Toronto Maple Leafs: New goalie equipment changes

Starting next season, the Toronto Maple Leafs goalies will face a bigger challenge by wearing updated chest protectors. The design will be more fitted and is meant to increase goal scoring.

A big reason why there was so much scoring by the Toronto Maple Leafs and the rest of the NHL “back in the day” (before 2010) was because goalies were not great. Look at old Wayne Gretzky highlights and goalies might as well have been flailing construction cones.

With the development of sport and equipment, goalies have evolved and learned the importance of positioning. Equipment got more advanced, strategy improved, and they learned new skills.

Goal scorers used to run the game, but then the pendulum swung into the goaltenders’ favour. Instead of bringing goalies down, why can’t we improve the forwards?

It’s a lot like Kurt Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron. A story about how everyone is finally equal because the strong wear weights, the beautiful wear masks and the intelligent wear earpieces that fire off loud noises to keep them from taking unfair advantage of their brains.

Just because goalies are playing well, it doesn’t mean we now have to limit them.

"The tighter pants became mandatory in February 2017, and the chest pieces were supposed to follow last year. That didn’t happen because the manufacturers couldn’t get it done…the new designs are sloped at the shoulders, less “boxy” overall and more contoured along the body, and have thinner elbows/forearms."

– Elliotte Friedman – 31 thoughts

Midway through the 2016-2017 season, we saw slimmed down goalie pants intended to make the amount of scoring increase. Here’s a chart from Hockey Reference that shows the league’s average goals allowed and save percentage.

League Averages

Rk	Season	G	PP	PPO	PP%	PK%	SV%	GAA
1	2017-18	2.97	0.61	3.04	20.18	79.82	.912	2.78
2	2016-17	2.77	0.57	2.99	19.10	80.90	.913	2.59
3	2015-16	2.71	0.58	3.11	18.66	81.34	.915	2.51
4	2014-15	2.73	0.57	3.06	18.66	81.34	.915	2.52
5	2013-14	2.74	0.59	3.27	17.89	82.11	.914	2.56
6	2012-13	2.72	0.61	3.32	18.22	81.78	.912	2.54
7	2011-12	2.73	0.57	3.31	17.31	82.69	.914	2.54
8	2010-11	2.79	0.64	3.54	18.02	81.98	.913	2.61
9	2009-10	2.84	0.68	3.71	18.23	81.77	.911	2.66
10	2008-09	2.91	0.79	4.16	18.95	81.05	.908	2.73
11	2007-08	2.78	0.76	4.28	17.75	82.25	.909	2.61
12	2006-07	2.95	0.85	4.85	17.58	82.42	.905	2.77
13	2005-06	3.08	1.03	5.85	17.68	82.32	.901	2.92

Before the goalie pants change, goals per game were going down. In 10 years, it went from over three a game to 2.71. Then, when the pants were introduced, goal scoring started going back up and in two seasons, we are almost back to three goals a game. (2.97)

That may be one way to look at the situation, but there are so many other factors that played a part in the increase in goals. Slim fit pants are at the bottom of that list.

In 2017-2018, we saw both the highest power play percentage (20.18 percent) and the lowest penalty kill percentage (79.82 percent) in over 13 years.