Why aren't there many (or any) ex-NHL sons who play goalie?

[WATTAGE4451]

I dont know about recently, but pre hasek era, and even some other goalies still during his era. Played goalie a much different way than is taught today. Stand up goalies used to be the norm but now its all v-style butterfly and size so those skills of what worked tghen arent passed down.

Also size is a major factir now since shootjng technology with sticks has gotten so good that its hard to react so just giving as little space to shoot at seems to be everything now

 

[DaveG]

not that he has a shot at making the show, but former USNTDP goalie Dylan St Cyr is the son of former IHLer Gerry St Cyr and Manon Rheaume and nephew of Pascal Rheaume.

he's also 5'9 (and that's generous) as a goalie so... yeah that wasn't happening in the modern game.

 

[Ghost of Murph]

Genetics selects goalies more than it does the other positions nowadays. Your rich daddy and mommy can't buy you the height, elite vision, and crazy reflexes it takes to be one of the 64 best goalies on the planet. Nature decides those things.

 

[elmaco]

Genetics selects goalies more than it does the other positions nowadays. Your rich daddy and mommy can't buy you the height, elite vision, and crazy reflexes it takes to be one of the 64 best goalies on the planet. Nature decides those things.

I don't get the height thing, of course you need to be somewhat tall but Hasek was only 6'1.

 

[Esq]

And now we have Leah Hextall

She's a better announcer than her uncle was a GM...

 

[1989]

I don't get the height thing, of course you need to be somewhat tall but Hasek was only 6'1.

Yeah, but aside from genetics, Hasek's style wasn't exactly imitable either.

 

[GrkFlyersFan]

She's a better announcer than her uncle was a GM...

Good reporter, but her play by play was awful.

Edit: Oh, and she's his younger cousin, not niece.

 

[blankall]

There is practical math here a little bit though. A lot less goalies overall - there are about 756 players in the NHL and only probably what 70 goalies on rosters (figuring 6 teams keep 3).

So there are a lot less goalies jobs to go around.

To add onto this, the goalies have a very specific skillset, that's likely a factor of genes, upbringing, and mindset. That's likely hard to replicate, especially if you grow up the son of a millionaire.

One of Roy's kid played goal all the way to juniors, but he wasn't good enough to go beyond that:

Jonathan Roy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Jeremy Brodeur is playing in the ECHL:

Jeremy Brodeur - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Christobal Huet's son is playing for the Regina Pats:

Ewan Huet Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Statistics of Ewan Huet, a hockey player from Lausanne, Switzerland born Feb 8 2005 who was active from 2022 to 2025.

www.hockeydb.com

Jon Grahame's father was also an NHL goalie:

John Grahame - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Brent Johnson's father was Bob Johnson, who played 11 games in the NHL:

Brent Johnson - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So son's attempting to follow in the father's footsteps as a goalie, seems fairly common, it's likely just very hard to do.

Another factor is that a lot of the goalies now aren't from Canada or the USA. That means there's a far less likely chance their fathers would be playing in the NHL pre-1990 when international players were still somewhat rare.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Now that Igor $hesterkin and Jeremy $wayman have reset the goalie market maybe we see that change.

Who would wanna be a goalie?

Because the players hope their sons grow up to productive members of society and not these bat shit crazy people who are willing have 100 mile an hour slap shots aimed at their junk

QFT

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Because the players hope their sons grow up to productive members of society and not these bat shit crazy people who are willing have 100 mile an hour slap shots aimed at their junk

Question: do you know why I wear five cups when I play goalie?

Answer: because I don't own six.

True story.

 

[Fantomas]

Brodeur
Bryzgalov
Esche
Niitymaki
Huet
Aebischer

I was going to say Maxim Tretiak, grandson of Vladislav. But then I remembered that neither have played in the NHL.

 

[QuizGuy66]

This feels like a Stan Fischler question.

I should add that when the Devils NHL roster was over in Europe and the team playing the last 2 preseason games was the AHLers Jeremy Brodeur had a nice 3-1 preseason win vs the Rangers which was nice

Jeremy Brodeur Steals the Show in 3-1 Preseason Devils Win Over New York Rangers

Making his Devils preseason debut, Jeremy Brodeur played up to his name.

www.allaboutthejersey.com

 

[hangman005]

I just assume that the NHL players can afford the therapy to stop their children from becoming goalies