NHL superstars claim to be covered in bruises due to equipment change.

NHL stars speak out.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 5 years ago
NHL superstars claim to be covered in bruises due to equipment change.
Daniel Lea/CSM/Zuma

In recent years the National Hockey League has made significant changes to the rules of their game in a very open effort to increase the amount of goal scoring across the league as a whole. If this season is any indication it appears that their efforts may have proven effective thus far, however it appears that not everyone is necessarily happy about the changes.

Among those changes have been the significant downsizing of goaltending equipment. The league significantly decreased the size of pads, a change that I believe most probably felt had to be made, and although there was some grumbling about that from goaltenders it never comes up in the modern NHL anymore. That being said though we continue to hear complaints about the league's changes to the rest of the goaltending equipment and a recent report from Le Journal De Montreal's Jonathan Bernier has revealed some rather damning comments from some of the league's top stars in that regard. 

Bernier spoke with CCM goaltending representative CCM Hugo Hamelin, a man who handles the goaltending equipment for 17 of the NHL's current teams and a man who travels around the league during the season, and Hamelin told him point blank that what he has seen around the league this season simply does not make any sense

Translated from French:

"Pekke Rinne sent me photos on which you can see bruises all over his body," said Hamelin as per Bernier's report. "Bruises that he did not normally have."

Now obviously everyone loves more goal scoring and I do think that there were some clear abuses when it comes to the size of goaltending equipment around the league, but I refuse to believe that hockey fans want to see some of their favorite players suffering in such a manner. It would be one thing if Pekka Rinne was the only example we had, even though the man himself did not comment publicly for Bernier's story, but he is far from it.

"I have the same thing. I have a bunch on my arms and shoulders," said Montreal Canadiens superstar Carey Price I think it's a general trend across the league. At this moment it's out reality."

"There are tons of problems with the new equipment," said Calgary Flames goaltender Mike Smith. "I hope that the league is done reducing the goaltending equipment. Someone will lend up getting hurt. In fact it's already happened."

"It's getting better," said Las Vegas Golden Knights star Marc Andre Fleury before adding "but at the start of the season, it hurt. Especially my upper arms."

"There are constant complaints," said Edmonton Oilers goalie Cam Talbot. "And it's not coming from just one our two goaltenders"

"The League needs to understand that it's a totally different sport," said New York Rangers star Henrik Lundqvist. "We are at a point where wrist shots are as hard as slapshots used to be.  We've reached a point where there has to be a limit. It's enough!"

These are some of the biggest names in the sport speaking out against the current equipment change, and they appear to be doing so out of concern for their person well being rather than any concern for their individual statistics. You can bet if this issue is not resolved before the next collective bargaining agreement NHL goaltenders with a lot of sway will be demanding those changes.

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