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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The current state of the NHL's monitoring of the size of goalie equipment was summed up in one answer to one question:
Has a goalie ever been fined for having illegal equipment?
"No," said Colin Campbell, the league's director of hockey operations. "We've issued warnings.
"That's probably the right question … and the wrong answer."
The league's general managers met Friday, the day before the entry draft, to clear the decks of some administrative issues. While decisions on rules cannot be made without representation from the Players' Association, there was a significant amount of discussion about the size of goaltending equipment -- specifically leg pads and chest protectors.
Currently, the only restriction on a goalie's leg pads is the width, which is set at 12 inches. But it's not the width of the pads that's an issue, it's the length -- the longer the pads are, the more the bottom of the crease is covered when goalies drop down to the ice, especially in the butterfly position. The challenge for the league will be setting a limit, as not every goalie in the NHL is the same height.
Has a goalie ever been fined for having illegal equipment?
"No," said Colin Campbell, the league's director of hockey operations. "We've issued warnings.
"That's probably the right question … and the wrong answer."
The league's general managers met Friday, the day before the entry draft, to clear the decks of some administrative issues. While decisions on rules cannot be made without representation from the Players' Association, there was a significant amount of discussion about the size of goaltending equipment -- specifically leg pads and chest protectors.
Currently, the only restriction on a goalie's leg pads is the width, which is set at 12 inches. But it's not the width of the pads that's an issue, it's the length -- the longer the pads are, the more the bottom of the crease is covered when goalies drop down to the ice, especially in the butterfly position. The challenge for the league will be setting a limit, as not every goalie in the NHL is the same height.
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