Not sure if this is such a good idea, having a different colored jersey for the goalie. The smaller size doesn't bother me but the coloring certainly does, doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who the goalie is.
TSN.ca Staff
9/30/2005 2:32:51 PM
The new National Hockey League is considering yet another major change in time for the start of this regular season.
TSN has learned that all 30 NHL franchises received new jerseys Friday for their goaltenders and while it's a longshot, fans could see them in game action on opening night.
The shirts are streamlined in a continued effort to reduce the amount of net they cover, and maybe even more significantly, they are different in colour and pattern like goalkeeper jerseys in soccer and would not match the rest of the team.
New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist experimented with a practice version of the new jersey (pictured) in the warmup prior to Thursday's preseason game against the New York Islanders.
Talk of the new sweaters began at the general managers' meetings in Detroit as discussions surrounded the reduction in size of goalie equipment. They left with a consensus to reduce gloves, blockers and pads and the manufacturers would look into creating a more streamlined sweater. The manufacturers made it clear that the tigher version would not look like a team's current sweaters, but the NHL gave them the green light to proceed anyway.
The arrival of the sweaters Friday morning was met with mixed reaction.
Some franchises reacted quite positively, recognizing the marketing potentional in creating a "goalie sweater" taking a page from the huge success of soccer. However, there's been plenty of negative reaction as well.
A number of general managers argue that there has already been so much change to the game that this would be too much, too soon, not to mention the fact that goalies will have little or not time to get used to playing in the new sweater.
"It may be too late to introduce the new steamlined sweater in time for this season," an NHL official told TSN.
"But rest assured, it is coming."
It isn't the first time this year that hockey jerseys have been re-designed dramatically.
In August, Canada's Olympic and world junior teams received new sweaters designed to be cooler, lighter and make the players faster.
Some franchises reacted quite positively, recognizing the marketing potentional in creating a "goalie sweater" taking a page from the huge success of soccer. However, there's been plenty of negative reaction as well.
First there was the shootout to decide ties
Now we have a "goalie sweater" in the image of soccer..
What's next, the referees trading in their whistles for yellow and red cards?
Why do they need different jerseys? If anything, they should be form-fitting for goalies so they gain any extra advantages. The goalies need to be as small as possible while still keeping them protected from getting hurt.
Shoalzie wrote:Why do they need different jerseys? If anything, they should be form-fitting for goalies so they gain any extra advantages. The goalies need to be as small as possible while still keeping them protected from getting hurt.
I'm sure marketing the gear didn't have anything to do with it.
Goalies around the world will soon be crying because they won't be able to breath.
It's all about comfort & style and these maniacal men between the pipes won't be able to focus because it'll feel like they're wearing their kid's Spiderman tee shirts.
Trimming that shit was a good idea. Along with the pads.
Not tripping on the "handling the puck behind the net" idea, but ....oh well.
Unwar 12-9 shootouts, with no defense but these guys will recover.
Stop bitchin aboot the changes. This is good for hockey.
