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Columbus Blue Jackets: Sergei Bobrovsky Joins in Gear Complaints

By Lansing Murphy

COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 23: Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky #72 and Brandon Dubinsky #17 of the Columbus Blue Jackets take the ice for pregame warmups prior to Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Washington Capitals during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 23, 2018 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 23: Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky #72 and Brandon Dubinsky #17 of the Columbus Blue Jackets take the ice for pregame warmups prior to Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Washington Capitals during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 23, 2018 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Columbus Blue Jackets net-minder joins other goalies in complaints about new, smaller goalie gear.

Tonight the Columbus Blue Jackets will have their two time Vezina trophy winner in net against the Philadelphia Flyers. Sergei Bobrovsky will face 30 to 40 shots going anywhere from 70 to 100 miles per hour and hope to use anything and everything to keep the puck out of the net.

This year that almost impossible task has become even tougher for goalies with the implementation of new NHL rules that make goalie’s protective gear smaller. The rationale is that with technological improvements, goalie gear can be just as safe, but smaller to allow for an increase in scoring.

This year scoring is up so far but the gear may not be as safe. As reported by Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch, Sergei Bobrovsky is joining in the growing group of NHL goalies who think the new rules on gear are a safety issue.

Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets /

Columbus Blue Jackets

Bob complained about the gear before the Florida game and yet again on Wednesday to Mr. Hedger. When asked about the gear, Bob said,

"It’s all right if they want to make more goals or stuff like that, but when they cut out the protection from you, it’s a bad thing."

A big area of complaint is how much they have cut down on the thickness of the arm-pads and chest protector. It is leaving noticeably more bruises on arms according to Bob, and about a dozen other NHL goalies that have spoke out early in the season.

I have never been hit by a piece of vulcanized rubber going 90 MPH but I would want as much padding as possible if I was every put in that situation. But the league is trying to increase scoring and, in year’s past, certain goalies had a ridiculous amount of unnecessary padding.

The Path to Bob Becoming the Backup. dark. Next

The league may have gone a half step too far in the other direction though with these new rules. But I suspect once the scoring rates drop, which they inevitably will, that the complaints will decrease. I’m sure there are a few more bruises but the biggest bruises are to the ego’s of goalies as they see their goals against averages way up to start the season.

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