Goalies not happy with new chest protectors

TORONTO Certain members of the NHL’s goalie fraternity have voiced their displeasure with the league’s move to shrink chest protectors this season.

Safety — more than a few netminders have complained about increased bruising — and the fairness of the switch are among the concerns raised.

The league’s 31 general managers touched on the matter at their meeting Tuesday, but executive vice-president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell said they had no issues with the change to date.

“We did discuss the fact that some goalies were complaining,” Campbell said. “In some instances, the complaints went with their performances.”

Among the grievances from some netminders is the new padding doesn’t provide the same protection, especially on the arms or shoulders.

“There are forwards and there are defencemen that get bruises when they get hit with 100-mile-an-hour shots,” Campbell said. “We brought that to the GMs’ attention. They had no concern with it.”

What the league is monitoring, however, is emotional outbursts from netminders directed towards officials.

“We did address the fact we’re not going to tolerate goalies not being happy with calls,” Campbell said. “We’re getting a few goalies banging their sticks.”

Campbell said goalies are also putting pressure on coaches to challenge calls when they feel they’ve been impeded, but added the NHL war room in Toronto that handles video review stays with the on-ice ruling roughly 80 per cent of the time.

With the direct aim of increasing scoring, the league has moved to shrink goalie pads and pants in recent years, while chest protectors were reduced this season.

“There’s no war on goalies,” Campbell. “The big takeaway today is we’re concerned about the goalies. We addressed a lot of their concerns. They’re important to their team. “Don’t get the goalies mad at me.” GMs have made a number of recommendations regarding rule changes at similar meetings in the past — head shots, coaches challenges etc. — but Tuesday was believed to be the first time in 15 at least years that no suggestions on altering the game were made.