Changes in equipment can be uncomfortable for an NHL goalie, one of sports' ultimate creatures of habit. But the league's latest tweak to goalie gear has them feeling hurt, quite literally.
"You honestly don't want to get hit in the arm. It leaves bruises," Dallas Stars goalie Ben Bishop told ESPN this week. "It's like wearing a shin guard on your arm, and the pucks are coming 100 mph. It hurts."
At issue are the new chest protectors mandated by the NHL, in conjunction with the NHLPA, for the 2018-19 season. The overall size of the chest protector wasn't changed, but they reduced the size of the shoulders by about an inch, making them more formfitting, while also streamlining the padding around the goaltender's arms.