For All the Goalie Fans Out There

Recently on The Rat Trick, I shared my story about my experiences with José Theodore . That piece shows the position of goalie is by far my favorite on the ice. Goalies were the first players I noticed when I started watching hockey, and it has been a love affair ever since. I must admit one of the first things I noticed might seem a bit superficial (their masks), but that was quickly followed by the skill and mental toughness that the position requires.

Not long after my appreciation of goalies started, I began a blog called I Love Goalies. I focused on masks of NHL goalies, but I also shared articles and photos about other aspects of the position. I am a librarian, so researching, gathering, and sharing information are second nature for me. In this, my first piece for Too Many Men on the Site, I would like to share some of my favorite places around the internet to keep informed about what is going on with the goalies that I love so much.

InGoal Magazine is one of my favorites, by far. They provide articles about the goalies, the gear they wear, and the artists who paint their masks. They also provide instructional pieces for readers who play the position themselves. And one of the more fun things they do is periodically publish a Q&A with a professional goalie called “Ask a Pro.” They allow InGoal subscribers to submit questions to ask the goalie, and they choose a few questions from those submitted. (And by the way, it is free to subscribe. You just submit your e-mail address.)

The Goalie Guild is actually a scouting service. Much of the information is available for free, and premium (paying) members get in-depth scouting reports and other exclusive material. It is a very nominal fee that they ask for the extra content. Their mission statement is as follows: To advance and enhance your understanding of the goaltending position through a wide variety of free and premium scouting services. 

For someone like me, the premium price was well worth it just to get the NHL Goaltenders Style Guide. They also keep readers updated on the pads and other gear the pros are using. This includes an NHL Depth Chart, Padstracker, Masktracker (although this has not been updated for this season) and an analysis of the Top 150 Prospects.

I also enjoy the Goalie Crease Network . This site is different from the previous two in that it includes a forum, so it is more interactive than the others. Many of its members are goalies themselves (recreational mostly), so there are all sorts of discussions about playing the position. But there is also plenty of information for those of us who do not play and instead enjoy watching others play.

And lastly, in what some might consider a shameless plug, I would like to mention my I Love Goalies! blog. Seventy-five percent of my blog focuses on the masks the goalies wear, but as I stated earlier, there are other articles and photos. For the past two seasons I have made an entry for every goalie that plays at least a few games in the NHL. I gather as much information as I can about the masks, including who painted them. I post in-game photos of the goalies and close-ups of the masks when possible. And I organize these entries in my “index“. The players are listed alphabetically by team, therefore if a reader is only looking for one particular mask, they do not have to wade through all the entries to find the one they want.

I hope those of you who are fans of goalies appreciate the information I have shared and find it useful.

Thanks for reading. We welcome your comments.