In recent years, goal scoring and television ratings have been the main topics of discussion around the National Hockey League.  Mostly, the discussion has been how to increase scoring which will in turn increase ratings (I believe this to be false as any true/old school hockey fan would rather see a 1-0 low-scoring affair with great goaltending and many scoring chances).

However, with league commissioner Gary Bettman at the helm, the league has expanded to non-traditional United States’ markets like Atlanta and Nashville, four other franchises declared bankruptcy, and most importantly, goal scoring is lower than ever and ratings are dreadfully lower than the World Series of Poker, which barely qualifies as sport.  League officials have now suggested an increase in the size of the nets, which will surely drive away traditional hockey fans who have filled buildings regardless of the decade or style of play.  Maybe the evolution of the goalie has something to do with that.

In order to increase scoring, the league has implemented a variety of questionable tactics.  They eliminated the red line at center, enforced Zero tolerance on interference, hooking and holding/obstruction, and created restricted areas for goalies to play the puck, among other rules.
Yet, the NHL remains dissatisfied with the poor goal output, which it blames for the poor TV ratings. 

Similar to professional sports in America, hockey has evolved over time.  In 1990, the New Jersey Devils drafted Martin Brodeur, who eventually developed into one of the league’s best puck-handling goaltenders.  He had the skill and vision to chase a puck into the corner and spark a scoring opportunity with a quick pass up the ice.  During his early years, players like Scott Stevens were well-known for clean yet powerful open-ice hits.  The referees did not penalize every clutch or grab with two minutes in the sin bin (penalty box).  The game had a much more free-wheelin’-anything goes style that was not only interesting and entertaining to watch, but successful.  Hockey was slowly becoming one of the most powerful sports, especially considering Major League Baseball suffered from a strike in the early 90s.

However, this never came to be.  Hockey never managed to overtake the MLB or NBA, but rather slowly drifted away from popular demand.

By “opening the game up,” the league created one more problem (besides the fact that calling every minor penalty does the exact opposite of opening the game up).  Goalies today are better and bigger than ever, and potentially disobeying the NHL rulebook.

“With the exception of skates and stick, all the equipment worn by the goalkeeper must be constructed solely for the purpose of protecting the head or body, and he must not wear any garment or use any contrivance which would give him undue assistance in keeping goal,” the NHL rulebook stipulated.

 
Since the NHL now follows the letter of the law (sense the sarcasm), the tremendous leg pads and chest protectors that goalies, such as J.S. Giguere, Tim Thomas, Manny Legace, Rick DiPietro and even Roberto Luongo wear must be because their bodies are at risk.   I highly doubt that Giguere would be in physical danger should he cut down on his pad size (although he definitely would not stop every shot that came along the ice).  It certainly did not help him in the 2002-03 finals against the Devils, who won the Cup 4-3, scoring three times in game seven.

One can hold a combination of pad size and the modern-day butterfly style accountable for the decrease in goal output among other factors.  Today, hockey instructors teach children the butterfly position for its simplicity and perceived effectiveness (just because it’s used league wide doesn’t mean it’s the best option).  Even immobile goaltenders can win games with these oversized pads that block off the entire bottom portion of the net.

“Mr. Goalie” Glenn Hall was one of the first netminders to effectively implement the butterfly style.  However, when Hall played the butterfly in the 50’s and 60’s, he used pads that were smaller than those of today’s standards.  He relied on his speed and agility to shift from post to post, getting low for the low shots and staying up for the high shots.

Today, butterfly goalies will more often than not spend their time on the ice, regardless of the puck’s location (even if it is behind the net).  Many goaltenders lack the mobility that Hall possessed and are slow side-to-side.  This is the reason many scouting reports tell players to shoot high and off the pass (especially one-timers).  Martin Brodeur is a prime example of how to properly utilize the butterfly style.  Brodeur plays a combination stand-up/half-butterfly style, which allows him to cover low, protect high, and move at will from post to post.

Michael Farber of SI.com has a suggested route for the NHL.

“Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, the NHL, in conjunction with the Players Association, might consider a plan to customize equipment for goalies,” Farber said.

From personal experience, I have been playing goalie since age nine.  Although I am 6 feet 4 inches tall, I wear 33-inch pads, which are actually smaller than what Brodeur wears.  Take into consideration that I have two inches on him.  Unlike professional goaltenders, I have never felt more likely to get hurt in those pads, but rather that I am able to maneuver better to make the save in smaller pads.  Goalies will forever be criticized for trying to use their pads over talent, which, in turn, will not increase the league’s TV ratings.

“I don't have a problem with it,” said Brodeur, in his interview with SI.com’s Farber.  "One guy who's 170 pounds probably shouldn't look bigger than a guy who's 220.  I've got 30 pounds on a lot of guys, but they look bigger than me because they're wearing size XXL pants.  Look at Manny Legace. He's a small guy who wears 38-inch pads, the maximum. Olaf Kolzig wears 38s, but he's 6' 4".  Because Legace is small, the pads are allowing him to cover areas that he probably shouldn't be covering. The way it is now, it isn't fair."

This past Thursday night, New York Islanders’ starting goalie Rick DiPietro entered the ice in new leg pads following his return from a sprained knee that forced him to miss three games.  DiPietro wore new white Itech leg pads that looked like a wall was built over his legs.

“DiPietro was forced to remove the pads in question following the first period of Thursday's game against the Florida Panthers because the NHL had no way of confirming the pads were, in fact, legal,” Darren Dreger of TSN reported.

From the naked eye, you could see that DiPietro’s pads were unnecessarily larger than a goalie of his size would need for protection from injury. 

The NHL did not discover any irregularities in DiPietro’s pads, which would have commanded an automatic two-game suspension.

"The National Hockey Leagues Hockey Operations department received and inspected New York Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro's goalie pads Friday afternoon, and upon further review declared the pads legal,” Dreger said.

Nevertheless, that is exactly the problem.  Even though DiPietro wore legal-sized pads, the goalies have more than enough protection and cutting down on size will not increase injury, but will increase goal output (something the NHL would love to see).  It is hard to believe that an inch or two (for some goalies more) off their pads (especially with all the tailor-made, new-age equipment) would really make them that much more vulnerable to injury.

Martin Brodeur wears 34 ½-inch pads, which are 3 ½ inches smaller than those of Manny Legace.  While Brodeur stands tall at 6’2,” Legace is only 5’9,” and therefore, should not wear pads at the maximum size.  Without a new way to determine pad size customized to a goaltenders height and weight, goalies will forever be critiqued for trying to use their pads instead of their talent.  The NHL needs a one-size-doesn’t-fit-all adaptation to their rules.

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