Report: NHL goalie proposes very interesting rule change.

One NHL goalie believes the NHL is in need of a rule change and it's hard to argue with his point of view. New Jersey Devils' #1 goaltender Cory Schneider believes that implementation of the new three on three overtime rule should result in the implementation of a new statistical category for the league.

It’s going to be interesting for the goalies,”  said Schneider via ESPN's Joe McDonald. “I was a passenger during that discussion. I suggested a side category where a goalie’s 3-on-3 stats could be hidden away and not put into your main stats, because it’s going to be tough. There’s so much talent in the NHL and sometimes 5-on-5 opens up, but 3-on-3 is going to open up and fans are really going to love it. It’s going to be up and down the ice. It’s going to be hard for us goalies, so we’re going to have to be really sharp and ready to go.”

Essentially Schneider believes that three on three is so drastically different from the normal five on five regulation hockey that much like in the shoot out the stats should be kept separate. Schneider also touched on the possibility of changes to goalie equipment, and he stated as long as the changes are reasonable and the goalies remain protected, he has no objection to a change, and in fact he understands the motivation t odo so.

"It's a relevant point," Schneider told ESPN.com. "As long as everyone is doing it then it shouldn't really have an impact. You should move up and down if everyone is doing the same thing. I'm very progressive and other guys may not be. I think we should all be on the same playing field doing the same thing and let the talent win out. If you're talented, can move around the net and stop pucks, those are the guys that should be in the league. Not to say there are guys who aren't like that because everyone is an incredible goalie, but you have guys now that at 6-foot-5, 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7 and the net stays the same size. I can see why there's a push to make an adjustment. "Again, it's without compromising safety or the integrity of the game to a certain point. We should be protected and anything in excess of that is not necessarily needed, so we'll work with [the league] but there are goalies to think about and we'll do what's in their best interest, too."

Do you agree with Schneider? It's hard to argue against the man, he makes some very good points. Image courtesy Key Stone Press.