Goaltender

Because of the power of shots, the goaltender wears special equipment to protect the body from direct impact.

[2] Goaltenders are one of the most important players on the ice, as their performance may greatly impact the outcome or score of the game.

One-on-one situations, such as breakaways and shootouts, have the tendency to showcase a goaltender's pure skill, or lack thereof.

However the defensive disadvantage that follows means that this strategy is normally used purely as a desperation maneuver when needing to score late in a game.

The goaltender is also known as the goalie,[3] goaler,[4] goalkeeper,[4] net minder, tendy, and tender by those involved in the hockey community.

An example is the 1982–83 New York Islanders with Billy Smith and Roland Melanson; Melanson was named to the NHL second All-Star team for his regular season play while Smith won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP and both players shared the William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed.

The goaltender normally plays in or near the goal crease the entire game, an area marked in front of the net, unlike the other positions where players are on ice for shifts and make frequent line changes.

During a game in 1995, future Hall-of-Famer Patrick Roy, playing for the Montreal Canadiens at the time, was infamously kept in net by then-head coach Mario Tremblay.

Roy perceived this as a means of "humiliation," as he had allowed nine goals on 26 shots to that point, and the crowd in Montreal sarcastically applauded him after making an easy save.

At any time in any game, a team may remove its goaltender from the ice in favor of an extra attacker (a process colloquially known as "pulling the goalie").

Obviously, if the opposing team does manage to advance the puck out of their own defensive zone, it becomes much easier to score an empty net goal.

Thus, pulling the goalie is often used as an end-of-game desperation measure by losing teams, done in an attempt to quickly score a tying goal with the aid of a sixth attacker.

The Solar Bears and South Carolina Stingrays were tied in points with the Solar Bears needing a win in either regulation or overtime to clinch the final South Division playoff berth, while the Stingrays led the Florida Everblades, 3-2, late in the third period.

[a] Goaltenders often use a particular style, but in general they make saves any way they can: catching the puck with their glove hand, deflecting the shot with their stick, blocking it with their leg pads or blocker or another part of their body, or collapsing to butterfly position to block any low shot coming, especially in close proximity.

If there is immediate pressure from the opposing team, a goaltender may choose to hold on to the puck (for a second or more, with judgment from the referee) to stop play for a face-off.

Goaltender equipment, techniques and skills have evolved over the years, dramatically improving their effectiveness altering the dynamics of the game.

While standing, a stand-up goaltender can remain square to the puck and adjust his positioning to ensure that he is covering as much of the net as possible at all times.

The main disadvantage of the stand-up style, however, is a susceptibility to shots travelling along the bottom half of the net.

Early innovators of this style were goaltending greats Glenn Hall and Tony Esposito who played during the 50s-60s and 70s-80s, respectively.

Some goaltenders who do this effectively are Ryan Miller, Jaroslav Halák, Jimmy Howard, Tuukka Rask, Carey Price and formerly Evgeni Nabokov and Martin Brodeur.

However, teams may legally pull the goalie by substituting in a normal skater and taking the goaltender off the ice.

A back-up may be forced into duty at any time to relieve the starting goaltender in the event of an injury or poor game performance.

The back-up will also be called upon to start some games to give the starter the opportunity to rest from game-play during the season.

[28] Those on a team's emergency list are given free attendance to home games they are assigned and may also help out as a practice goalie.

[27][29] If activated for a game, most emergency goaltenders only dress to sit on the bench, as a team's normal back-up takes over; only six emergency goalies (David Ayres, Scott Foster, Jorge Alves, Thomas Hodges, Matt Berlin, Jett Alexander)[30] have ever seen recorded playing time in an NHL game.

[31][32] During the Stanley Cup playoffs, roster limits are relaxed and teams routinely recall minor league players (known as "black aces") to act as depth, resulting in playoff EBUGs being minor league professionals rather than local amateurs.

(If a goaltender does shoot the puck into the net from any location that is past the center line, the goal does not count.)

Damian Rhodes and José Théodore are the only goaltenders in NHL history to score a goal in which they also had a shutout game.

Evgeni Nabokov of the San Jose Sharks was the first goaltender to score a power play goal.