In the game of ice hockey the goalie wears special equipment that protects him or her from speeding pucks and helps to save goals. The modern goaltending equipment is made from hydrophobic synthetic leather and nylon on the outside; and from dense closed-cell foams and plastics on the inside.
The standard equipment that an ice hockey goaltender uses includes the blocker, catcher, chest and arm protector, Jock, leg pads, helmet, mask, pants, skates and goalie stick. In order to prevent the goaltender from gaining an unfair advantage from the equipment, all equipment dimensions are specified by the National Hockey League. Other professional and non-professional leagues use gear specified by the International Ice Hockey Federation rules.
A blocker is a rectangular piece of equipment used by the goalie. It is to be worn on the dominant hand, which means a right-handed player will wear the blocker on the right hand and the left-handed player will wear it on the left hand. The rectangular blocker is attached to the backhand side of the glove and is curved at one end that helps to control the deflection and create a tough angle on a shot if the goalie uses the shaft-down technique.
The catcher or the catch-glove is worn on the other free hand. Although it looks similar to a baseball mitt, the catcher has additional padding that protects the lower forearm, wrist, palm, fingers and thumb. It also has a deeper pocket. The catcher could possibly be the most important piece of equipment for a goalie. When choosing a goalie catcher glove; the catchers fit, pocket and angles of taper are extremely important.
The arm and body pad, or the chest and arm protector is used to protect the chest, shoulders, arms and collarbone of the goalie from the force of the speeding puck. This pad is worn under the hockey jersey and has become more protective since the earlier days when it was comparatively much smaller and less protective. The arm and body pad protects the body from injuries and is a crucial piece of equipment.
The jock is a protective gear that is used to protect the goalie's pelvic area. Though it uses the same internal plastic cup, a jock offers more protection than the common jockstrap. Modern jocks are made of two cups to provide additional protection. They have padding on the internal plastic cup and also from the top if the cup to the waist.
The goaltenders leg pads are specially designed to protect the legs and the knees. The earlier hockey goalie pads were adapted from cricket pads. Over the years the design of the leg pads has undergone a significant development. The Box type pads have become popular since 2000.
The helmet and mask helps to protect the player's face during the game. The early masks were made from fiberglass and molded in the form of a face. Later the bird-cage models became widely popular. The modern masks have large cutouts in the eyes and nose section which is covered with steel or titanium cage.
The goaltenders pants look similar to the ones worn by the forwards and defensemen, with the difference that the goaltenders pants are heavily padded from the front and the sides. There is also tailbone protection incorporated in the rear of the pants.
The skates used by the goalie are different from those used by the other players. The goalies skates have blades that are longer, wider, and flatter, which provides more stability. The blades are made of carbon steel and not from stainless steel.
A goaltender uses a specially designed hockey stick that has a 3? inch blade. The lower shaft or the paddle is widened in order to provide additional blocking surface. The goalie hockey stick is generally made of wood, but some modern sticks use graphite and fiberglass reinforcements, while the paddle and the blades are injected with foam in order to make them light.
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