The Many Pads of Rick DiPietro

When it comes to goaltenders, there seems to be a lot of times during the season where goalies will switch their pads. Most of the time, it's due to the impact their original set of pads taking so much punishment from pucks, that they need to get better protection. Other times, it's their pad company wanting to roll out their new style of pads for next season.

Most of the time, it's a small change and not many people will not notice it. Yet, for some times, it's beyond noticeable and could be made for fodder by some people silly enough to actually take it and point it out.

Enter Rick DiPietro. DiPietro has played 307 games since he came into the NHL in during the 2000-01 season. This included the combined 39 games he has played in the past three seasons. Yet, in those games-- as well as games played for Team USA in International competition for the World Cup and World Championships-- DiPietro has had a numerous amount of pad changes.

Of course, I'm just talking about a quick Google Image Search, but 26 different sets of pads have been used by DiPietro, by my count. Some times, it's small changes-- other times, the changes are very drastic and noticeable because of the Islanders' colors of blue and orange, with DiPietro utilizing those colors to the utmost. Of the 26 pictures, 24 of him during his Islanders tenures (two from Team USA) and if you do the math, he changes pads almost every 12 games (which I'm sure is wrong by dividing 307 by 24) . That's almost three sets of pad changes for his nine years in the NHL.

However, because I don't want you kids to do all the research-- here's the slideshow of the pads that DiPietro has used over his years-- enjoy.

Of course, the credits varies by picture and because Google Image Search is what I used-- so I couldn't really give proper credit. If you see a picture of yours and want the credit-- drop it in the comments and I'll go ahead and give you the credit. AND-- if you had anymore, please feel free to send me a link to those pads.

I don't know what the purpose of this whole drill was, but I just found it interesting about the frequency that DiPietro changes pads and how drastic he goes ahead and changes them willy-nilly; but it's August and we need some kind of filler with all of this.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Dave Dryden

It's hard to play in the shadow of a more famous brother, especially if he's younger. Hard to make it into the NHL and stick, as well. However, this week's AGM overcame both of these task and even went so far as revolutionizing the game for modern day goalies, plus jump-started the pro-career of the best in the game. This week, the profile of Dave Dryden.

Dryden started his career in Junior B with the Aurora Bears in the 1958-59 season, playing in 48 games with three shutouts and a 3.52 GAA for the season. Moving up to the St. Michael's Majors in 1959-60, Dryden would play in 12 games behind Gerry Cheevers that season, then 18 games the next season. Dryden was on the roster for the St. Mike's Memorial Cup championship in the 1961 tournament. The 1961-62 season had Dryden move to the Toronto Marlboros, where he would play 32 games, finishing with a 17-8-6 record, with three shutouts-- then going 7-5 in the OHA playoffs. His play afforded Dryden the chance to play one game in the AHL with the Rochester Americans (no decision) and a call-up to the NHL with the New York Rangers, which would result in a loss.

After his junior career, Dryden would have to play with senior hockey in the OHA, as there weren't many jobs in the NHL. In the 1962-63 and 1963-64 season, Dryden tended goal for the Galt Terriers-- playing in 79 games over two season, with two shutouts in that time-span and a 3.99 GAA. The 1964-65 season would see Dryden play with the Galt Hornets, playing in 35 games before received a call-up to the AHL's Buffalo Bisons, playing in four games, winning all four and compiling a 1.50 GAA.

Dryden got a chance in the NHL again, getting signed by the Chicago Blackhawks for the 1965-66 season, playing in 11 games and going 3-4-1 in those games. However, with Glenn Hall there, Dryden would be sent down to the CPHL's St. Louis Braves for the 1966-67 season, going 17-17-14 in 48 games that season. However, due to expansion, Dryden would be back with the Hawks for the 1967-68 season, playing in 27 games behind Denis DeJordy and going 7-8-5. The 1968-69 season saw Dryden get a small increase in games, playing in 30 and racking up a 11-11-2 record in those games. Yet, with the arrival of Tony Esposito in the 1969-70 season, Dryden was relegated to the Dallas Black Hawks of the Central League, playing in two games, losing both; as he was suspended because of his refusal to report at first.

Hope was almost running out, as Dryden would be playing with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the Western League at the start of the 1970-71 season, where he would play in 8 games and go 1-6-0. However, thanks to the expansion era, Dryden got new life in the NHL, with the Buffalo Sabres picking him up to play for them. He would get in 10 games that season, going 3-3-0, allowing himself some back-up time to start with in Buffalo.

During that 1970-71 season, Dryden was hoping to get to play against the Montreal Canadiens, where his younger brother Ken was playing. On March 20, 1971-- the game was to happen, but the Canadiens started Rogie Vachon over Ken Dryden; so the Sabres played Joe Daley over Dave. However, Vachon got hurt, with allowed Ken to play-- to which, Sabres coach Punch Imlach immediately replaced Daley with Dave-- marking the first (and only) time two brothers have faced off against each other in goal in a NHL game. After the Canadiens won, the Drydens met at center ice and shook hands in a sign of respect.

Dave Dryden would be back in Buffalo in the 1971-72 season, playing in 20 games and going 3-9-5. However, Dryden started to come out of his shell in the 1972-73 season, playing in 37 games and putting together a 14-13-7 record, but going 0-2 in the playoffs. The starting role of the Sabres would go to Dryden in the 1973-74 season; playing in 53 games and finishing with a solid 23-20-8 record with a stellar 2.97 GAA.

As Dryden's stock was on the rise, the WHA came calling with the Chicago Cougars plucking Dryden away from the NHL for the 1974-75 season, going 18-26-1 in 46 games with the Cougars. The new Edmonton Oilers would claim Dryden in the WHA Dispersal Draft, as he would take the starting gig in Edmonton, going 22-34-5 in 62 games of the 1975-76 season. It would be a topsy-turvy 1976-77 season for Dryden, playing in 24 games with Edmonton, going 10-13-0 for this troubles. However, Dryden would be traded to the New England Whalers in January 1977, but refused to report to the Whalers and subsequently suspended. Dryden's refusal paid off, as the Whalers traded him back to Edmonton in September of 1977, and Dryden would going 21-23-2 for the 1977-78 season.

It was a banner year for Dryden in the 1978-79 season, for good and bad reasons. Of course, the WHA was the starting point for Wayne Gretzky, who scored his first professional goal in the WHA on Dryden-- when Gretzky was part of the Indianapolis Racers. Gretzky would then be dealt to the Oilers, which helped Dryden's career season-- as he would go 41-17-2 for the powerhouse Oilers, even though they would lose in the AVCO Cup finals. That season, Dryden won the Ben Hatskin Trophy for Best Goaltender, as well as the Gordie Howe Trophy for WHA MVP of the season.

The Oilers would move over to the NHL for the 1979-80 season, but Dryden almost didn't make the trip over. The Buffalo Sabres claimed Dryden prior to the Oilers' Expansion Draft, but the Oilers reclaimed him as a priority selection in the Draft. Yet, Dryden would only see 14 games, with a 2-7-3 record in those games before retiring.

However, before he retired; Dryden created an innovation in goaltending equipment, which would be a godsend for today's keepers. Dryden created the first fiberglass mask with a cage; which was a primitive look at what we see today in the NHL. It provided full protection to the head, while allowing a clear sight with the cage element to it.

After retiring, Dryden would go to coach the OHL's Peterborough Petes for two seasons, then being the goaltending coach of the Detroit Red Wings for the 1983-84 season. Currently, Dryden is the chairman for Sleeping Children Around the World, a charity providing bed kits and clothing to children in developing nations. This charity was started by Dryden's father, Murray.

While he had to live in the shadow of his overly successful brother, Dave carved a niche out for himself in a solid fashion. He was never put into the most flattering positions, the fact he stuck it out through the lean years and actually knew where he wanted to be and not accepting anything less, he showed the winning instinct that seemed to be a family trait, regardless of personal achievement.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Jean-Claude Bergeron

There are few times were one of the AGMs hits their stride after their junior career....but here we are. This week, the AGM in question really got noticed for his days in the minors while playing later in his career than his junior and early years in minor league hockey. This week, the career of Jean-Claude Bergeron.

Bergeron first came busting on the scene in the QMJHL with the Shawinigan Cataractes in the 1985-86 season as a back-up, going 13-16-1 in 33 games. The 1986-87 season saw Bergeron start off with Shawinigan for 11 games with a 5-4-1 record before he was dealt to the very defensively inept Verdun Jr. Canadiens, where he would take over the starting role. He would play 41 games with Verdun with an 11-28-1 record to end out the year. Back in Verdun for the 1987-88 season, where it wouldn't get much better with a 13-31-3 record in 49 games, giving up 265 goals behind that horrific defense. Yet, even with those numbers, the Montreal Canadiens would pick up Bergeron in the 5th round of the 1988 Draft. The worse of the Verdun years would be in the 1988-89 season, as Bergeron would play 44 games and record an abysmal 8-34-1 record.

There would be a reprive with Bergeron during that '88-'89 season, as he would move to the AHL's Sherbrooke Canadiens for five games and put up a 4-1-0 record. In his first pro season of 1989-90, Bergeron would see plenty of ice time; playing in 40 games while compiling a record of 21-8-7, while going 6-2 in nine playoff games. Bergeron would be named to the AHL's First All-Star Team and share the Hap Holmes Trophy with tandem partner Andre Racicot for least goals-against, in addition to his Baz Bastien Trophy win for Outstanding Goaltender of the year.

Bergeron would start out the 1990-91 season with the Montreal Canadiens on their French Tour, going 1-0-0 in two games, then would spend 18 games with Montreal, splitting between the beginning and ending of the season, going 7-6-2. During the middle of the year, he would head to Fredericton; the new home of the Habs AHL affiliate, playing 18 games with a 12-6-0 record, then going 5-5 in 10 playoff games. In 1991-92, Bergeron would start out with Fredericton and would play 18 games, but his 5-7-1 record would get him sent to the IHL's Peoria Rivermen, where he would play 27 games, finishing with a 14-9-3 record, while going 3-3 in six playoff games.

During the summer of 1992, Bergeron would be traded by Montreal to the expansion Tampa Bay Lightning for Frederic Chabot. That 1992-93 season would see play third string behind former AGMs Pat Jablonski and Wendell Young; but he would get 21 games in with a 8-10-1 record. With another goaltending acquisition, Bergeron would play most of the 1993-94 season with the IHL's Atlanta Knights, playing in 48 games with a stellar 27-11-3 record, then going 1-1 in two playoff games, as he would be a part of the Turner Cup champion team. Bergeron would share the James Norris Trophy with Mike Greenlay for fewest goals-against during the year. Bergeron would get three games of call-up in the '93-'94 season, going 1-1-1.

The 1994-95 season had Bergeron start off in Atlanta while the NHL lockout was going on, playing in six games with a 3-3-0 record. As the lockout ended, Bergeron was called-up to the Tampa Bay Lightning to get in 17 games of action during the shorten season with a 3-9-1 record. Bergeron would start off in Tampa in the 1995-96 season, but would only spend 12 games (2-6-2) before being sent down to Atlanta. With Atlanta, Bergeron would get in 25 games, but not fare as well as he did years prior, going 9-10-3.

Bergeron would sign with the Los Angeles Kings for the 1996-97, but would be sent to the IHL's Phoenix Roadrunners for the bulk of the season. With the Roadrunners, Bergeron would see 42 games in net, ending the year with an 11-19-2 record. Bergeron would see one game with the Kings, losing said game.

Bergeron would take a year off before resurfacing in the Quebec Semi-Pro League, playing for the Joliette Blizzard in the 1998-99 season, going 12-1-1 in 15 games, then going 9-2 in 11 playoff games, helping the Blizzard capture the QSPHL crown. Bergeron would return for 13 more games in the 1999-2000 season, going 8-5-0 before hanging up the pads for good.

Bergeron took his time and tenure in the NHL to the next level, becoming the Hockey Business Unit Director for Reebok Hockey; where he oversees the CCM line of goaltending equipment.

He has his championships and did have to deal with some not-so-great teams in front of him, but he seemed to keep coming back for more, regardless of the punishment he took. Even after taking a year off, he was able to come back and be successful, albeit in the semi-pro league. While he continues to deal with the pads....he's in a little bit safer confines and not facing as many shots as he did in his playing days.

The Epicness of the Maryland Flag in Pad Form

My buddy, Geoff (aka G$) sent me the picture you see above via Twitter and I thought it was the most amazing thing ever. As a Marylander (even though living in Calgary), the flag is a great sense of pride and for the goalie for the Terrapins putting them on his pads?? Just beyond awesome.

So, in doing some research on the University of Maryland Ice Hockey website, I found out that the pads belonged to Matt Mitchell. Thanks to Club President Darren Taillie, I was able to get in touch with Mitchell for a little look at the inspiration of the pads and the season for the Terps.

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Scotty Wazz: Matt, you definitely have some interesting sets of pads there, what made you go with the Maryland flag design??

Matt Mitchell: To put it straight forward, I think Maryland has the best flag I have ever seen for any state or country. I missed all of last season injured, so I had a lot of free time on my hands to think about everything hockey (including gear, of course). I was getting ready to order my likely final set of pads for my college career and I just kind of thought, hey, why not go all out on them. Then I just kind of realized that if you turn our flag sideways it split perfectly on a set of pads, and I was set.

SW: What was the reaction from team when you broke them out??

MM: HAHA, it was interesting. A lot of the guys knew they were coming before I had them and loved the idea. When they got there they looked even better than expected, so I didn't get chirped hardly at all by the guys. I remember the first practice I wore them for one of my teammates, Augie Gardner, showed up late and didn't notice them when he got on the ice. The first time he was coming down to shoot on me in a drill he looked up and stopped, mid-drill, and screamed "OH MY GOD!" It was hysterical.

SW: Since it's one of the best flags in North America because of the design, has it been a distraction to your teammates during practice or to the opponents during the game??

MM: You know, I really didn't think anything of the distraction idea when I planned them out. After our first game when we beat Towson I had a couple of guys come up to me afterwords and tell me how confusing it was looking up and seeing the graphics and trying to see the net, so I guess they work.

SW: Moving on from that, you're in your third year with the Terps and the team only has one loss. What is different from this season than last??

MM: A lot of things. As I said, I wasn't around for games last season so I didn't really know what was going on all that much, but it previous years there was a lot of ego in the locker room. A lot of guys were "me me me" and kept fighting in the locker room, it was a mess. This year we have a really close knit group of guys and a great freshman class. Pat St. Clair came in and ended up being an immediate top-line defenseman, and Sean "Diddy" Combs (yes, we call him Diddy) who we thought would be a fourth-line grinder already is nearly double-digits in points. It's just all really clicking for us right now.

SW: Playing in the ACCHL, how are the rivalries with the other ACC team in comparison to other sports, like basketball and football and such??

MM There are definitely a couple of teams that we don't get along with and love beating in our league, yes. We haven't seen Duke yet, but when we host them in College Park next month we are having a big white out game.

But I think our best rivalries actually fall outside of the league. We have already been really chippy with Towson, and Virginia Tech (who left the ACC this year) is another team we really want to beat. I tried to play the Tech game after being in a big car accident (with a concussion, oops) and probably cost us that game, so that's one I'm really looking forward to getting our hands on in Blacksburg later this season.

SW: Moving forward, do you think you guys can keep up this killer pace??

MM: Definitely. There is no reason for us to lose a league game we don't think. Obviously we haven't seen all of the ACCHL yet, but we feel like we're a really strong team this year. Our goal is to win the ACCHL, do some damage at regionals, and hopefully make a run at Nationals this year, so hopefully we can accomplish all of that.

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Definitely a solid story for Mitchell and really great to see the pride for state and school in all of this. I couldn't think of a better look for a guy playing with the University of Maryland. Best of luck to Mitchell and the rest of the Terps, so if you're in the Maryland area or the ACC region, go to the website and check them out. FEAR THE TURTLE!!!

Thanks to Darren Taillie and Matt Mitchell for this, and again-- go to the Terps site and support them.

Net Gains

With all the things that have been done when it comes to goalie masks, this new trend could take the cake. We've seen that goaltenders can put some fancy patterns on their pads, like that of Trevor Kidd and Kevin Weekes, but what Trevor Leahy (not any relation to Sean Leahy, that I know of) has done with his new pads is something that I'm surprised no one has thought of before hand.

The Pingree School senior thought of ideas for his new pads and came up with something uber-unique: net patterned pads. As you see in the picture, that's the design for his blocker, the illusion of the twine behind the net is what catches the eye of the shooter; which is bound to fool any forward. So far, it has with Leahy netting two shutouts in the pads and have his own teammates baffled in practice.

You have to give it up to this kid for thinking outside the box. You've had recently the comeback of the brown-colored pads for retro games and white pads for more illusion of a bigger net, but Leahy had upped the ante when it comes to design and execution. Bigger props to Darren Stomp who actually had to put the pads together. I'm sure that the time he had to put into this project was something that he had never seen before.

Now, the question is whether or not we'll see a professional goalie get onto this trend or if Leahy can break himself into the pro game and show off his original design to the world. Of course, since he patented it; he could be the only one to be able to use it for the time being. I didn't spend much time in law school, so I don't know how it works.

Again, props to Leahy and Stomp for the new look at the old goalie trade.

The Incredible Shrinking Goalie

Gary Bettman held his "State of the League" address before Game One of the Cup Finals today and while addressing the fact that all the teams will play each other at least once, the topic of goaltender's equipment came up again. Bettman citing that goals are down and that goaltenders are better physically and in their equipment, that there needs to be a way to get more room for the shooters to shoot. This comes weeks after the league and PA announced they would be forming a group to find a way to deal with goalie equipment issues.

This has been a debate that has been going on since the new rules came into effect after the work stoppage. The game was opened up, for sure, but it always seemed that the league and the people in charge of rule changes have it out for goalies. It's an odd statement to say that because goalies are being better that they need to be punished and have equipment taken away from them. It's almost like saying that guys like Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Jarome Iginla need to use wood sticks because they are much too good for composite and that Dion Phaneuf and Shea Weber can only stick check because they hit too hard.

The problem I have is that the NHL brass isn't embracing the goaltenders for their stellar work. Not only do they have to be physically sharp, but mentality as well. The fact they have been subjected to these changes and still are as good as they are-- it's a testament to how far goaltending has come in the last two decades. To be honest, if a young Wayne Gretzky had to play against goalies of today back then-- odds are he wouldn't have scored 92 goals and 215 points like he did in the early 80s.

I think the time has come to embrace the idea of bigger nets. It needs to happen. It HAS to happen. For the sanity of goalies and fans out there-- bigger nets need to be a god-send and needs to be the saving grace. My reasoning is on how far these decrease in pads will end up being. Will we soon see that goalies wearing editions of the local papers on their legs, like so much Greg Goldberg in the "Mighty Ducks??" Sure, it would bring up advertising dollars for papers to bid to have their goalie wear their paper, but it's joke in the long run of things.

Bigger nets will stop the insanity of the shrinking the size of goalie pads, while also give Bettman what he wants, which is to give shooters more to shoot at. That is, until goalies adapt to that, to which there will be a scurry to figure out how to adjust the game more to give the shooter even more to shoot at.

Adaptation is the reason for the goalies getting better. It has been the case ever since the beginning of the sport. From wearing proper padding to freezing the puck to the mask to the butterfly position; goalies have been able to adjust themselves to the game around them and become better players. Sure, people love scoring and it's what gets fans out of their seats (aside from fighting); but why can't people realize that a great goaltending performance could outweigh scoring in a single game.

Plus, the protection issue comes up as well. Hockey sticks are becoming lighter and the velocity coming off the sticks are becoming higher and higher. The goalies need all the padding they need to help protect their bodies from these weapons the stick companies are coming out with today. Sure, the one-piece composites may break like a wet snowball, but when they stay together, they are deadly both in accuracy and velocity. Taking padding away is taking away absorption of the blow from guys who are facing upwards of 100mph shots on a regular basis throughout the game.

The thought of bringing back the firewagon hockey style of the old days is an intriguing one and one that many older fans may enjoy-- but in the grand scheme of things; it probably won't be as good as some thought it would be. All it would do is allow teams to adapt (there's that word again) to a more defensive style of hockey and we're right back to where we were before the lockout with clutching and grabbing being the norm and posing as defensive hockey.

Note to Gary Bettman and those in charge of rule changes-- bigger nets. It's the thing that'll allow goalies to keep their padding for protection, as well as give the league the bigger shooting area for the offense to shoot at. It's the only sane thing to keep the sanctity of the game in tact....until scoring is down again and we put in the "Doubler" puck like MTV's Rock n' Jock.