The gear game …

Back in the day, when I was growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s and '70s, playing goal was a calling, for one simple reason. You got hurt. Often. It was perfectly normal for me to finish a skate with several (or more) multicolored welts, each one recording another save. I took great pride in those bruises, and in many ways, it was pride that drove me to play the position. It certainly wasn't "fun" most of the time.

A big reason was the gear. The equipment simply hadn't caught up to the curved sticks and slap shots, and getting hit repeatedly by a puck was going to be painful, period. I still have a memento – an old cage from my Cooper goalie mask – from my high school days shortly after my family had moved to New Hampshire. The cage is bent almost perfectly around my nose, so it never raises suspicion. But, in truth, the bar was straight as a ruler until a teammate's slap shot in practice caught me square between the eyes. The impact separated the cage from the helmet, and sent me toppling backwards. I slammed the back on my head on the crossbar, and the only thing preventing me from getting a concussion was the helmet I was wearing. But that cage, I'm absolutely convinced, saved my life.

Street hockey wasn't much better, though not life threatening. This was actually my introduction to hockey, spurned on by my Grandpere (my mom's dad), a huge hockey fan and a native of Quebec. We could play year-round on the streets of my New Jersey neighborhood, but early fall was a magic time. The Rangers started training camp, and we'd trade in our baseball gloves and bats for hockey gloves and sticks. But the hard, bright orange Mylec got more and more stiff as the temperatures dropped, and would sting like a son-of-a-gun in weather below 50 degrees (which was compounded by the fact that I, as the goalie, got stiff as well, 'cause I wasn't running around). I remember my mom helping me to fashion some home-made pads out of old, brown denim jeans stuffed with foam. The rest of the gear was fairly rudimentary: hockey glove as a blocker, baseball mitt as a catcher, maybe a cup jock (maybe not, which meant really living dangerously), a catcher's chest protector, heavy sweaters to protect the arms, and a plastic Mylec mask. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Most of the time, anyway. There were some pretty excruciating moments, when a shot found an unprotected area, but those never prevented me from getting back between the pipes.

By the time I hit 8th grade, I knew I wanted to play goalie on the ice as well. Rinks were starting to sprout throughout northern New Jersey, and my brothers and I were quick to sign up. I emulated Ranger netminders Eddie Giacomin and Gilles Villemure in those days, and begged my mom to get real gear. She said get a paper route. So I did. And in 1972 or '73 (I'm not sure … the memory is a little fuzzy), I went to a local sports shop, and got my first genuine set of pads. I remember paying the princely sum of $115 for the leg pads, $40 for the catch glove, and $35 for the blocker. The total bill was about $225 for just about everything I needed, except goalie skates. Those would come later.

Looking back, I can't believe I got an entire set of brand-new, adult-sized handcrafted leather gear (made in Canada, of course) for a shade over $200. Of course, that was almost 40 years ago, but the point is, I was able to outfit myself with the proceeds of a paper route. How many kids can do that today?

As a coach, I realize the financial commitment that playing goal brings, either for the goalie, or his or her parents. It's not cheap. Take the legs pads. Pro-level pads, made north of the border, run at least four figures, with the starting point of roughly $1,200. There are exceptions to the rule, such as Simmons, a very nice pad manufacturer that doesn't spend big buck on pro sponsorships. But the major players – Vaughn, Reebok, Bauer, Brian's, Sher-Wood – will all cost a very pretty penny. If you opt for customized gear, like Trevor Leahey's imaginative Stomp gear in the accompanying photo, you can plan on dropping close to $2,000 on pads and gloves alone. (On the other hand, Trevor went to the Pingree School here in Hamilton, a commuting prep school that runs about $30,000 annually, so I'm guessing cost wasn't a big deal for his folks!)

So what is a goalie parent to do? First, if your young netminder is still growing (ages 6-16), don't go crazy on top-notch gear. Kids will want matching gear, probably the same stuff their heroes wear. What kid wouldn't? Don't fall into that trap. Get them what they need, and save what you can (you'll need it later if he or she sticks with it). Younger goalies (Mites and Squirts) don't need bulletproof protection, because their teammates can't shoot the puck that hard anyway (the coach might get carried away, but that's another story). Don't take the "he'll grow into it" approach, either. You want equipment that fits correctly, and is relatively lightweight. If the pads don't fit correctly, you're setting your child up for frustration at best, and failure at worse.

In this regard, secondhand gear is a great choice, because it depreciates so quickly, and you can usually find very reasonable prices online at sites such as Craig's List, or stores like Play It Again Sports. I've had great luck on Ebay, but that's because I know exactly what I'm looking for, and the size I need. That's a little trickier for parents, since you're still buying the item "blind." If you're new to the world of goalie gear, you want to actually see the stuff you're buying, and you want to make sure it's a good match. Most importantly, make sure your child's knee (with his skates on) fits squarely into the knee cradle of the leg pads. Likewise, the chest and arm protector should fit comfortably – buying this item over-sized will only prevent your young prodigy from being able to move without difficulty. Newer pads are specifically designed to move with the goaltender, but only if they fit correctly.

Since these pads only going to be using it for a season or two, you might also opt for newer pads on the lower end of the price spectrum. To help take the sting out of outfitting a young netminder, most major gear manufacturers now offer equipment made overseas. And while this gear has made significant improvements over the years, it still is inferior, in both materials and workmanship. Still, it might do the trick, depending on your needs. The benefit here is that you're dealing with a shop that (ideally) can show you the correct way to put the pads on. I'm always startled to see how many young goalies show up at our camps and clinics with ill-fitting pads. The funniest are the ones with the pads on the wrong leg (yes, there are "left" and "right" pads). But then I realize that putting n pads, for most parents, is akin to me installing an electrical outlet or changing the brakes on my car. If you've never been shown how to do it, it can be puzzling. Take the time to learn, and encourage your young goaltender to do the same.

For PeeWees and Bantams (ages 11-15), you want to make sure they're protected. Kids can start shooting faster and harder, and the puck isn't getting any softer. Better gear is not just an option; it's a necessity. You'll want to upgrade to goalie pants, and probably a mask with a plastic neck protector (or dangler). Again, go the secondhand route if money is a concern. You can typically find good gear at 25 to 40 cents on the dollar, and your child will benefit from the added measure of safety. Compared to my circa 1972 stuff, today's equipment is far superior, which is one of the biggest reasons goaltending is becoming so popular. It simply doesn't hurt as much. And that's a good thing.

Addendum: My good friend Steve Zinger pointed out that I didn't mention knee/thigh pads, which are a critical piece of protection for young goalies. Many smaller, kid-size leg pads expose the area just above the knee, and just below their hockey pants, when a young goalie drops into the butterfly (or on the ice). Some pads have "thigh boards," but I've found that in less expensive models, these boards don't stay in place. Knee/thigh protectors are an inexpensive yet effective piece of gear to prevent injuries to this very susceptible (and sensitive) part of the leg. Thanks, Steve, for the heads up!

Stay tuned for future posts on the importance of goalie skates, and properly fitted goalie sticks.

All the best,
-Brion