The NHL is starting to phase-in a new style of goalie pants and goaltenders aren’t overly impressed with the mid-season change.
Starting Saturday, goalies will have to wear a smaller, more fitted pants. Essentially the league is trying to make netminder’s equipment not as needlessly bulky. Chicago Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling isn’t a fan. Speaking with Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune, Darling called the change “a waste of time and money.”
“It’s a waste of time and money,” Darling said. “But whatever the league feels they need to do.”
Mandating a new type of goalie pants is a tough change, as goaltending gear is often custom sized to the player wearing it. The new gear is thinner and will feel different to goalies. Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk explained there are a lot of moving parts to goalie gear.
“It’s a more finicky piece of equipment,” Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk said. “There are more moving parts. It’s tougher to figure out how it’s worn and how it fits on certain guys. I’m sure they’ll be looking into that for next year.”
Goalie gear is often ridiculously bulky and I understand what the leagues’ trying to do with the change, but why implement it mid-season? Could it not wait until the beginning of next? Having goalies change equipment halfway through the year would be frustrating. It’s more bad timing than an overall bad decision.
