Players should be able to hit Goalies behind the net

[CBJx614]

i agree with this. however, if this situation happened irl, then it will just start a bunch of unnecessary nonsense that slows the game down

So much this.

The game is slowly getting away from physicality, to more skilled up pace type of game. All this would do is cause a couple more fights a game, something which the league is also trying to get away from.

 

[rent free]

So much this.

The game is slowly getting away from physicality, to more skilled up pace type of game. All this would do is cause a couple more fights a game, something which the league is also trying to get away from.

so much more this

the game would be taking a step backwards by implementing this rule

 

[joestevens29]

that rule also outlawed catchers from blocking the plate.

which is the same as what some are suggesting here...make it a penalty to hit a goalie, but also make it a penalty for the goalie to roam and play the puck

They did make a rule. Don't remember the days of goalies going into the corners all the time?

 

[Rorschach]

Why would you pass him the puck instead of shooting at the empty net?

I think the trapazoid thing is backwards. The rule was put in to stop goalies (Broduer at the time) from playing the puck, and starting the breakout. I think the area right behind the net should be the area they cant play the puck in, thats where they stop the dump ins at, not in the corners.

As mentioned many times, the goalie pads are not designed for that kind of contact. And really, if you make them fair game, the pads will be redesigned, now you have a fully protected guy who start initiating contact and laying people out, instead of sitting back there waiting to get hit. They will start going on the offensive. Can you imagine Ben Bishop coming out and wiping out Johnny Gaudreau? (That example was just for size comparisons, in reality, Bishop would probably blow out a knee)

Dustin Brown-style...it's a strategic move in a 7 game series where using a borderline physical play to put the other team on tilt.

After you nail the goaltender you can still take the shot. It's not like the goalie will steal the puck and score.

 

[shortfuze]

I don’t think goalies should be fair game behind the net but if a goalIe goes behind the net and gets bumped on his ass I don’t thing it should be a penalty.

 

[TGWL]

If their equipment isn't designed to take hits then they should stay in their crease.

I've went through 3 pages and the only reason is because it's a safety issue and their gear isn't suited for hits ..?


You know what would make them extremely safe, if they never came out of their net.


There is ZERO reason why a goalie can have his cake and eat it too.


They shouldn't have it both ways and they do. That's my problem with this entire thing. It's bull**** and it looks stupid. Goalies are so emboldened nowadays setting picks in front of the opposing forward.

In soccer if a goalie comes out of the net they're completely fair game because they become a part of the play. Why can a hockey goalie become a part of the play, and not be fair game. So what his gear isn't suited for hits? Whos responsible for that? Hold themselves accountable.

I'm not going to read the entire thread, but if it's a problem because it slows down the game and creates unfair picks, then you take it away. You don't allow the goalie to get crushed based on their decision making of playing the puck, or not playing the puck.

Would it make a goalie hesitate to play the puck? I'm sure it will. Would that be a good thing? I'm not too sure it would be. You'd have goalies who don't play the puck with more than enough time to play it. You'd have goalies hesitate and wait too long to play the puck causing them to get hit. Then you'd have goalies who just don't move out of the crease. To me, that's not how you fix the problem with goalies slowing down the game / creating picks. And people can complain all they want about "We're worrying too much about their safety and it's not fair", but the game is all about player safety these days, as it should be. They should all be enjoying a post hockey life.

 

[CBJx614]

I don’t think goalies should be fair game behind the net but if a goalIe goes behind the net and gets bumped on his ass I don’t thing it should be a penalty.

That's fine. There's a big difference between bumping a goalie when you go by and laying him out. Now if a goalie it setting a screen and a player has to make an obvious move to go around him, I'm fine with assessing a penalty to the goalie for interference, just the same as a player would get a goalie interference for going through the goalie.

 

[Sol]

I'm not going to read the entire thread, but if it's a problem because it slows down the game and creates unfair picks, then you take it away. You don't allow the goalie to get crushed based on their decision making of playing the puck, or not playing the puck.

Would it make a goalie hesitate to play the puck? I'm sure it will. Would that be a good thing? I'm not too sure it would be. You'd have goalies who don't play the puck with more than enough time to play it. You'd have goalies hesitate and wait too long to play the puck causing them to get hit. Then you'd have goalies who just don't move out of the crease. To me, that's not how you fix the problem with goalies slowing down the game / creating picks. And people can complain all they want about "We're worrying too much about their safety and it's not fair", but the game is all about player safety these days, as it should be. They should all be enjoying a post hockey life.

Goalies aren't mandated to play the puck behind the net. Why is this so hard for people to grasp. Goalies aren't forced to play the puck behind the net. The crease they're safe and generally untouchable. There is ZERO reason why they should be untouchable when they stop playing goalie.

 

[Seanaconda]

Some of the most entertaining plays are when goalies hit players like turco or hasek but if they are free game outside of the crease get rid of the penalty for when a goalie wants to deke out the other team and goes past center ice

 

[Sol]

That's fine. There's a big difference between bumping a goalie when you go by and laying him out. Now if a goalie it setting a screen and a player has to make an obvious move to go around him, I'm fine with assessing a penalty to the goalie for interference, just the same as a player would get a goalie interference for going through the goalie.

And goalies rarely ever get called for it cause they turn their back to the oncoming player and continue to hold on to possession of the puck because they know the other guy can't get by him.

 

[Seanaconda]

Goalies aren't mandated to play the puck behind the net. Why is this so hard for people to grasp. Goalies aren't forced to play the puck behind the net. The crease they're safe and generally untouchable. There is ZERO reason why they should be untouchable when they stop playing goalie.

Plus I'm pretty sure some goalies should and probably are told to never try to play the puck. It's a good skill to have but most of the goalies that do it constantly are great puck handlers / skaters .

 

[Sol]

Some of the most entertaining plays are when goalies hit players like turco or hasek but if they are free game outside of the crease get rid of the penalty for when a goalie wants to deke out the other team and goes past center ice

I still can't believe that's a rule. Lol.

 

[Seanaconda]

I still can't believe that's a rule. Lol.

Well you could probably make some crazy mighty duck like plays with them being untouchable

 

[Sol]

Well you could probably make some crazy mighty duck like plays with them being untouchable

With all the space for the center ice I am sure someone can easily knock the puck loose.

 

[Seanaconda]

With all the space for the center ice I am sure someone can easily knock the puck loose.

Well you run him as a screen in front of the play/ give him normal skates and a stick

 

[Sol]

Well you run him as a screen in front of the play/ give him normal skates and a stick

Lol. That'd be so gimmicky.

 

[Seanaconda]

Lol. That'd be so gimmicky.

Yeah like mighty ducks garbage it would be hilarious tho. Run the flying v with the goalie at the front / have Ovie as the backup and do the knuckle puck strategy

 

[TGWL]

Goalies aren't mandated to play the puck behind the net. Why is this so hard for people to grasp. Goalies aren't forced to play the puck behind the net. The crease they're safe and generally untouchable. There is ZERO reason why they should be untouchable when they stop playing goalie.

I get it.. People don't agree and see your point so there's ZERO reason why they should be untouchable. That's all you keep saying. You haven't gotten 1 reason. Why, because it doesn't fit with the conclusion you've already drawn? You haven't clarified what untouchable means. There's untouchable by bumps and board battles and then there's untouchable by taking a hit.

Why is it so hard for you to grasp what people are actually saying? Nobody said goalies are mandated to play the puck behind the net, but guess what, they do. So now you want to toss in that they're fair game as if that's going to completely stop goalies from doing that? It won't. All you're doing is now creating a situation where goalies are going to either take the risk, be a shell of their former self by not playing the puck, or put them in vulnerable situations where they hesitate on decision making plays.

Your initial point was this is slowing the game down. They create picks and play the puck and it's stopping the flow of the game. Is that still your point, or have you now moved on to "it's unfair that other players get hit and they don't when they take up open space outside the net?" If it's still the former, then I stand by what I said in 2 different responses, if you want to speed up the game by eliminating puck play and picks, then you create a solution where the goalies can't do that. You don't create a situation where the goalie has to make a choice of getting run over, or making the right play. That's not how you fix a problem. That's like saying "If goalies want to play the puck and create picks that slow them down, then f*** them, we're gonna make them pay and think twice about it.

With that said, I completely understand the argument that accidental contact / slight bumps shouldn't be called a penalty, it's not fair to be completely untouchable, but I suppose the counter argument to that is where do you draw the line? Where do you determine accidental and what's slight? Because of that line it's probably easier to just eliminate it all together.

Goalies need to be protected in someway, there is no counter-argument to that, not from you, not from anybody. How they protect the goalie is where the debates come in.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Give me a reason why goalies should be able to go beyond their position and play as a player and not be able to get like a player? He's supposed to be protecting the net, not setting up picks and making outlet passes. Give me an argument.

The goalies can't go beyond their position. They aren't and never have been limited to their crease, that's not what the crease is for.

The real argument though, is injuries. There are few enough quality goalies in the world, and there are enough dirty players out there, that players being allowed to hit goalies would see a massive increase in the number of goalie injuries.

Those two things paired together is the exact reason why the NHL doesn't allow people to hit goalies behind the net, or anywhere outside of the crease for that matter.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Again, so what? If you make hits on goalies behind the net legal, then no goalie would ever get hit, because they wouldn't go behind the net. so it doesn't matter one bit if they're suited to take hits or not.


Please don't give me the proper gear excuse. That doesn't explain why they are allowed such privileges WHILE playing beyond their position.

It's so logically inconsistent and pathetic.

Goalies willingly stand in front of 100 MPH shots 40+ times per night. I don't think that making hits on goalies legal would deter them from going back there all the time. The proper gear thing is not an excuse, if the NHL willingly puts players at high risk for permanent injuries by changing its rules, they are opening themselves up to a huge, massive law suit.

I think calling anywhere outside the crease "outside their position" is about as logical as saying that anywhere in the offensive zone is "outside of position" for a defenseman.

 

[Cypress]

Give me a fair solution for both sides.

if they want to keep the goalie from playing defense they could make it a penalty for the goaltender to set a pick on a skater, they could even make it so the goaltender isn't allowed below the goal line. What do you think of these options?

That is my fair solution, I don't think goalies should be "fair game" in real life.

 

[end]

They absolutely should not be allowed to hit a player who is not physically prepared to take NHL hits. Do you want a league with elite goalies who train for quickness and flexibility or do you want a league where the worst skater puts on pads and tries to fake playing goal?

Someone mentioned goalies setting picks and this being the excuse to level them; if only interfering with players away from the puck had some sort of penalty associated with it! Clearly if the goalies are violating the rules it gives us license to give all of them brain damage!

 

[Sol]

That is my fair solution, I don't think goalies should be "fair game" in real life.

I like your solution. I didn't see it. Not going below the goal line works for me. That way no one is at a disadvantage

 

[vanarchy]

I realize plenty of people will disagree with me but there is no reason for the goalie to be behind the net imo. Stay in front of it or risk a collision. Especially you, Mike Smith.

 

[Bruckuss]

no goalie contact (intentionally), but also no goalie puck handling anywhere behind the goal line - works for me.

If a forward gets behind the defence on the forecheck, charge out and get the puck or stay in the crease. Wraparound city here we come lol