Wonder35

Upon retiring my leather goalie gear I recently picked up this set of McKenny gloves for under $100. Yes, I am old and cheap.

Remain positive Chenner29. Easy for one of us to say but the anxiety and wait can eat you up and create a negative mindset. 

Make no rash decisions and for sure Do Not have a fire sale on any of your gear (spoken from experience). You are a young man and good stuff is happening in the world of orthopaedics.

Hopefully this video will open for y'all. One of the all time great Canadian Rock Bands, The Tragically Hip, put out a song titled The Lonely End of the Rink, and this video illustrated some of the greats who occupied that position.

https://www.facebook.com/odf63/videos/10156729872674394/

Yes please, keep us updated on your return to play possibilities. All the best .........

My hockey gear dries in the laundry room and within 24 hours takes up residence in the garage. This is how one remains married to a beautiful woman for 51 years. "Yes dear."

2 hours ago, coopaloop1234 said:

Looks to me your pads have already found their forever home. 

Where's your fridge? 

It’s a Team Canada Red fridge, cleverly out of sight. Who’da thunk it?

I got to see and hear the 787B at the Monterey Historics at Laguna Seca in 2013. God, it was music…….

This is my garage. It’s full.

I had this set of gloves and pads custom made by Scott Battram about 12 years ago. He had recently acquired some quality hides so I went for it. For a while now this gear has been hanging on my Hockey Wall of Shame, for display purposes only. What a waste!

I would very much appreciate any advice for you learned ‘tenders. I am stuck in a chasm here where there appears to be no market on any current Hockey Gear For Sale forums. It would not take a whole lot of convincing to sell the pads and gloves, but where and to whom?

The pads are 33” x 11”. All straps are buckles. I have changed the original and updated toe straps to buckles (still have 2 sets of toe ties). The Team Canada logo is my version of the original one. The internals are varying densities of foam, No horse hair, I promise. I have regularly maintained the leather. It is dark and supple, showing little wear and tear.

The Trapper is enormous, illegal for any league that I know of but wonderful for us beer leaguers. The pocket is well fortified but the glove opens and closes very easily, heck, it’s leather. Pucks tend to get swallowed up with rare unintentional rebounds occurring.

The Blocker is a more conventional size with a medium size stick glove. Again, it displays the similar Team Canada Goalie Version Logo as that of the Trapper and Pads.

Photos below. I made a mask from a shell I acquired, installing a Warwick cage. It isn’t a high quality game action mask, more of a wall hanger.

1 hour ago, Lucky Pucker said:

There was an interesting anecdote about when Gump Worsley came to Montreal, and how he was excited to meet Toe Blake, who would undoubtedly (in his telling) have great insights and tips for him as goalie. Paraphrasing, but I think it amounted to Blake saying “What the hell do I know about it? Just stop the puck”.

To be certain, the “stay on your feet” advice was for self preservation/injury prevention as much as it was about effective puck stopping (if not more so). It’s been such a fascinating history and evolution of the position!

I’m aware of Plante’s book, but what others do you recall reading?

Later on, when technology was at its zenith, I picked up a Betamax video of Denis Herron explaining how to play the angles.

19 hours ago, Lucky Pucker said:

Well I never said it was a GOOD or ACCURATE impersonator- lol!

So you’re saying you got coaching beyond “just stop the damned puck”…? Lucky!

Personally, I have never had a goalie coach, or even a hockey coach. As a kid I read every goalie related book that I could find and there weren't many. The key tenets were to remain standing and do not wander from your net.

On 8/9/2023 at 3:02 PM, Lucky Pucker said:

Nice pic of a @Wonder35 impersonator 

Except that I would be standing whilst making the glove save. "Stay on your feet and don't play the puck. You're a goalie." So sayeth the 1960's coaches.

I have a friend whose nephew was an NHL goalie by the name of Pat Jablonski. When Pat was in minor hockey his Dad (who played Senior A in Canada) tried to turn his son into a "regular side" goaltender. In Major Midget Pat's Coach said "Enough" and allowed his player to go Full Right. Dad finally gave in and his boy had a very nice NHL career.

And so my tale ends ...........

On 7/7/2023 at 9:56 PM, dean42mvg said:

 

 

his guidelines were to just listen to my body, and it will tell me when I am ready

In 2008, 10 months after my hip replacement surgery, the surgeon gave me the same advice. Still ……… it took a clean cut breakaway by a premier player to convince me that my body could take it. I made a save on a close in shot and spread my operated leg to smother the rebound. I was back!

At a post surgery checkup following my knee replacement (2018) the surgeon (different doctor) said in an emphatic tone “No way.” To playing goal. Some pleasure skating but no hockey, especially no goaltending.

I sold my nearly new Brown gear, pads, gloves, C/A, pants and jock. That’s when I discovered Yoga, Aquafit, successful weight loss and my cobwebbed bicycle.

Nine months afterwards I began to play once again. Mind you, with some used but quality gear. I had retained my Harrison mask and Graf Skates.

Granted, I am not playing at a high level, as are most of you. But I am in the game.

I wish you all a long, healthy and fun hockey life.      .

1 hour ago, MTH said:

The top of all our lists is easy:

He caught that right in the pocket.

Which one?

I had that set with a matched set of Cooper DuraSoft pads. Terrible gear. The Trapper was heavy and clumsy to use. The pads were the original Shape Shifters, Blocker - OK, but not good.

49 minutes ago, WillyGrips13 said:

Honestly, it would’ve been wild if he said he rotates through wives but has one set of gear. 

Who could afford that?

One set of gear which I have had for 8-10 years.

One wife, 51 years.

Excellent report and based on current technology. My first L Hip Replacement was performed in 2007. Within the next year or so I suspect that it will need replacing as the 100,000 Shot Warranty is soon expiring.

Thanks very much for this comprehensive update.

Today I was asked to commit to an 80 game schedule commencing in September through to April.

I countered with a modified plan, Mondays and Fridays, mid day, 90 minutes running time. No more tournaments as my oft repaired body can no longer sustain multi games per day. Waiting to hear from my Agent……….

I am 74 years young this fall.

2 hours ago, Chenner29 said:

Is it weird that I want my pads to slide less these days

Welcome to the Dark Side where we stand up, let the puck hit our pads, play our angles and don't drop into prayer mode on every shot .... 

1 hour ago, ThatCarGuy said:

I’d like to think I’m still a could-be

Way to go Guys (and Gals). 

From a hot prospect since 1965. Do you realize how many Scouts I have seen come and go, mainly go .......?

That was Step One. Do you think ………….  (he says to his mask.)

On 2/22/2021 at 6:59 AM, coopaloop1234 said:

Go to a Doctor.

We're severely under-qualified to try and diagnose what could be the issue. We're just a bunch of old fat drunks. 

Go to a Doctor.

I'll have you know that I am not fat .......

Coop, your stick is a wonderful shade of blue. It's time you matched it with BLUE gear. You know, Leafs Blue.

I'm watching the Islanders/Hurricanes game right now. For the third night in a row I've seen a double pad stack.

Be still my beating heart .................