By the very nature of the position, goaltending attracts individuals. In the past, that often meant players who were a little — wink! wink! — unstable, or at the very least eccentric. The occasional "normal" goaltender was the exception to the rule.
But with the tremendous advances in protective gear developed over the past 25 years, the position is far less daunting in terms of getting hurt physically. That’s encouraged far more kids to take up the "tools of ignorance" and try goaltending. But the sense of personality, of being distinct, among goaltenders is as strong as ever.
"People are still attracted to goaltending due to the individuality," said Mike Vaughn of Vaughn Hockey. "That’s why you have masks with custom paint jobs, and the different colors on the pads. But there’s a fine line between what you need and what you want."
Vaughn is talking about the "customization craze" in goaltending gear. In short, Vaughn emphasized that many customizations — changes to the actual construction of the gear, not simply graphics — are superfluous. Worse, in some cases, those changes actually detract from the performance of the pad, he said.
For example, many goalies add extra height to the pad’s thigh rise, thinking it will help them close the 5-hole when they drop into the butterfly. In reality, a pad that’s too tall actually can create more problems, said Vaughn. If the tops of the pads are bumping into each other, they can make movement difficult and can force the knees farther apart when a goalie drops. That not only opens the 5-hole, but also can increase the risk of groin injury.
"There’s a lot of bad information out there," said Vaughn. "Customizing, when needed, is the way to go. The first thing we do is ask the customer, ‘Why are you pursuing custom gear?’ Is it a size issue, a performance issue? Sometimes it’s an injury.
"We call the end user and ask, ‘What are you trying to accomplish? How do you want the pad to perform?’" he said. "Then we go from there. It’s important to pick gear that’s appropriate for the level you play, and how you play."
For most goaltenders, stock gear will not only do the job, but will do it well, said Vaughn. In the same vein, Pure Hockey’s goaltending maestro, Stephen "Wack" Serwacki, said: "As long as a custom modification is done for a specific reason, then go for it.
"All of this gear is designed a certain way, so keep that in mind," said Serwacki. "Ultimately, we originally fall in love with a piece of gear when we try it on. More often than not that gear is ‘stock’ in design. Modifying gear specs can really help if you know exactly what you want.
"For example, all of my pads receive the softest boot flex possible with a stiff upper and a more generous leg channel," he said. "Those are some of the specs I prefer, so that’s what I opt for. I’ve learned this over time and over owning many sets of gear.
"However on the custom side of things, we often find people mod just for the sake of getting what their favorite pro uses," he said. "What works for a guy like Henrik Lundqvist most likely won’t work for you, so be careful of what you ask for. When in doubt, stay with stock."
Even Spencer Freer, the goalie brand manager for Lundqvist’s sponsor, Bauer, acknowledged that many young netminders "see a lot of goalies on TV, or local colleges, and they want to mimic that.
"What they don’t take into consideration is that that pro has put a lot of thought on why they have changed the gear to suit their game," said Freer. "So I would always recommend that they sit down with a rep or an in-store staff member to really get the breakdown on each custom spec and what the function truly is."
The shortcomings of failing to get gear that fits the goalie’s individual needs became painfully obvious recently when I was coaching an adult league goalie. This guy was thrilled with the terrific deal he thought he got on a pair of "pro return" pads made for former Toronto Maple Leaf Vesa Toskala. Unfortunately, the pads were too tall, and were as stiff as ironing boards. Those modifications clearly worked for Toskala, but left my beer leaguer in a world of hurt.
"This is a no-brainer," said Serwacki. "You should always, always, always get sized properly by a reputable pro in the goalie world. Nothing can kill a goalie faster than poorly fitted gear. Having the freshest-looking set in the league won’t mean a thing if you can’t beat the pass and make the save due to gear that doesn’t work harmoniously with your body and movement.
"Having someone you trust with your gear needs is a huge asset to becoming a better goalie," he said. "Can poorly fitted or just the wrong type of gear make you less of a goalie? You better believe it."
Like Serwacki, Vaughn said it’s essential for goaltenders to consult with a knowledgeable salesperson or dealer before deciding whether they need custom gear. With goalies coming in all shapes and sizes, and playing a range of techniques from straight blocking to reaction to a hybrid, most major gear manufacturers offer several product lines to accommodate those disparities. But there always will be outliers.
"Custom tailoring the gear to the specific needs and desires of a goalie are now commonplace," said Chris Joswiak of Brian’s Custom Sports. "Customization comes in two forms — performance and aesthetics.
"On the performance side, there are a variety of styles and preferences goalies seek, and not always is the stock form the best option for their individual style, so goalies can tweak or modify any part of the equipment to better accommodate their game," said Joswiak. "While performance is key, creating a unique look on the graphic side of things is not only fun, but custom graphics or colors can give the goalie a unique look that allows them to stand out from the rest or to perfectly match their respective teams."
As the old adage goes, "you’ve got to look good to feel good." That’s why most gear manufacturers have online tools that allow goalies to customize the look of their set-up. Brian’s has long enjoyed an almost cult status due to its ability to apply almost any custom design to its pads and gloves.
"Custom graphics have been a huge part of our business since the ’90s, and it’s what makes us stand out from the other major manufacturers," said Joswiak. "We have a great sense of pride of our custom design work because it is something we have perfected. We can do anything the mind can imagine. It’s quite a challenge, however, and very taxing to our gear designer, Reo Roy."
CCM’s Sonya Di Biase estimates that close to "90 percent of our goalie business is custom," primarily because of players choosing specific color schemes.
"The percentage of custom has always been extremely high, as goalies like to have unique-looking gear," said Di Biase. "The custom colors and graphics are an expression of who they are."
But today, customization encompasses every element of the gear.
"For many years the only aspect of a goal pad that a consumer could customize was sizing, graphics and colors," said Di Biase. "Since 2012, CCM now offers custom options like flex, knee cradle, leg strap set-up and leg channel fits."
For the serious netminder, performance is still king.
"I think a lot of goalies try to use any kind of modification to their advantage," said Scott Darling, the former University of Maine goaltender who won a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks and recently joined the Carolina Hurricanes. "There are ways to tweak pads that complement your personal style of play. You have to use any legal competitive advantage you can find.
"I do believe being comfortable in your gear helps you a lot," said Darling. "You want your equipment to be an extension of your body. I’m not too picky about anything other than my glove. The one major modification I’ve made to my glove I learned from Cory (Schneider). I put a leather pad strap in place of the original strap around my wrist to make sure my hand is locked in place no matter how much I sweat."
Darling’s glove is a prime example of customization done right. The idea is to make small changes that produce big results. Darling wears Brian’s pads, which has developed superb online tools to help goalies customize their gear.
"Virtually all parts of the pad are open to customization," said Joswiak. "The most common customization is often modifying the stiffness of the pad and overall shape. Generally goalies are in search of either a hybrid or butterflystyle pad. By altering the breaks or stiffness you can completely change how the pad plays and feels on the leg."
According to Joswiak, Brian’s can "swap literally anything from any of our three pro lines — Heritage, GNETik and SubZero — to create an ideal pad.
"Changing the straps, toe ties, knee blocks and others are simple drop-down menu items for our customizers, giving the customer many options to dial their pads in the way they want them," he said. "As for sizing and thigh rise, we can do anything, but we have seen a change where in the past large thigh rises were popular. Now due to NHL rules, the pro players have to wear reduced thigh rises and that is trickling down to retail, as goalies are finding that they can move better without the larger thighs."
Still, on the high end of the gear scale, small tweaks can make a big difference for the finicky goaltender.
"Dialing in your gear has become a huge component to the goalie from a customization standpoint," said Bauer’s Freer. "This can range from strap length, boot stiffness, knee block shape, double-T versus single-T (on a catching glove). The list can go on and on.
Freer said Bauer provides "a menu to make sure the goalie gets what they need to be comfortable."
CCM’s Di Biase said, "The most common adaptations are flex and fit.
"The flex is important based on your butterfly drop, whether it is wide or narrow," said Di Biase. "We often see a trend with goalies selecting stiffer pads from the knee up and more flexible pads at the ankle.
"With goalies using their knees for many save techniques, it is crucial to select a knee cradle that works with your knee protector," she said. "The best knee raiser will consistently seal the ice and provide stability in the crease. The leg strap set-up is the final specification that can increase butterfly drop velocity and provide the rotation to keep the pad sealed to the ice and prevent over- and under-rotation."
If all that sounds confusing, take heart. You’re not alone. The fact is, Di Biase, who has been in the business for 25 years, knows what she’s talking about. Which drives home Vaughn’s point that goalies looking to upgrade to custom gear should spend time talking with an expert to ensure that the changes will help, and not hinder, their game.
Vaughn advocates that goalies should bring pictures, or videos, to their dealers, so the decision to customize is an educated one. Plus, if you find that a stock set of pads and gloves fit, you’ll probably save a few bucks (Serwacki estimates that modifications run between $75 and $420 on a set of legs, and between $50 and $210 for each glove).
"Don’t arbitrarily add to the pad," said Vaughn. "If you’re going to make modifications, check them out in advance. If you’re not sure, ask us.
"Don’t start trying to customize something because someone told you. A lot of people are reacting to rumors that they’ve heard online," he said. "What you have to do is really look at how you play. Go to demo days, and try the pads on. Get gear that’s made for you, not someone else. Just like a custom mask."
Speaking of masks, Di Biase added one last cautionary note regarding the customization craze: Don’t sacrifice the quality of the mask for a sweet paint job.
"Many goalies spend $1,000 on a custom paint design for a mask, and if you can afford that, then that’s wonderful," she said. "I just hope goalies are putting the same value on the level of mask they are buying to ensure the proper protection for their head and brain, based on the level of hockey they’re playing."
