much technically identical. This is really an interesting topic.

Blues? I like Jordan "Do I look nervous?" Bennington and Glen Hall is a demi god. However, I wore a mask like Liut's so I got to go with Mike. We are really going to get in the weeds if @RichMan starts a discussion on goalies from the WHA. Probably only a handful of us here even know what it was.

This is a really great topic.

Well, now, if we are going true French for the Habs, cant overlook RIchard Sevigny.

Looks like your recovery is going well. How are you feeling afterward?

Hello @degoalie: Being in net involves a whole different set of movements and torques on the joints than playing out. Best guess, assuming you're medically uninjured, is your body is getting acclimated to the new movements. Pretty courageous of you to switch into net at 52. Might want to see the Dr to rule out a medical issue. Hopefully, you're uninjured but best to get it confirmed. If so, you might consider stretching much more often. Good luck!

Absolutely tragic. He was indestructible during his playing days on a team that stunk most years. Pancreatic killed him. Even though he got old, his passion to play never left. Orval Tessier, the coach the last 2 years of TE's career, wanted to phase him out during his last season and play Bannerman. TE said screw it...called Lou Nanne, the boss of the Minnesota North Stars at the time, who had a spot laid out for him. Dollar Bill Wirtz got involved and said no. I dont think TE ever filed retirement papers. LOL.