Goalie size?

This may be a really stupid question. However, a friend and I were discussing how the Cornell goalies have tended to be smaller than the other guys on the team. Is there any kind of limit on the size of a goalie? It seems like it would be advantageous to get the largest goalie you could (even if mobility was limited), pad them up the same as a normal-sized goalie, and position them to block the entire goal.

Like I said, dumb question, but is it possible?

las224
This may be a really stupid question. However, a friend and I were discussing how the Cornell goalies have tended to be smaller than the other guys on the team. Is there any kind of limit on the size of a goalie? It seems like it would be advantageous to get the largest goalie you could (even if mobility was limited), pad them up the same as a normal-sized goalie, and position them to block the entire goal.

Like I said, dumb question, but is it possible?

I'm certain there is no size limit, but it isn't as big an advantage as you may think. Speed, reactions, flexibility, and overall mobility are all very important. Much more so than wedging some fat-ass into the pipes (see Peanut Butter Wilson) being able to cover the 5-hole is a very big deal.

las224
Like I said, dumb question, but is it possible?

The net is 6 feet wide and 4 feet tall. If you can find someone who's dimensions are anywhere close to that who can get on skates, nevermind get out of bed, good for you.

There were a few games in the NCAAs with 6"+ goalies versus guys who were 5'7"/5'8. (keep in mind, this is only 6-8 inches or so of difference out of 70ish inches. And, if I'm not mistaken, the smaller goalies won most of those. Being a good goalie is more more about movement, positioning, and reaction time than about size.

A big goalie can take more of a pounding in close, even if the goalie is supposed to be untouchable. He can move attacking skaters out of the way more readily. Fewer shots go over his shoulder for a goal.

In youth hockey, there are probably a lot of really small and really big goalies because these are the kids who are dying to play but are too small or too gawky to take a pounding at the skating positions. Used to also be the chubby fellows who were goaltenders; same reason. But that's more youth and rec hockey. The beer commercial aside (the goalie so husky he filled the net), if you're not in shape to play hockey, you're not in shape to play goal, either.

Cornell may be biased in favor of big goalies dating back to the late 1960s.

DeltaOne81

las224
Like I said, dumb question, but is it possible?

The net is 6 feet wide and 4 feet tall. If you can find someone who's dimensions are anywhere close to that who can get on skates, nevermind get out of bed, good for you.

There were a few games in the NCAAs with 6"+ goalies versus guys who were 5'7"/5'8. (keep in mind, this is only 6-8 inches or so of difference out of 70ish inches. And, if I'm not mistaken, the smaller goalies won most of those. Being a good goalie is more more about movement, positioning, and reaction time than about size.

Just this past March in the regional finals, Maine's Ben Bishop (6' 5'') went up againt MSU's Jeff Lerg (5' 6". Bishop won the game (though both only let up 4 goals), but Lerg had a much better season statistically [www.uscho.com]

billhoward
Cornell may be biased in favor of big goalies dating back to the late 1960s.

But remember it was the Little Kid who won it all in '70.

ninian '72

billhoward
Cornell may be biased in favor of big goalies dating back to the late 1960s.

But remember it was the Little Kid who won it all in '70.

Huh? Carlo Ugolini was just a freshman in '70. (Ugolini is the size prototype for Topher Scott. Ugolini may also have been the only Cornell player in history to argue for an assist on a penalty shot.)

ninian '72

billhoward
Cornell may be biased in favor of big goalies dating back to the late 1960s.

But remember it was the Little Kid who won it all in '70.

What are you talking about? We all know Ken Dryden was the goalie on the 1970 team.

billhoward

Huh? Carlo Ugolini was just a freshman in '70. (Ugolini is the size prototype for Topher Scott. Ugolini may also have been the only Cornell player in history to argue for an assist on a penalty shot.)

Ugolini was probably a legit 5' 8", making him a lot bigger than Topher. And re the assist thing, are you sure you're not confusing him with John Fumio. I went to almost every freshman game in '69-'70, and, if he was on the ice, Fumio would invariably go over to the scorekeeper and try to talk his way into an assist, even when he was stealing it from a teammate.

Actually I've sometimes wondered... is there any sort of restriction at all? Like, does the goalie have to be able to skate without help? Cause every once in a while we see these 600 lb guys on Jerry Springer or whatever who can't even get out of their bed without help. I wonder if there'd be anything wrong (from rule standpoint, ethics and all that aside) from having the team just drag them into the crease, tuck them in so that they take up the whole goal, and then just skate up with 5 forwards cause there's literally no part of the net that isn't grossly plugged up with folds of flab.

I feel like I'm going to go to hell just for suggesting the mental image.

straight to hell for you... though that was funny...

jkahn

billhoward

Huh? Carlo Ugolini was just a freshman in '70. (Ugolini is the size prototype for Topher Scott. Ugolini may also have been the only Cornell player in history to argue for an assist on a penalty shot.)

Ugolini was probably a legit 5' 8", making him a lot bigger than Topher. And re the assist thing, are you sure you're not confusing him with John Fumio. I went to almost every freshman game in '69-'70, and, if he was on the ice, Fumio would invariably go over to the scorekeeper and try to talk his way into an assist, even when he was stealing it from a teammate.

My girlfriend at Cornell was sorority sisters with Carlo's future wife so that practically made us related ... but it was Carlo not John who used to say, "I got pimped by the ref" when he only gave out one assist on the Cornell goal and Carlo had at least one leg over the boards during the play.

Fumio got screwed once that many Lynah veterans recall. It went somewhat if not exactly like this: On a key play, like the tying goal agaisnt Harvard, or maybe it was just the sixth goal in a non-leaguer against Macalister, Fumio was pushed, fell, the puck hit his stick, hit his face, took out a couple teeth, and bounced into the goal for the tying (or seventh) goal against Harvard (or Little Sisters of the Poor) and it was ruled a high stick. No Cornell fan thought it was a high stick, and if you lose two teeth scoring, that means you've only got 16 total goals like that, max, in your career. Fumio deserved the goal.

Wonder where Fumio is now. Ugolini I believe played a couple years in the pros, got married, settled down, and ran a sporting goods store in Michigan. Fumio had some academic issues throughout his career. Wasn't he a French major in the Arts college - which if you think about it, isn't that tough for a kid growing up in mandatory bilingual Canada.

That would be a good time waster for us waiting for the 2006-07 opening faceoff - a where are they now for every Cornell player since Laing Kennedy.

billhoward

jkahn

billhoward

Huh? Carlo Ugolini was just a freshman in '70. (Ugolini is the size prototype for Topher Scott. Ugolini may also have been the only Cornell player in history to argue for an assist on a penalty shot.)

Ugolini was probably a legit 5' 8", making him a lot bigger than Topher. And re the assist thing, are you sure you're not confusing him with John Fumio. I went to almost every freshman game in '69-'70, and, if he was on the ice, Fumio would invariably go over to the scorekeeper and try to talk his way into an assist, even when he was stealing it from a teammate.

My girlfriend at Cornell was sorority sisters with Carlo's future wife so that practically made us related ... but it was Carlo not John who used to say, "I got pimped by the ref" when he only gave out one assist on the Cornell goal and Carlo had at least one leg over the boards during the play.

I was friendly with a few of the frosh hockey players that year. We even used to use the expression "he got Fumioed out of that assist" based upon Fumio's penchant for claiming he touched the puck or claiming he deflected it on its way to the goal. This would happen several times a game, as the freshman team would score 20 goals. Perhaps, based on what you've said above, Carlo picked up the habit from John.
Speaking of Ugolini, he once scored 4 goals in a freshmen game in 51 seconds. Two of them were unassisted, where he won the faceoff to himself, split the defense and scored.

billhoward

... Wonder where Fumio is now. ... Fumio had some academic issues throughout his career. ...

That would be a good time waster for us waiting for the 2006-07 opening faceoff - a where are they now for every Cornell player since Laing Kennedy.

Have at it...
[directory.alumni.cornell.edu]

Personal Information
Name: Mr John Fumio
Address:

Cornell University Academic Career
Preferred Class Year: 73
Degree: AB
Year: 74
School: Arts & Sciences

ftyuv
every once in a while we see these 600 lb guys on Jerry Springer or whatever who can't even get out of their bed without help. I wonder if there'd be anything wrong (from rule standpoint, ethics and all that aside) from having the team just drag them into the crease, tuck them in so that they take up the whole goal, and then just skate up with 5 forwards cause there's literally no part of the net that isn't grossly plugged up with folds of flab.

One problem is that it usually takes those guys 40 years of beer, Pringles, and TV to get to fighting weight. You would have to specifically raise your goalie from birth in order to reach those dimensions. Free range won't work.

You're not just recalling the beer commercial, are you? As a practical matter, the widest a goal could be is, what, 3 or 3-1/2 feet? That's still an awful lot of exposed net. Against Wisconsin, McKee was effectively 5-3/4 feet wide most of the game.

ftyuv
Actually I've sometimes wondered... is there any sort of restriction at all? Like, does the goalie have to be able to skate without help? Cause every once in a while we see these 600 lb guys on Jerry Springer or whatever who can't even get out of their bed without help. I wonder if there'd be anything wrong (from rule standpoint, ethics and all that aside) from having the team just drag them into the crease, tuck them in so that they take up the whole goal, and then just skate up with 5 forwards cause there's literally no part of the net that isn't grossly plugged up with folds of flab.

I feel like I'm going to go to hell just for suggesting the mental image.

That was exactly what my friend and I were thinking when the question arose, but we couldn't think of a PC way to put it

Trotsky

ftyuv
every once in a while we see these 600 lb guys on Jerry Springer or whatever who can't even get out of their bed without help. I wonder if there'd be anything wrong (from rule standpoint, ethics and all that aside) from having the team just drag them into the crease, tuck them in so that they take up the whole goal, and then just skate up with 5 forwards cause there's literally no part of the net that isn't grossly plugged up with folds of flab.

One problem is that it usually takes those guys 40 years of beer, Pringles, and TV to get to fighting weight. You would have to specifically raise your goalie from birth in order to reach those dimensions. Free range won't work.

As long as we make sure he still has his eligibility at age 40, I don't see any problems with that

Five hole low. Or does the fat on the thighs hang to the ice.

cth95
Five hole low. Or does the fat on the thighs hang to the ice.

Presumably the fat does drop to the ice. And he still gets gear - just put a piece of equipment in front of him. The rolls of fat will be too hard to identify for anyone to argue it isn't in the right place.

las224
That was exactly what my friend and I were thinking when the question arose, but we couldn't think of a PC way to put it

Neither could I

cth95
Five hole low. Or does the fat on the thighs hang to the ice.

The type of goalie I'm thinking of will be too large to stand up enough for there even to be a five-hole. I'm thinking something along the lines of, they look for the goalie and find Jabba the Hutt with a helmet.