Looks like it first came in in 2017, with some further changes to the chest protector a bit later.
The NHL goalie equipment saga continues
You see a pretty quick jump in scoring in 2017. I'm not sure why it's continued to go up, but I wonder if there was some philosophy changes in offenses and lineups that took a few years to percolate.
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The last time we had goal scoring above 3 per game was 05-06 which had a big bump with more powerplays (obstruction calls). Before that was 95-96.
Not to take anything away from the players. I think it's a bit of a copy cat league, but I remember when it was "holy crap McDavid broke 100 points!" and now we're getting back to with a bit more goals (and more total game) giving more opportunities for players to put up points. I am not complaining!