Lion Pride Newspaper
5th Edition Friday, March 22, 2019
Sports Section Today’s Nhl Changes to the Goalie Pads Last season (2017-2018), goalies were forced to shrink their leg pads and pants. This year, they have begun to focus on the upper body of the goaltenders. Goalies were forced to shrink down their arm and chest protectors. The NHL wants the goaltenders to make saves by using their athleticism and skill, not by using the advantage of oversized pads. This is part of the updated rule 11.3, concerning goalie pads: “T he chest and arm protector worn by each goalkeeper must be anatomically proportional and size-specific based on the individual physical characteristics of that goalkeeper.” The rest of the rule goes into the specifics of the restrictions: “Elbow floaters have been reduced from 7 inches to 6 across the front. Bicep and forearm pads must taper—5.5 inches to 4.5, then 4.5 to 4. Clavicle floaters cannot extend more than 2 inches above the shoulder at the lateral edge, 1.5 inches at midpoint and 0.5 inches at the medial edge. Shoulder caps cannot project laterally beyond shoulders more than 1.5 inches.” Increase in Scoring There are several reasons for the increase in scoring this season. One of which is the shrinking of the goalies’ arm and chest protectors. Another reason is the creation of more quality scoring chances. Even though the total shots on goal is slightly decreased from seasons past, there are more shots from the slot per game than before. Here is a chart showing the average slot shots (for both teams combined) per game from the past three years: