Hockey Goalie

The goalie, or goaltender, is a defensive position in hockey in charge of protecting the net from the opposition’s shots.

Goalies wear special protective equipment that other positions are not permitted to wear. This includes large leg pads, a catching glove, a blocker glove, and more. Almost all goalie equipment is larger than skater equipment, as they need to be able to adequately protect their body from high-velocity shots.

Goalies are held to a high standard in the NHL. They typically see between 20 to 35 shots on goal per game and, amazingly, only let in a couple of goals in the net. This leaves a thin margin for error, as many hockey games are decided by only one goal.

Being a goalie requires flexibility, dexterity, and the ability to focus for long periods of time. The same goalie often plays the entire game and is rarely substituted.

Roles and Responsibilities

Goalies are the last line of defense for a hockey team to keep the puck out of the net. The goalie is responsible for stopping the puck from entering the net, blocking and catching shots on goal, and passing the puck to teammates in the defensive zone.

Types of Goalies

There are three types of goalies in modern hockey, mostly determined by their stance and technique. They are called butterfly, stand-up, and hybrid goalies.

Butterfly Goalies

Butterfly is the most common playing style used among modern goalies. In a butterfly stance, the goalie crouches down and has his legs shaped like a butterfly flapping its wings. Whenever a shot on goal occurs, the butterfly goalie will force his legs down towards the surface of the ice to block the puck.

Stand-Up Goalies

Stand-up goaltending is not used as often as it was in hockey's earlier history. In this technique, goalies would make saves from a standing position and rarely would fall to the ice. Butterfly and hybrid goaltending have become much more popular in modern times.

Hybrid Goalies

A hybrid goaltending technique takes portions of both the butterfly and stand-up styles and blends them into one.

Goalie Statistics

A strong hockey goalie is defined by their performance. A statistician can evaluate a goalie based on Saves (S), Save Percentage (SV PCT), and Shots Against (SA).

Goalie Equipment

Goalies are equipped with both a goalie stick and a goalie catching glove. Both tools are important to the success of a goalie. The goalie stick is used to block pucks that stay on the ice. It is also used to pass the puck to teammates. The goalie catch glove is used to catch airborne pucks that fly towards the goal and hold onto blocked shots. The leg pads, chest protector, and pants are all larger for goalies when compared to skater’s gear.

Goalie Strategy

Shifting is an important part of being a good goalie. Based on where the puck is on the ice, a goalie will shift their positioning in the goal crease to cut off the angle of the shot. Goalies must anticipate where the puck is going based on the formation of the opposing team.

It is often said that the bigger the target, the harder it is to miss. This strategy applies to playing goalie since spreading yourself out allows you to cover a larger portion of the net. A good goalie will only leave the goal crease to play a puck if offensive players are not nearby.

Top NHL Goalies of All Time

The following lists some of the top goalies in the National Hockey League:

• Martin Brodeur
• Patrick Roy
• Dominik Hasek
• Henrik Lundqvist
• Jacques Plante
• Ken Dryden
• Carey Price

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