NHL Goalie Equipment Rules

Over the years, it seems that goaltender's equipment has gotten larger and larger. While the goaltenders protest, they wear much bigger pads and gloves today than they did in the 1950s and 1960s. The NHL has several rules on the size limitations of the equipment used by goaltenders, and many of those rules were instituted prior to the 2005-06 season.

  1. Width of Leg Pads

    • This has been the biggest area of complaint by shooters. When goaltenders close their legs and stand up, the oncoming shooter doesn't seem to have much room to shoot. It's even more of an issue when the goaltender goes down on the ice and stacks his pads to prevent a shooter from going high when in close. As a result, goaltenders cannot wear leg pads that are wider than 11 inches.

    Length of Leg Pads

    • While this is not quite as big of an issue as the width of the leg pads, the pads cannot be longer than 38 inches. The leg pads go up to the mid-thigh area and that area needs maximum protection. When shooters take the puck down the ice and are allowed to wind up and shoot at speeds approaching and sometimes exceeding 100 mph, the shots often come in at knee height or a bit above. The long leg pads protect this area.

    Elbow Pads

    • Prior to the institution of a rule before the 2005-06 season, it seemed many goaltenders were bulking up along the arms and elbows with heavy pads. While the speed and power of the shots they are facing makes heavy padding necessary, the layering of pads is not allowed to exceed 7 inches, whether it's down the front of the arm or along the sides.

    Thigh Pads

    • The NHL rules committee clearly does not want to institute any rule that puts the goalie at risk. However, they don't want the goalie to have any unfair advantage due to the size of his equipment. One of the most important changes came prior to the 2005-06 season when the league limited the width of thigh pads to 10 inches.