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New Rule for Goalies Short and Tall


Rock

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http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/sports/hockey/05hockey.html?_r=1&ref=hockey

When the season opens Thursday, goalies will be wearing leg pads that are proportional to their body size. About 15 to 20 percent of goalies had to go to smaller pads because of the new rule, according to Gary Meagher, a league vice president.

The new rule would seem to benefit taller goalies, who can now wear longer pads than previously allowed.

“We understand that taller guys have an advantage because they’re taller and have more range than shorter guys, but the shorter guys can wear a pad that’s longer and fills in more space between their knees,” Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, a member of the rules committee, said of the old rule.

“The hope is that this will force those guys to get their knees together a little more and be more athletic in making a five-hole save. To make it a little more fair.”

The Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist, who is 6-1, said he had to cut “something like half an inch” off his pads under the new rule.

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Protecting the net, yeah. Leg pads don't need to be 12" wide to protect the player.

Exactly. About 10.5" - 11" across is enough. There is no need for the pad itself to be higher than the padding in the pants. If there is a smaller pad to protect the knee when the leg is bent, then the player is protected. Also, chest protectors are getting kinda ridiculous.

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Exactly. About 10.5" - 11" across is enough. There is no need for the pad itself to be higher than the padding in the pants. If there is a smaller pad to protect the knee when the leg is bent, then the player is protected. Also, chest protectors are getting kinda ridiculous.

Chico would declare blasphemy!

But seriously, I'm going to predict that there'll be more of these slight tweaks to goalie pads over the coming years. Reducing them bit-by-bit is probably less likely to cause problems.

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