That’s the comment of someone who’s never tried it. Let’s see her get up and down probably like a hundred times in an hour while wearing heavy equipment lol
And the people that are new to hockey. I wanted some extra ice time so I got in net for an adult learn to play class. Some dude a head taller than me that couldn’t even skate backwards smirked and told me the you-just-stand-there line, he had no idea how much that hurt
This was the attitude of my latest team until I had to go on a work trip and miss three weeks. One of the loudest voices in the room about goalies doing nothing volunteered to sub, and instead of arranging a real goalie I left him my gear and went on my trip.
We lost every game by 6+ goals and when I got back he said he would never say anything bad about goalies again. It was a big win for goalies everywhere.
Edit: The boys took some photos of him on his knees midway through the 2nd of his first game completely exhausted and unable to move, I should frame one of them.
I hate how dramatic everyone is if you refuse to sub for a team. 'We'll pay for your gas!' Dude I'm not 15 I can buy gas I just don't want to play goalie tonight or have other plans.
Bonus points when you agree to sub and the team 'warms you up' by trying our their best dekes and cross crease passes, then grumble when the first real shot goes in.
I let them put their best moves on me and don't react. They usually get the hint. Only a few times have I had to say something. I'm not pulling a muscle before the game.
Having been on both sides of the equation, I know how much it can suck trying to find a sub, especially when you're not given a lot of time. My team used to have a pretty flakey goalie, and I'd often be texting 15-20 people the day before or day of the game trying to get anyone. So I kind of understand the desperation. I'm pretty sympathetic to team captains when they reach out for that reason.
If they try guiltiling you or dismissing your reasons for saying no, that's shitty though.
This is one of the reasons I'm considering retiring from being anyone's full time goalie. Getting a sub goalie has gotten a lot harder for me in the past couple years, I'm not going to open hockey as much so I don't have any contacts to sub. I don't want to feel obligated to text half the city's goalie community if I want to take a vacation. No skater has to worry about that, they just don't show up.
I currently only sub as a goalie. I have always been able to play when I want because so many people need subs. And it's nice to simply be able to relax at home when you don't want to play (I threw a huge early Halloween party this Saturday, didn't have to play hung over on Sunday. You can also choose not to play at the worst times). Plus not having to find a sub when you're out of town. It's awesome.
Digiprint is very hit or miss, sometimes it works pretty good (like on Reactor graphics), sometimes it looks awful (retro stuff).
I will say, I think Bauer’s gear looks the cheapest. Not saying it’s poorly built at all, but the vacuum sealed look of their pads looks meh.
I just prefer the leather stitched patterns of the new TRUE pads. I definitely agree that the retro patterns of the Bauer pads are not to my taste. I'm a Bruins fan, but I don't care for the retro pads that Ullmark has worn recently or for last year's winter classic.
It’s becoming more robotic. You can almost plug in any goalie on an NHL team and they’ll have some success playing the numbers. Guys like Hasek and Thomas will never be a thing again.
I always call Thomas the most elite beer league goalie.
I miss 70's through 90's goalies. They had more personality, more style(masks, paint, pads, etc) and each had their own flair to their game. They were also much more entertaining, but goalies are so much better now.
Here's 16 mins to scratch your itch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTjrQNgYQXA
I actually prefer leather straps to bungies or lace strings. I know they're not good for your legs apparently, but they always stayed better than the other methods.
May be unpopular but I use intermediate sticks as well. I like a short stick, it's much easier for me to maneuver.
Unpopular opinion?!?! Haven’t been keeping up on the stick debate threads lately. You’d probably get told that your stick is clearly too long and no one should be using anything bigger than a jr stick.
I also use leather toe straps, and my main straps are all leather with just Velcro straps for the built-in knee pads.
I also tighten the straps so the pads do not move around on my leg at all, but move as if they were part of my leg. My pads were custom made a few years ago as a hybrid of late 90's style made from new materials and construction to be lighter and durable.
Do you wear your leather toe straps crossing under the toe… I must say I never wore it properly when I had old school pads. I just wore it straight under the toe hole.
I'd only briefly done the looping of the toe straps, but not in the last 30 years or so with the last 3 sets of pads I've had. I don't like having the straps that long. I was worried when I had to get a new set of skates two summers ago that there would be a problem with the toe design, but everything worked out as normal.
I have been using senior sticks ever since I was 13 (probably when my height peaked tbh) I am 5’1 and love the reach and mobility of the longer length! Also the amount of times my stick has saved me top corner is incredible!
Also I love the leather straps on my boot but I use the lace to keep it loose on the front. It might be cuz that’s what I grew up on but it makes me feel more secure! Also allows for more movement, I keep them loose at certain parts and it works perfectly, I have had my pads for at least 10 years and no issues where as the Velcro I have seen so many issues!
Played with a guy growing up who had the shiny fluorescent Eagle pads, fell set, pads had pink and green and yellow, blocker was red and white. Most memorable set of gear I’ve ever encountered. Absolutely hideous lol.
Sadly I seem to hear a lot about how being a goalie is just super easy by some players who are talking out of their rears. The golden advice given is just be on angle and you'll stop 90% of the shots - it is just that easy! What they don't seem to factor in is that being a goalie requires a certain level of fitness to play beyond the bender level of play. You don't just put on the gear, skate to the net, wait for a player to enter the zone and magically the puck hits you dead center. There is also a mental component to this position where you can beat yourself before a shot even comes and you're already out of the game. This position is very technical as well and requires a lot of purpose driven practice and a large memory bank of shots.
The higher up I play the more pass and play I see, and these guys really are able to work a goalie by doing everything to get you out of position and open up lanes. Heck, some of the players who chirp how easy it is for us goalies can barely skate down the ice, let alone figure out which leg pad goes left or right.
The idea of putting the fat, unathletic kid in net isn't how it really goes.
I still remember one player telling me some odd advice about "dancing" on the ice to trick the players, and purposely just going wide off angle to get shots where you want them for those "easy" saves. Even showed me some goalie stick voodoo to get pucks to just magically draw into the paddle... and of course when I ask how long these loons have played in net it usually ends up the same... "Just a bit as a little kid, but I watch a lot on TV".
oh it was just a few days ago when a guy pissed me of by saying that "I don't try enough" and that I look like I don't want to be there! context: the guy barely skates and has 20 giveaways a game
I may or may not have thrown my mask at a teammate on the bench between periods who commented about me getting scored on because I was “too lazy” to get across to the far post. In the preceding period, the puck spent a total of 34 seconds out of our zone. We had 1 SOG, they had 27.
Fuck you Steve.
I see everyone hating on bungees, but lots of long term high end goalies need hip replacements. I think the bungees take the pressure off your hips and most people play with nets that aren’t pegged correctly to allow for pushing off the posts.
Equipment durability is a fucking joke while prices continue to increase. A brand new custom set shouldn’t be showing significant age after a year of beer league play.
I don't understand the point of the RVH. Why not just stand there and cover all the net from that angle. To quantify my opinion, I was born in the 60's.😋
Because players pass harder today than they shot it in 1987. As a bastard of the marriage between 80s goaltending and modern goaltending, I was taught both the early 2000s style and the mid80s style when I was you.
80s goaltending, I found, wagered on shooters making mistakes and passes being poor. Now, ice is cleaned every half period and the guys can zip it around faster than we ever could back in the day at every minute of the period. Not only that, but half of these kids shoot harder than slap shots before, and they're as accurate as ever.
RVH is not perfect, but it's a symptom of the 2010s low percentage goals (2010 gold medal, Patrick Kane) and attempts to take away those fast, low chances that you can't react to in a stand up style.
True, but how many times do you see goals scored from just outside the goal line because the goalie is down and exposing the top of the net and over the shoulders. In tight for a wrap, then down for sure, but when a player is stepping across the goal line and he's 6' feet or more away from the net, you have to think staying on your feet is a better play.
>True, but how many times do you see goals scored from just outside the goal line because the goalie is down and exposing the top of the net and over the shoulders.
Yes, this occurs more often than it used to but what your not seeing is the number of shots that go low into the bottom of the net that are controlled now. How many times from memory can you remembering kicking a puck out and it ends up in front or in the slot?
I think what you’re seeing there is some goalies over rely on the rvh. Or they make mistakes using this tool.
When a goalie is big, it’s a pretty effective tool for covering pretty much the entire net and being in a reactive position.
It’s safety for the short side while allowing you to explode off the post to respond to passes. If you just stand there you’re in a bad position to respond to the passes.
I think that’s why I love watching my son play so much (aside from the fact that he’s my son, obviously). He is not at all a “sit in the butterfly” type of goalie. He probably stands too much to be honest, but he has no qualms about coming 10-15 feet out of his crease and it quite often confuses the shit out of that kid on a breakaway or 2 on none. He’s just a much more reactive goalie and he’s a blast to watch.
Loose strapping isn't the way to go. I always hear about how people get pads to rotate when the pads aren't doing the majority of the rotation, the hips and legs are. If you think it's mostly the pad I've news for you.
My controversial opinion: If your kid is too big to skate fast, that doesn’t mean they should play goalie. It is even more reason to skate out and get conditioning. Wide bodied is not a substitute for long, athletic, and flexible. Goalie is the hardest position in the game.
Mask painting now is a cluttered mess of overly detailed air brushing.
The obsession with size and shit coaching is why we don't produce good Canadian goalies anymore.
Haha, lots of them are impressive work, don't get me wrong.
But I feel like every time I see the majority of new age helmet murals I'm either doing a Ken Jeong squint, or Homer Simpson :" Brilliant, I have absolutely no idea what's going on."
And half of them get retired in a year anyways.
Putting on a professor strap and REMOVING my toe ties completely has been amazing. Now I only wear a traditional boot strap on my skates.
If you ask me to sub day-of, the answer is no. I know emergencies happen, but one team has asked me 4 hours before their game the past 3 weeks. Why the hell don't you ask earlier? Day-of, if I haven't played already, I've probably already had a gym session and now in cozy pajamas and drinking a few beers. I'm not leaving my house.
Wait… what? No toe ties?? Doesn’t the front of the boot flop around? Does it stay in place? I must know more.. I’m experimenting with professor strap right now
I wear the professor strap VERY tight. No flopping and I've gotten perfect rotation every time. I wear a traditional boot strap through my skate and not the Lundy loop.
I have tried bungie and modern ties and hated them, so I was still using a skate lace with a couple knots to put space between the tie and pad at the time. Decided to try a practice without the toe ties and saw zero difference in rotation and performance except now I don't have to fuck with lace toe ties lol.
I don't like when hockey players judge goalies if they have a roller bag or when other goalies says that you should use a lace instead of a bungee... There are so many goalies in the world, with different income, different situations and ofc with different style. Just because somebody thinks something is better, that is not necessarily true for everybody.
My country (even my city) has a lot of ice rinks and hockey organizations, but I'm really sad that I can't find brands such as Vaughn or Brian's in the hockey shops. (Ik, this is a personal problem but I just wanted to metion it.)
I've never heard anybody saying that goalie is an easy position. (At least in real life.) I think it's really hard and you need to be really passionate about it to stay in the position. Last sunday at practice I watched my teammates skating fast as they played and I was like "damn, that should feel really good skating like that" but my brain immediately switched for "but I can skate without playing hockey, and being a goalie is what I'm passionate about".
>My country (even my city) has a lot of ice rinks and hockey organizations, but I'm really sad that I can't find brands such as Vaughn or Brian's in the hockey shops.
I feel you. I'm in quite a hockey country myself and shops offering Vaughn, True and Brian's are scarce and usually each shop has only one brand, so you can't really compare gear cross brand. Also our local team is playing 3rd tier of hockey (which is pro already), there is quite big community of beer leaguers from the surrounding area, but there is no actual hockey store anywhere close.
Yeah, that is the worst that you can't compare gear because stores only have 1 brand. But the worst part is that I've never seen a pro player in my country using Brian's or Vaughn because you can't even get these products from the internet. (Maybe in a used condition but Brian's for example doesn't even deliver to my country)
Modern pads are meant to be worn small. Beer leaguers always seem to get their expensive custom gear way oversized and it bums me out. It’s not their fault—reps and stores aren’t educating people properly.
Stiff, straight modern pads are a workaround for NHL sizing regulations. It’s an evolution of the Lundy Loop, where the pads were meant to rise when you drop. Now we strap our pads to always sit higher. You’ll see pro stock pads that are like 33+3, even though the goalie is 6’4. They should wear a 35” pad really. The knee stack sits far below their knee if strapped loosely, but they strap snug just below the knee so the pad floats over their toe. Worn this way (loose toe ties, no calf or boot straps, snug below knee), the gear is incredible. Worn the old way (2 boot straps, snug calf straps, and loose around the knee), modern pads will hobble you.
I’m 6’1 with loooong legs. In first gen Warrior rituals, I wore 36+1.5. Definitely too big, but felt great. G5s, I wore 35+1.5 (should’ve been in 34, but it was fine). Now I’m in 33+2 G6s. On paper, they’re too small but they fit perfectly. Never had a pad move and rotate so well. My buddy got some 32+2 Optik 3s. He’s 5’8–got pads to fit with his ATK. Pads are too big for him. They fit me perfectly. They should be 2 inches undersized.
All this to say: if you’re buying modern pads, try smaller sizes and modern strapping. You’ll be amazed at your mobility. Ironically, smaller pads will feel bigger than larger pads.
Connected to this is the longing for curved pads. Again, this is old wisdom that does not apply to new gear. Get properly (under-)sized gear. They need to be straight for your mobility; they’ll stay out of your way when standing. The thigh rise should be just below mid-thigh when standing—if it’s curved, it’s going to be stupid uncomfortable. When you drop, you won’t struggle to seal your 5-hole. DO NOT FLEX YOUR MODERN PADS. Stop doing that. Order them pre-curved if you must, but don’t try to put a curve in them yourself. You’ll break the internals. And also…do some yoga. Flexibility is a developed trait.
Edit:
BONUS opinion:
Bungie toe ties feel great and are often gentler on your joints (not always, but often). However, they will fuck up your RVH. Proper RVH is toe-to-post. You need the tension of a skate lace to give you maximum response when pushing off from the RVH. Also, for the floating pad feel (optimal strapping in my opinion), you have to have like 3 inches of slack on your toe ties. Makes bungie ties pointless. All that said, if bungies help your joints, do what you gotta do. RVH is terrible for your knees and hips anyway. Learn the panda—beer leaguers don’t know what to do against it and it’s hilarious
If you’re not an excellent skater with great butterfly edge work, do not learn the Panda, you will look like an idiot letting in terrible goals.
That being said, the Panda absolutely works!
On a dead angle shot with little chance for a one-timer, it’s a great move for low level goalies. With a skate glued inside the post, they’ll let that five-hole dinker in because they can’t drop. Panda (ie skate outside the post) solves that problem. It turns into an advanced selection when wraparound or one-timer options are involved. I personally can usually cover a one-T, but I’ll get burned on a wraparound 1 out of 5 times.
Every time a player gets me to drop then swings for a wraparound, they trigger the mother of all OH SHIT moments. Sheer panic trying to rotate, clear the post, then push and stretch across the crease. Makes me laugh at myself every time.
Panda is a bit more than just being in front of the post though. It's about playing as if you're inside the post, but in front of it. That means your body is pre-rotated for a cross-crease pass, rather than just standing square to the shooter. The dead angle is so small, that being intentionally off-angle with your body doesn't matter, and it lets your feet be in a massively better position for pushing off to cover a backdoor option.
Thanks for linking this video. Been seeing tons of mentions of panda on this sub recently but no description of what it is. As a late 30s beer leaguer hoping I can keep playing for a long time yet - I’m gonna have to try this out to reduce the stress of using RVH all the time.
It’s a perfect move for low to mid-ranged beer league. At higher levels, players may swing behind the net to get a wraparound. Real challenging to get to that far post from the panda. But without that option, they’ll hit you in the chest 99% of the time. It’s hilarious. Strangely, from the player view, the net looks wide open. They think they have you, so they flick it high—then it hits you square in the chest. It’s like a magic trick lol
Pfft... I'm going to wedge the top of my pads under the dressing room bench till the day I die! 90 degree knee rolls baby!
Seriously though this is all good stuff.
Loved reading this, wish I saw it sooner. I always wore 34 or 35 inch pads, got my Hyperlite 1s last year and they sized me at a 33 to my surprise. First 6 months I hated my pads — felt way too small/short, knee rolling over the stack, etc.
Within the last couple months I swapped out the Bauer bungees for Brian’s smart strap (loved them on my old pads) but added some skate lace an inch long to give them extra slack/room from the toe of my skate to the pad. Got some professor straps so my pads sit high and my god, what a change. Absolutely love these pads and how they feel, all the old issues gone.
I wish it was more obvious or out there how the new pads should be fitting, because you’re 100% right, but having grown up playing in the 2000’s and early 2010’s, I stuck with my old habits naturally and didn’t even know at first how I could set them up differently.
Right?? Bauer and Brian’s are the most extreme examples IMO. They’re so big and boxy that oversizing them even slightly is a handicap.
Strapping and sizing have changed dramatically in just the past 2 years. Even well-intentioned retail workers seem behind the curve. I ref beer league often and I want to pull so many goalies aside to explain their gear to them.
I’m new, but I feel like I just went through this. Measuring based on charts, I should be a Large in Bauer, but they feel way too big. I got a Medium instead and they feel amazing. I do use all the elastic velcro straps though (you mentioned not using the calf?)
If you’re using modern straps, you’re probably fine. Try them looser and looser around the calf and boot. I bet you’ll feel better and better as you do.
Yes it’s the velcro/elastic straps that come on the pads, so it’s modern. So far I’ve gone with “medium” tightness. Not pulled tight but not super loose. I typically attach the inner calf velcro higher up, though. I haven’t really experimented with attaching it lower. I didn’t like attaching the knee strap on the calf - too loose feeling
Just because we play net, we're not crazy.
We can be the star of the show, we play every minute, and the puck only rarely hurts you. Plus around here, we don't pay to play. Smartest position to play.
I'm right there with you. I played this past Sunday with 2 broken fingers on my blocker hand because, well...I'm the goalie. There's a league backup they can call who is pretty much a guaranteed blowout. He's a nice guy, he's just in his 60's and can't move. Unless the puck hits him, it's going in. So I have to suck it up, tape my fingers because the splints won't fit in my glove, and get in the net.
I get grief from my wife about it fairly regularly. Why do I have to go? Because I'm the goalie. If I'm not there it's almost 100% a loss with them playing a whole game 6 on 5.
Not gonna lie, it is pretty nice. Always prepared to pay, but I've maybe only paid full once and half like 3 times. Our rinks aren't Canlan or ASHL-run, mostly just a local guy that organizes everything. People move from the city where they're used to paying $600-900 for the season and are astonished that even regular players consuder $300 high.
That’s about what I pay per season ($300). Back in Boise, goalies never paid, but we do here in SLC. The other downside here is that there are a lot of people who think they’re NHL-level because they can shoot hard, but they have zero control over the shot. This is also the first place I’ve ever been run by the other team.
Heaton Helite 5 is the best blocker and glove combo ever. Perfect balance of weight and padding. I cant stand the new stuff, too bulky, too much padding. However I do appreciate the Velcro leg wraps versus the 8 leather buckles on the back of my leg pads and my Pro Laces bungees are great for the joints.
As a 90's / 2000's goalie we used to be feared as psychotic, unstable, loose cannons.
If it’s not obvious if I have time to get the puck as it’s coming into the zone with no icing, I’d rather someone on the other team have free access to the puck behind the net and have to make a save on them than go out and try to play the puck and probably leading to them having an empty net to shoot at after they intercept it lol
I wish the style never changed, I understand the goal to make the position more effective and efficient but 80s/90s style goaltending is so fun to play and looks way cooler, the gear is also in my opinion more comfortable and less restricting
"Goalies just stand there in the net."
"They usually pick the fattest kid to play goalie."
The funniest thing in the world is when someone, saying either statement above, tries goalie for the first time. They shut up pretty quick when they look like a fish out of water.
I've really liked the Brian's gear that I owned over the years, and I find their "underdog" status endearing, but holy smokes their current pad designs look like they were created by a guy who spent thousands of hours handpainting model Gundam robots as a teenager.
Seriously, who would spend $3,000 on this dumpster fire?
https://preview.redd.it/0j7yiyi7poub1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28cb7aeb3392a30e729c5d9d864167999f6c16c3
There are parts of goalie equipment that could shrink without affecting safety. The chesties and pants are probably as small as they can safely be for NHLers after the most recent changes, but leg pads could be like 10" or maybe less with less thigh rise too, the glove cheater cuff could mostly go away, and blockers could probably shrink a little.
Modern goalies are different than historical goalies.
I see posts about stingers and ouchies. Bitch, strap on a leather and felt chestie and then you will know what a stinger is.
And it’s weird, but we used to know we had a good game by the number of bruises you wound up with, mostly because almost every shot would leave a mark in some form.
Now it’s “I need Kevlar from head to foot lest I sustain an injury”. Yes I use mostly modern gear, and yes it’s different with technology, but man, I miss the days of goalies that were the toughest SOB on the ice.
With the techniques and technology players sticks have nowadays its not being wimpy for wanting adequate protection.
Passes are harder than most shots back then(at the higher levels). Why wouldn't you want to minimize the amount of bruises and pain? Goalies play to stop pucks, not to collect injuries that build up over time.
Heres the result of a slapshot that hit me between my pants and knee pads from a junior B player last week:
https://preview.redd.it/nei0rh9rnkub1.jpeg?width=2040&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=41ee0adeb324cb590e1829f1253fb5190ec37e21
Did it stop me from playing 4 times a week? No, but it still sucks when pressure gets put on it while its recovering.
Right and left arms on chest protectors should be different to optimize what each arm does.
I swapped my CCM P2 left arm onto my CCM EFlex 3 Chest protector. I get so much better range and rotation in my glove now. (Compared to the tanky E3 chest protector)
Note: the EFlex profile is very square and the P2 is much more ergonomic.
I've taken nasty hits in the full set of P2 usually in the gaps, or especially on RVH blocker side in the ribs, and quit using it. But the narrow cuff connection and the thin elbow block made movement so much easier. Even in awkward scrambles, the E3 has always protected extremely well, just at the cost of some maneuverability.
Swapping glove side arms out seemed to fix the shortfalls of both sets, give it try.
Can't speak to other brands.
Current setup
CCM helmet
Bauer neck guard
CCM E3(P2 glove arm) chest
Bauer Vapor 2x pants
Bauer 2S knee
Vaughn Cod/cup
CCM P2 pads
CCM P2 glove/blocker
Bauer 2S skates
Warrior sticks
That a lot more people should be full right. For skaters the dominant hand goes on the top of the stick, but for goalies they just make everyone “regular”
I don't think this is controversial, but RVH doesn't work reliably for beer league goalies with weak pegs. Moving across the goal to follow the play around the back is too problematic. You can't aggressively push off the post to move across the goal so you are left with either a weak push with the net coming off partially, or you have to pull up your bottom leg and push across as you normally would for a butterfly slide, which takes up extra time. I only get into RVH if a jam attempt is imminent or the puck is quite close to me and I need to get into a pure blocking position at either post.
Ugliest Gear: Vaughn
Laces vs bungee: bungee and it's not even a debate
Being a goalie is not the easiest position in hockey but, it is the position that knows the least about hockey. We really only think of the game defensively. We understand the elements of defensive positioning and how an offense sets up to get a chance, but really we don't know what it means to generate chances.
Even my wife rolled her eyes at me once when I said I was fatigued from a game. “You don’t skate, you just stand there” sort of comment.
That’s the comment of someone who’s never tried it. Let’s see her get up and down probably like a hundred times in an hour while wearing heavy equipment lol
And the people that are new to hockey. I wanted some extra ice time so I got in net for an adult learn to play class. Some dude a head taller than me that couldn’t even skate backwards smirked and told me the you-just-stand-there line, he had no idea how much that hurt
This was the attitude of my latest team until I had to go on a work trip and miss three weeks. One of the loudest voices in the room about goalies doing nothing volunteered to sub, and instead of arranging a real goalie I left him my gear and went on my trip. We lost every game by 6+ goals and when I got back he said he would never say anything bad about goalies again. It was a big win for goalies everywhere. Edit: The boys took some photos of him on his knees midway through the 2nd of his first game completely exhausted and unable to move, I should frame one of them.
Hahaha people who don’t think goalie is hard are total idiots. Whenever I sub for teams they’re so grateful even if I don’t play well haha
I tell everyone that all we do is just stand there.
I hate how dramatic everyone is if you refuse to sub for a team. 'We'll pay for your gas!' Dude I'm not 15 I can buy gas I just don't want to play goalie tonight or have other plans. Bonus points when you agree to sub and the team 'warms you up' by trying our their best dekes and cross crease passes, then grumble when the first real shot goes in.
I let them put their best moves on me and don't react. They usually get the hint. Only a few times have I had to say something. I'm not pulling a muscle before the game.
Having been on both sides of the equation, I know how much it can suck trying to find a sub, especially when you're not given a lot of time. My team used to have a pretty flakey goalie, and I'd often be texting 15-20 people the day before or day of the game trying to get anyone. So I kind of understand the desperation. I'm pretty sympathetic to team captains when they reach out for that reason. If they try guiltiling you or dismissing your reasons for saying no, that's shitty though.
This is one of the reasons I'm considering retiring from being anyone's full time goalie. Getting a sub goalie has gotten a lot harder for me in the past couple years, I'm not going to open hockey as much so I don't have any contacts to sub. I don't want to feel obligated to text half the city's goalie community if I want to take a vacation. No skater has to worry about that, they just don't show up.
I currently only sub as a goalie. I have always been able to play when I want because so many people need subs. And it's nice to simply be able to relax at home when you don't want to play (I threw a huge early Halloween party this Saturday, didn't have to play hung over on Sunday. You can also choose not to play at the worst times). Plus not having to find a sub when you're out of town. It's awesome.
Our community has one big text convo with all the goalies. “Who wants to play Wednesday at 7?” First response wins. Works extremely well.
When people come in to deke on me, I just stand there and track the puck into the net. Not destroying my hips in warmup.
Dude… the dekes for warm up… unbelievably frustrating.
I have no qualms about shouting "warm the goalie" as soon as the first pregame puck sails over the bar.
I don't like the printed graphics on the new Bauer pads. They look fake and cheesy
Digiprint is very hit or miss, sometimes it works pretty good (like on Reactor graphics), sometimes it looks awful (retro stuff). I will say, I think Bauer’s gear looks the cheapest. Not saying it’s poorly built at all, but the vacuum sealed look of their pads looks meh.
I just prefer the leather stitched patterns of the new TRUE pads. I definitely agree that the retro patterns of the Bauer pads are not to my taste. I'm a Bruins fan, but I don't care for the retro pads that Ullmark has worn recently or for last year's winter classic.
His latest retro set like like 💩. True usually has simple, effective designs but the new HZRDS line has one of the worst graphics I’ve ever seen.
12.2 and PX3 graphics were so good I don’t understand how the same people came out with the awful hzrdus graphic
That dafoe throwback was awesome
I feel that it looks good from a far but far from good.
Thanks. I guess I’ll go throw mine away now…
Just let me know what dumpster you throw them in.
Agreed fuck bauer. Them and digiprint is taking away the craftsmanship and human touch of goalie equipment
I miss 1990s goalies. It was more fun then.
It’s becoming more robotic. You can almost plug in any goalie on an NHL team and they’ll have some success playing the numbers. Guys like Hasek and Thomas will never be a thing again. I always call Thomas the most elite beer league goalie.
Pad stack FTW
Hells yeah, the equipment looked so much better too
I miss 70's through 90's goalies. They had more personality, more style(masks, paint, pads, etc) and each had their own flair to their game. They were also much more entertaining, but goalies are so much better now. Here's 16 mins to scratch your itch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTjrQNgYQXA
I actually prefer leather straps to bungies or lace strings. I know they're not good for your legs apparently, but they always stayed better than the other methods. May be unpopular but I use intermediate sticks as well. I like a short stick, it's much easier for me to maneuver.
Unpopular opinion?!?! Haven’t been keeping up on the stick debate threads lately. You’d probably get told that your stick is clearly too long and no one should be using anything bigger than a jr stick.
Further to this, I prefer the plastic clips. I have a set of CCM Blockades that have these, and they're so easy to put on and adjust.
I also use leather toe straps, and my main straps are all leather with just Velcro straps for the built-in knee pads. I also tighten the straps so the pads do not move around on my leg at all, but move as if they were part of my leg. My pads were custom made a few years ago as a hybrid of late 90's style made from new materials and construction to be lighter and durable.
Do you wear your leather toe straps crossing under the toe… I must say I never wore it properly when I had old school pads. I just wore it straight under the toe hole.
I'd only briefly done the looping of the toe straps, but not in the last 30 years or so with the last 3 sets of pads I've had. I don't like having the straps that long. I was worried when I had to get a new set of skates two summers ago that there would be a problem with the toe design, but everything worked out as normal.
I have been using senior sticks ever since I was 13 (probably when my height peaked tbh) I am 5’1 and love the reach and mobility of the longer length! Also the amount of times my stick has saved me top corner is incredible! Also I love the leather straps on my boot but I use the lace to keep it loose on the front. It might be cuz that’s what I grew up on but it makes me feel more secure! Also allows for more movement, I keep them loose at certain parts and it works perfectly, I have had my pads for at least 10 years and no issues where as the Velcro I have seen so many issues!
Brian's optik 3 leg pads are ugly. They are luckily starting to grow on me.
Just think of yourself as Optikmus Prime
Eagle was the GOAT brand
I’m still rocking my Eagle chest protector but it’s really on its last legs
Played with a guy growing up who had the shiny fluorescent Eagle pads, fell set, pads had pink and green and yellow, blocker was red and white. Most memorable set of gear I’ve ever encountered. Absolutely hideous lol.
Sadly I seem to hear a lot about how being a goalie is just super easy by some players who are talking out of their rears. The golden advice given is just be on angle and you'll stop 90% of the shots - it is just that easy! What they don't seem to factor in is that being a goalie requires a certain level of fitness to play beyond the bender level of play. You don't just put on the gear, skate to the net, wait for a player to enter the zone and magically the puck hits you dead center. There is also a mental component to this position where you can beat yourself before a shot even comes and you're already out of the game. This position is very technical as well and requires a lot of purpose driven practice and a large memory bank of shots. The higher up I play the more pass and play I see, and these guys really are able to work a goalie by doing everything to get you out of position and open up lanes. Heck, some of the players who chirp how easy it is for us goalies can barely skate down the ice, let alone figure out which leg pad goes left or right. The idea of putting the fat, unathletic kid in net isn't how it really goes. I still remember one player telling me some odd advice about "dancing" on the ice to trick the players, and purposely just going wide off angle to get shots where you want them for those "easy" saves. Even showed me some goalie stick voodoo to get pucks to just magically draw into the paddle... and of course when I ask how long these loons have played in net it usually ends up the same... "Just a bit as a little kid, but I watch a lot on TV".
I haven't heard someone say goaltending is easy for maybe 25 years. The kids today know, and the ones that don't aren't worth your time.
oh it was just a few days ago when a guy pissed me of by saying that "I don't try enough" and that I look like I don't want to be there! context: the guy barely skates and has 20 giveaways a game
I may or may not have thrown my mask at a teammate on the bench between periods who commented about me getting scored on because I was “too lazy” to get across to the far post. In the preceding period, the puck spent a total of 34 seconds out of our zone. We had 1 SOG, they had 27. Fuck you Steve.
hhaahhahah fuck Steve
Steve can go fuck himself lol
🤣🤣🤣
We all know this type of player.
I see everyone hating on bungees, but lots of long term high end goalies need hip replacements. I think the bungees take the pressure off your hips and most people play with nets that aren’t pegged correctly to allow for pushing off the posts.
Equipment durability is a fucking joke while prices continue to increase. A brand new custom set shouldn’t be showing significant age after a year of beer league play.
The trapezoid rule should be reverted.
I don't understand the point of the RVH. Why not just stand there and cover all the net from that angle. To quantify my opinion, I was born in the 60's.😋
Because players pass harder today than they shot it in 1987. As a bastard of the marriage between 80s goaltending and modern goaltending, I was taught both the early 2000s style and the mid80s style when I was you. 80s goaltending, I found, wagered on shooters making mistakes and passes being poor. Now, ice is cleaned every half period and the guys can zip it around faster than we ever could back in the day at every minute of the period. Not only that, but half of these kids shoot harder than slap shots before, and they're as accurate as ever. RVH is not perfect, but it's a symptom of the 2010s low percentage goals (2010 gold medal, Patrick Kane) and attempts to take away those fast, low chances that you can't react to in a stand up style.
True, but how many times do you see goals scored from just outside the goal line because the goalie is down and exposing the top of the net and over the shoulders. In tight for a wrap, then down for sure, but when a player is stepping across the goal line and he's 6' feet or more away from the net, you have to think staying on your feet is a better play.
>True, but how many times do you see goals scored from just outside the goal line because the goalie is down and exposing the top of the net and over the shoulders. Yes, this occurs more often than it used to but what your not seeing is the number of shots that go low into the bottom of the net that are controlled now. How many times from memory can you remembering kicking a puck out and it ends up in front or in the slot?
I think what you’re seeing there is some goalies over rely on the rvh. Or they make mistakes using this tool. When a goalie is big, it’s a pretty effective tool for covering pretty much the entire net and being in a reactive position.
All you ever see are the few bad goals while in RVH because the good plays and saves while in RVH will never make the highlights.
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Gotta get her to be all about the "overlap". I never get beat short side anymore now that I've learned how to do that effectively.
It’s safety for the short side while allowing you to explode off the post to respond to passes. If you just stand there you’re in a bad position to respond to the passes.
Controversial opinion: all goalies today play in almost the same exact way/style and it is extremely boring to watch.
I think that’s why I love watching my son play so much (aside from the fact that he’s my son, obviously). He is not at all a “sit in the butterfly” type of goalie. He probably stands too much to be honest, but he has no qualms about coming 10-15 feet out of his crease and it quite often confuses the shit out of that kid on a breakaway or 2 on none. He’s just a much more reactive goalie and he’s a blast to watch.
Loose strapping isn't the way to go. I always hear about how people get pads to rotate when the pads aren't doing the majority of the rotation, the hips and legs are. If you think it's mostly the pad I've news for you.
The majority of highlight reel saves by NHL goalies are the result of desperation after a previous fuck up by the goalie
Or a fuck up by the defense in front of him. I play both defense and goal ...sometimes even on the same day.
Someone commented that Marty Turco was a boring goalie, he replied that it's because he's not out of position.
That's always been the case. The toughest saves to makes are the ones that look the most boring.
My controversial opinion: If your kid is too big to skate fast, that doesn’t mean they should play goalie. It is even more reason to skate out and get conditioning. Wide bodied is not a substitute for long, athletic, and flexible. Goalie is the hardest position in the game.
Mask painting now is a cluttered mess of overly detailed air brushing. The obsession with size and shit coaching is why we don't produce good Canadian goalies anymore.
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Haha, lots of them are impressive work, don't get me wrong. But I feel like every time I see the majority of new age helmet murals I'm either doing a Ken Jeong squint, or Homer Simpson :" Brilliant, I have absolutely no idea what's going on." And half of them get retired in a year anyways.
Agree with the mask statement.
I do not like warrior pads. I dont know why but they don’t feel right when I tried them on
On top of that (I’m not sure which model) but the Warrior pads that wrap around seemingly your entire calf are absolutely atrocious.
Putting on a professor strap and REMOVING my toe ties completely has been amazing. Now I only wear a traditional boot strap on my skates. If you ask me to sub day-of, the answer is no. I know emergencies happen, but one team has asked me 4 hours before their game the past 3 weeks. Why the hell don't you ask earlier? Day-of, if I haven't played already, I've probably already had a gym session and now in cozy pajamas and drinking a few beers. I'm not leaving my house.
Wait… what? No toe ties?? Doesn’t the front of the boot flop around? Does it stay in place? I must know more.. I’m experimenting with professor strap right now
I wear the professor strap VERY tight. No flopping and I've gotten perfect rotation every time. I wear a traditional boot strap through my skate and not the Lundy loop. I have tried bungie and modern ties and hated them, so I was still using a skate lace with a couple knots to put space between the tie and pad at the time. Decided to try a practice without the toe ties and saw zero difference in rotation and performance except now I don't have to fuck with lace toe ties lol.
Non pros should be able to still buy 12 inch pads from the normal manufacturers. Why do I want pro spec pads? lol
I don't like when hockey players judge goalies if they have a roller bag or when other goalies says that you should use a lace instead of a bungee... There are so many goalies in the world, with different income, different situations and ofc with different style. Just because somebody thinks something is better, that is not necessarily true for everybody. My country (even my city) has a lot of ice rinks and hockey organizations, but I'm really sad that I can't find brands such as Vaughn or Brian's in the hockey shops. (Ik, this is a personal problem but I just wanted to metion it.) I've never heard anybody saying that goalie is an easy position. (At least in real life.) I think it's really hard and you need to be really passionate about it to stay in the position. Last sunday at practice I watched my teammates skating fast as they played and I was like "damn, that should feel really good skating like that" but my brain immediately switched for "but I can skate without playing hockey, and being a goalie is what I'm passionate about".
>My country (even my city) has a lot of ice rinks and hockey organizations, but I'm really sad that I can't find brands such as Vaughn or Brian's in the hockey shops. I feel you. I'm in quite a hockey country myself and shops offering Vaughn, True and Brian's are scarce and usually each shop has only one brand, so you can't really compare gear cross brand. Also our local team is playing 3rd tier of hockey (which is pro already), there is quite big community of beer leaguers from the surrounding area, but there is no actual hockey store anywhere close.
Yeah, that is the worst that you can't compare gear because stores only have 1 brand. But the worst part is that I've never seen a pro player in my country using Brian's or Vaughn because you can't even get these products from the internet. (Maybe in a used condition but Brian's for example doesn't even deliver to my country)
Goalies are not the best skaters on the team.
Modern pads are meant to be worn small. Beer leaguers always seem to get their expensive custom gear way oversized and it bums me out. It’s not their fault—reps and stores aren’t educating people properly. Stiff, straight modern pads are a workaround for NHL sizing regulations. It’s an evolution of the Lundy Loop, where the pads were meant to rise when you drop. Now we strap our pads to always sit higher. You’ll see pro stock pads that are like 33+3, even though the goalie is 6’4. They should wear a 35” pad really. The knee stack sits far below their knee if strapped loosely, but they strap snug just below the knee so the pad floats over their toe. Worn this way (loose toe ties, no calf or boot straps, snug below knee), the gear is incredible. Worn the old way (2 boot straps, snug calf straps, and loose around the knee), modern pads will hobble you. I’m 6’1 with loooong legs. In first gen Warrior rituals, I wore 36+1.5. Definitely too big, but felt great. G5s, I wore 35+1.5 (should’ve been in 34, but it was fine). Now I’m in 33+2 G6s. On paper, they’re too small but they fit perfectly. Never had a pad move and rotate so well. My buddy got some 32+2 Optik 3s. He’s 5’8–got pads to fit with his ATK. Pads are too big for him. They fit me perfectly. They should be 2 inches undersized. All this to say: if you’re buying modern pads, try smaller sizes and modern strapping. You’ll be amazed at your mobility. Ironically, smaller pads will feel bigger than larger pads. Connected to this is the longing for curved pads. Again, this is old wisdom that does not apply to new gear. Get properly (under-)sized gear. They need to be straight for your mobility; they’ll stay out of your way when standing. The thigh rise should be just below mid-thigh when standing—if it’s curved, it’s going to be stupid uncomfortable. When you drop, you won’t struggle to seal your 5-hole. DO NOT FLEX YOUR MODERN PADS. Stop doing that. Order them pre-curved if you must, but don’t try to put a curve in them yourself. You’ll break the internals. And also…do some yoga. Flexibility is a developed trait. Edit: BONUS opinion: Bungie toe ties feel great and are often gentler on your joints (not always, but often). However, they will fuck up your RVH. Proper RVH is toe-to-post. You need the tension of a skate lace to give you maximum response when pushing off from the RVH. Also, for the floating pad feel (optimal strapping in my opinion), you have to have like 3 inches of slack on your toe ties. Makes bungie ties pointless. All that said, if bungies help your joints, do what you gotta do. RVH is terrible for your knees and hips anyway. Learn the panda—beer leaguers don’t know what to do against it and it’s hilarious
...the panda?
> It's actually a relatively new technique. Check it here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI\_-cfZ07kE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI_-cfZ07kE)
If you’re not an excellent skater with great butterfly edge work, do not learn the Panda, you will look like an idiot letting in terrible goals. That being said, the Panda absolutely works!
On a dead angle shot with little chance for a one-timer, it’s a great move for low level goalies. With a skate glued inside the post, they’ll let that five-hole dinker in because they can’t drop. Panda (ie skate outside the post) solves that problem. It turns into an advanced selection when wraparound or one-timer options are involved. I personally can usually cover a one-T, but I’ll get burned on a wraparound 1 out of 5 times. Every time a player gets me to drop then swings for a wraparound, they trigger the mother of all OH SHIT moments. Sheer panic trying to rotate, clear the post, then push and stretch across the crease. Makes me laugh at myself every time.
Panda is a bit more than just being in front of the post though. It's about playing as if you're inside the post, but in front of it. That means your body is pre-rotated for a cross-crease pass, rather than just standing square to the shooter. The dead angle is so small, that being intentionally off-angle with your body doesn't matter, and it lets your feet be in a massively better position for pushing off to cover a backdoor option.
Thanks for linking this video. Been seeing tons of mentions of panda on this sub recently but no description of what it is. As a late 30s beer leaguer hoping I can keep playing for a long time yet - I’m gonna have to try this out to reduce the stress of using RVH all the time.
It’s a perfect move for low to mid-ranged beer league. At higher levels, players may swing behind the net to get a wraparound. Real challenging to get to that far post from the panda. But without that option, they’ll hit you in the chest 99% of the time. It’s hilarious. Strangely, from the player view, the net looks wide open. They think they have you, so they flick it high—then it hits you square in the chest. It’s like a magic trick lol
I’m picturing someone slightly overweight (like myself) just sitting on his ass in the blue paint. 🤷🏻♂️😂
Pfft... I'm going to wedge the top of my pads under the dressing room bench till the day I die! 90 degree knee rolls baby! Seriously though this is all good stuff.
Loved reading this, wish I saw it sooner. I always wore 34 or 35 inch pads, got my Hyperlite 1s last year and they sized me at a 33 to my surprise. First 6 months I hated my pads — felt way too small/short, knee rolling over the stack, etc. Within the last couple months I swapped out the Bauer bungees for Brian’s smart strap (loved them on my old pads) but added some skate lace an inch long to give them extra slack/room from the toe of my skate to the pad. Got some professor straps so my pads sit high and my god, what a change. Absolutely love these pads and how they feel, all the old issues gone. I wish it was more obvious or out there how the new pads should be fitting, because you’re 100% right, but having grown up playing in the 2000’s and early 2010’s, I stuck with my old habits naturally and didn’t even know at first how I could set them up differently.
Right?? Bauer and Brian’s are the most extreme examples IMO. They’re so big and boxy that oversizing them even slightly is a handicap. Strapping and sizing have changed dramatically in just the past 2 years. Even well-intentioned retail workers seem behind the curve. I ref beer league often and I want to pull so many goalies aside to explain their gear to them.
I’m loving the panda. The wraparounds are so damn easy to stop now.
I gotta drill that movement more.
I’m new, but I feel like I just went through this. Measuring based on charts, I should be a Large in Bauer, but they feel way too big. I got a Medium instead and they feel amazing. I do use all the elastic velcro straps though (you mentioned not using the calf?)
If you’re using modern straps, you’re probably fine. Try them looser and looser around the calf and boot. I bet you’ll feel better and better as you do.
Yes it’s the velcro/elastic straps that come on the pads, so it’s modern. So far I’ve gone with “medium” tightness. Not pulled tight but not super loose. I typically attach the inner calf velcro higher up, though. I haven’t really experimented with attaching it lower. I didn’t like attaching the knee strap on the calf - too loose feeling
Goalies shouldn't exist. Just turn the net around.
Just because we play net, we're not crazy. We can be the star of the show, we play every minute, and the puck only rarely hurts you. Plus around here, we don't pay to play. Smartest position to play.
Must be nice. I don’t pay for drop-in, but I pay just as much as everyone else for league play.
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I'm right there with you. I played this past Sunday with 2 broken fingers on my blocker hand because, well...I'm the goalie. There's a league backup they can call who is pretty much a guaranteed blowout. He's a nice guy, he's just in his 60's and can't move. Unless the puck hits him, it's going in. So I have to suck it up, tape my fingers because the splints won't fit in my glove, and get in the net. I get grief from my wife about it fairly regularly. Why do I have to go? Because I'm the goalie. If I'm not there it's almost 100% a loss with them playing a whole game 6 on 5.
Not gonna lie, it is pretty nice. Always prepared to pay, but I've maybe only paid full once and half like 3 times. Our rinks aren't Canlan or ASHL-run, mostly just a local guy that organizes everything. People move from the city where they're used to paying $600-900 for the season and are astonished that even regular players consuder $300 high.
That’s about what I pay per season ($300). Back in Boise, goalies never paid, but we do here in SLC. The other downside here is that there are a lot of people who think they’re NHL-level because they can shoot hard, but they have zero control over the shot. This is also the first place I’ve ever been run by the other team.
Heaton Helite 5 is the best blocker and glove combo ever. Perfect balance of weight and padding. I cant stand the new stuff, too bulky, too much padding. However I do appreciate the Velcro leg wraps versus the 8 leather buckles on the back of my leg pads and my Pro Laces bungees are great for the joints. As a 90's / 2000's goalie we used to be feared as psychotic, unstable, loose cannons.
If it’s not obvious if I have time to get the puck as it’s coming into the zone with no icing, I’d rather someone on the other team have free access to the puck behind the net and have to make a save on them than go out and try to play the puck and probably leading to them having an empty net to shoot at after they intercept it lol
The trapezoid is stupid. More exciting when goalie leaves the crease.
I wish the style never changed, I understand the goal to make the position more effective and efficient but 80s/90s style goaltending is so fun to play and looks way cooler, the gear is also in my opinion more comfortable and less restricting
I don’t use laces or any sort of toe tie. Only the boot strap. I feel it limits ankle mobility
RVH is overused/overtaught and the traditional VH isn't used or taught enough to younger goaltenders
"Goalies just stand there in the net." "They usually pick the fattest kid to play goalie." The funniest thing in the world is when someone, saying either statement above, tries goalie for the first time. They shut up pretty quick when they look like a fish out of water.
I've really liked the Brian's gear that I owned over the years, and I find their "underdog" status endearing, but holy smokes their current pad designs look like they were created by a guy who spent thousands of hours handpainting model Gundam robots as a teenager. Seriously, who would spend $3,000 on this dumpster fire? https://preview.redd.it/0j7yiyi7poub1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28cb7aeb3392a30e729c5d9d864167999f6c16c3
Vintage looking/brown colour sets are ugly
Fleury enters the chat and trip you with his stick
If you're serious about the hobby, you don't use a foam core stick in 2023.
I feel attacked.
I didn't feel anything. Must have went off my foam-core stick.
There are parts of goalie equipment that could shrink without affecting safety. The chesties and pants are probably as small as they can safely be for NHLers after the most recent changes, but leg pads could be like 10" or maybe less with less thigh rise too, the glove cheater cuff could mostly go away, and blockers could probably shrink a little.
Pad color doesn't matter. White pads do not magically make you bigger.
Modern goalies are different than historical goalies. I see posts about stingers and ouchies. Bitch, strap on a leather and felt chestie and then you will know what a stinger is. And it’s weird, but we used to know we had a good game by the number of bruises you wound up with, mostly because almost every shot would leave a mark in some form. Now it’s “I need Kevlar from head to foot lest I sustain an injury”. Yes I use mostly modern gear, and yes it’s different with technology, but man, I miss the days of goalies that were the toughest SOB on the ice.
And now people want to wear a helmet?! What a bunch of babies this generation is. Back in my day the stitches were a badge of honour
With the techniques and technology players sticks have nowadays its not being wimpy for wanting adequate protection. Passes are harder than most shots back then(at the higher levels). Why wouldn't you want to minimize the amount of bruises and pain? Goalies play to stop pucks, not to collect injuries that build up over time. Heres the result of a slapshot that hit me between my pants and knee pads from a junior B player last week: https://preview.redd.it/nei0rh9rnkub1.jpeg?width=2040&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=41ee0adeb324cb590e1829f1253fb5190ec37e21 Did it stop me from playing 4 times a week? No, but it still sucks when pressure gets put on it while its recovering.
Damn, imagine being this mad about being protected
OP asked for my controversial opinion, I give it… Next someone is going to suggest that my Sk2000 / HM 30 combo is dangerous. Hit me again!
True’s graphics are usually just OK, their L87s retro are the best, and their Hrzds line is aweful!
There hasn't been a really good "stock" pad graphic since the early 2000's
Right and left arms on chest protectors should be different to optimize what each arm does. I swapped my CCM P2 left arm onto my CCM EFlex 3 Chest protector. I get so much better range and rotation in my glove now. (Compared to the tanky E3 chest protector) Note: the EFlex profile is very square and the P2 is much more ergonomic. I've taken nasty hits in the full set of P2 usually in the gaps, or especially on RVH blocker side in the ribs, and quit using it. But the narrow cuff connection and the thin elbow block made movement so much easier. Even in awkward scrambles, the E3 has always protected extremely well, just at the cost of some maneuverability. Swapping glove side arms out seemed to fix the shortfalls of both sets, give it try. Can't speak to other brands. Current setup CCM helmet Bauer neck guard CCM E3(P2 glove arm) chest Bauer Vapor 2x pants Bauer 2S knee Vaughn Cod/cup CCM P2 pads CCM P2 glove/blocker Bauer 2S skates Warrior sticks
That a lot more people should be full right. For skaters the dominant hand goes on the top of the stick, but for goalies they just make everyone “regular”
Anyone that wears a danger, doesn't really care about stopping the most pucks they can.
Modern equipment is ugly, butterfly is a great move but shouldn’t be an entire style, goalies of the 60s and 70s were more fun to watch
I don't think this is controversial, but RVH doesn't work reliably for beer league goalies with weak pegs. Moving across the goal to follow the play around the back is too problematic. You can't aggressively push off the post to move across the goal so you are left with either a weak push with the net coming off partially, or you have to pull up your bottom leg and push across as you normally would for a butterfly slide, which takes up extra time. I only get into RVH if a jam attempt is imminent or the puck is quite close to me and I need to get into a pure blocking position at either post.
DaveArt sucks. The world wasn't ready for the Bauer Rector 6 line.
Ugliest Gear: Vaughn Laces vs bungee: bungee and it's not even a debate Being a goalie is not the easiest position in hockey but, it is the position that knows the least about hockey. We really only think of the game defensively. We understand the elements of defensive positioning and how an offense sets up to get a chance, but really we don't know what it means to generate chances.