Players should be able to hit Goalies behind the net

[BigBadBruins7708]

Every freaking. Year!

Goalies should not. Be fair game because their equipment isn't designed to protect against checks. What's next allow players. To shoot the puck at opponents? Imagine this I'm carrying. The puck up the center of the ice, stop turn to your bench and rip a slap shot. Into your bench at your best player. Then after the brawl subsides my defense is " you shoot the puck at our goalie 30 times a game! Rabble rabble fairness"

Freaking idiotic.

then they can stay in the crease where the rules protect them from being contacted. If you're gonna go roaming away from the net and act like a skater, you should be treated like a skater.

 

[Machinehead]

Hit them? No, absolutely not. But if they leave their crease, they shouldn't be protected from incidental contact.

I think this is fair.

 

[tony d]

Don't know if they should be hit behind the net but a bit of contact to them behind the net shouldn't hurt.

 

[YWGF18]

Goalies are not equipped to be taking hits, that being said, if you made them vulnerable to a hit, the goalies will keep themselves out of dangerous situations, so the rule change would probably mostly work, you will see a lot less interference by goalies at the least.

I think just ban the goalie from going behind the net for any reason should be fine. and start enforcing the delay of game penalty for covering a puck outside the crease.

Think of all the funny bounce moments that occur that will be missed out on though if the keeper stays in his net

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

Goalies are not equipped to be taking hits, that being said, if you made them vulnerable to a hit, the goalies will keep themselves out of dangerous situations, so the rule change would probably mostly work, you will see a lot less interference by goalies at the least.

I think just ban the goalie from going behind the net for any reason should be fine. and start enforcing the delay of game penalty for covering a puck outside the crease.

Think of all the funny bounce moments that occur that will be missed out on though if the keeper stays in his net

So, if a goalie goes out of his crease to make a save and cut down the angle, and the puck is in his equipment, is that a delay of game?

Also, if a goalie were to leave his crease to cut down the angle on the save, is a player allowed to interfere with and tie the goalie up when trying to make a save?

 

[YWGF18]

No,

The rules state he can stop freeze the puck if it is shot at him even if outside the crease, but he can't leave the crease solely to freeze the puck. You see it quite often, Grey areas where the goalie will snag a puck that's 5 feet from the net because the attacking player is going to try and shoot on him.

"A minor penalty shall be imposed on any player, including the goalkeeper, who holds, freezes or plays the puck with his stick, skates or body in such a manner as to deliberately cause a stoppage of play. With regard to a goalkeeper, this rule applies outside of his goal crease area."
...
"If a goalkeeper comes out of his crease to “cut down the angle” on a shot and after making the save covers the puck, this shall be legal. If the goalkeeper races out of his crease in an attempt to beat the attacking player to the puck and instead of playing the puck jumps on the puck causing a stoppage of play, this shall be a minor penalty for delay of game."

 

[TGWL]

I don't understand why goalies are allowed to play the puck behind the net, set up picks, and players not be allowed to hit them.


I take issue with goalies slowing down the game and stopping dump ins

So, you think it's best to resolve that issue by just letting players hit the goalie? Have you ever put on a pair of goalie pads? If not, go to your local shop and try on a pair, then pretend somebody is pushing you back once you drop to your knees. Let me know how that feels. For all the talk about how goalies have all this equipment, nobody but those who put on the equipment understand how much flexibility is lost. So when you get hit, you can't protect your body and fall the same way.

I think if that's your issue with goalies allowed to play the puck behind the net, set up picks, etc, you could find a different solution than run the goalie over.

 

[MartyOwns]

in theory, yes they should be fair game outside of the crease (if they have the puck). but realistically, due to injury concerns, it won't and shouldn't happen

 

[pown]

This is one of the most ridiculous proposals I've ever heard.

What's next allowing goalies to wear firearms to protect themselves, because the rules don't? Has the OP ever tried to skate with goalie equipment?

you arent very bright are you? The goalies would think twice of playing the puck behind the net and it would increase the flow of the game, if they do want to take that chance of getting hit to deny possession well thats the risk they take of taking a hit for it.

Lol at that firearms statement, strong logic that is.

 

[Sol]

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 bullshit 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.

 

[Sol]

in theory, yes they should be fair game outside of the crease (if they have the puck). but realistically, due to injury concerns, it won't and shouldn't happen

Injury concerns you say? Maybe they shouldn't go behind the net and set picks then. I can assure you no goalie would go around carelessly when they know that a player can knock them on their ass.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

Not straight blasts but incidental contact should not be entirely disallowed.

 

[MartyOwns]

Injury concerns you say? Maybe they shouldn't go behind the net and set picks then. I can assure you no goalie would go around carelessly when they know that a player can knock them on their ass.

goalies will play the puck regardless. in your scenario, goalies would be getting laid out and concussed left and right. like i said before- all things being fair, they're fair game. but if you think the league will expose goalies to that with a wink and a nod ("maaaaaybe don't play the puck then, goalies") you're crazy. so fair or not, it won't happen.

 

[Sol]

goalies will play the puck regardless. in your scenario, goalies would be getting laid out and concussed left and right. like i said before- all things being fair, they're fair game. but if you think the league will expose goalies to that with a wink and a nod ("maaaaaybe don't play the puck then, goalies") you're crazy. so fair or not, it won't happen.

You don't think it should happen even though it's unfair. I don't like this answer, why should goalies have a leg up over players? It's unfair.

Goal scoring would increase

 

[joestevens29]

Years ago I remember the AJHL you were allowed to hit goalies if they were out of their crease. Can't remember if they had a box behind the net or not. Regardless you were allowed to lay them out. Oddly enough it didn't happen very much. If you hit a goalie you were benched, your team shunned you.

It was an unwritten rule to not hit the goalie. I'd be curious if this would play out in the NHL as well. Sure goalies did get hit, but players still had the respect to not try lay the guy out.

 

[MartyOwns]

You don't think it should happen even though it's unfair. I don't like this answer, why should goalies have a leg up over players? It's unfair.

life's unfair man, what can i tell you. when the potential consequences of making such a change include severe and potentially career-ending injuries, you have to do what is ultimately right, even if it isn't fair.

it reminds me of quite the ethical dilemma I faced when I was 28. I was driving down the road and saw what appeared to be 2 homeless people arguing over something (from what I could gather, one of them was accusing the other one of stealing his expired medication). I could see the argument escalating, and I felt like if i didn't intervene someone could be hurt or killed. I pulled my car over- not because I was worried about their safety, but because I had a really good idea. in my igloo cooler, I had 2 ham sandwiches I was planning on eating once I got home to the Motel 6 I have been living in for the better part of 2 decades. I grabbed both sandwiches, got out of the car and faced the 2 men. and here was my ethical dilemma- if I gave them one of the ham sandwiches, there was a very real possibility that they would fight over it. if I gave each of them a ham sandwich, I wouldn’t have anything to eat for dinner. the three of us stared at each other for an eternity; me clenching my sandwich and them wondering why someone just pulled over holding a ham sandwich. so- what to do? what’s right? or what’s fair?

in the end, I kept both ham sandwiches, eating them both before I arrived at my motel room. the sick, ironic twist? I had completely forgotten that I had 14 ham sandwiches at home in my tool box under the sink. I sobbed as I shoveled those 14 sandwiches down my throat, my mucusy snot bubbles mixing with the smoked virginia ham. now, you can say I didn’t do what was RIGHT, but dammit, I also didn’t do what was FAIR. and that’s why goalies should be off limits when playing the puck behind the net, I don’t know how to make it any clearer.

 

[Sol]

life's unfair man, what can i tell you. when the potential consequences of making such a change include severe and potentially career-ending injuries, you have to do what is ultimately right, even if it isn't fair.

it reminds me of quite the ethical dilemma I faced when I was 28. I was driving down the road and saw what appeared to be 2 homeless people arguing over something (from what I could gather, one of them was accusing the other one of stealing his expired medication). I could see the argument escalating, and I felt like if i didn't intervene someone could be hurt or killed. I pulled my car over- not because I was worried about their safety, but because I had a really good idea. in my igloo cooler, I had 2 ham sandwiches I was planning on eating once I got home to the Motel 6 I have been living in for the better part of 2 decades. I grabbed both sandwiches, got out of the car and faced the 2 men. and here was my ethical dilemma- if I gave them one of the ham sandwiches, there was a very real possibility that they would fight over it. if I gave each of them a ham sandwich, I wouldn’t have anything to eat for dinner. the three of us stared at each other for an eternity; me clenching my sandwich and them wondering why someone just pulled over holding a ham sandwich. so- what to do? what’s right? or what’s fair?

in the end, I kept both ham sandwiches, eating them both before I arrived at my motel room. the sick, ironic twist? I had completely forgotten that I had 14 ham sandwiches at home in my tool box under the sink. I sobbed as I shoveled those 14 sandwiches down my throat, my mucusy snot bubbles mixing with the smoked virginia ham. now, you can say I didn’t do what was RIGHT, but dammit, I also didn’t do what was FAIR. and that’s why goalies should be off limits when playing the puck behind the net, I don’t know how to make it any clearer.

If you want to avoid career ending injuries you take out the trapezoid and make goalies fair game and they'd never leave their net like they're supposed to be doing in the first place

 

[Cypress]

The problem with comparing to other sports is in other sports goalies have pretty much the same equipment as players. Goalie equipment will prevent players from falling in a natural way resulting in much higher potential for injury.

Just make it a penalty for goaltenders to set a pick on players. Problem solved. Though I suspect what this is really about is a thirst for violence

 

[canuckster19]

When the trapezoid first came I said make a much smaller area behind the net where the goalie isn't allowed to be hit but anywhere outside of that is fair game so the goalie can play the puck outside the zone as well, a half circle slightly larger than the crease.

 

[Sol]

The problem with comparing to other sports is in other sports goalies have pretty much the same equipment as players. Goalie equipment will prevent players from falling in a natural way resulting in much higher potential for injury.


Just make it a penalty for goaltenders to set a pick on players. Problem solved. Though I suspect what this is really about is a thirst for violence

It's about goalies slowing down the puck on dump ins and making passes, all the while forechecking player is getting blocked by the goalie. I want to let the players player, and have goalies understand that they can't f*** around outside the goal without any repercussions. Right now there is zero repercussions, goalies slow down the game by involving themselves, set up picks and get away with it, lastly no one can do anything about it.


Future PI in the making, sadly I think you will fail at it.

 

[SAK11]

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 job is to keep the puck out of his net, so in not allowing the opposing team possession [ie- stopping the puck behind his net and passing it to a teammate or dumping it out], he is doing his job.
Like others have mentioned, they don't have the proper equipment to be getting hit. This is not a point that should be brushed aside.

When a goalie sets a pick, though, it should be called as a interference penalty.

 

[Sol]

The goalies job is to keep the puck out of his net, so in not allowing the opposing team possession [ie- stopping the puck behind his net and passing it to a teammate or dumping it out], he is doing his job.
Like others have mentioned, they don't have the proper equipment to be getting hit. This is not a point that should be brushed aside.

When a goalie sets a pick, though, it should be called as a interference penalty.

Players block shots without goalie equipment. Should we ban shot blocking then?

The goalie playing the puck behind the net is for break outs / and making the puck easier for the defense to retrieve or lessen pressure. Don't conflate it with keeping the puck out of the net.

 

[Orfieus]

What does it say in the rulebook right now? That goalies are totally off limits in any situation?

 

[Klaus3154]

I used to think this back in the days when goalies like Brodeur would stop the puck in the corner and hold it while he checked all his options while the Devil’s defensemen were just picking off any forecheckers. Trapezoid changed all that though. Goalies playing the puck isn’t as bad as it used to be.
Dream all you want but the NHL would never let this happen. They are trying to protect players and many goalies would get injured, would ruin many teams seasons. If anything that was violent was illegal in the 70’s/80’s you can bet it wouldn’t get legalized in today’s game.

 

[BruinsFan37]

Incidental contact shouldn't automatically be a penalty/cause for a goal to be reversed.

A full body check on a goalie? No way.