Editing Goaltender (section)

===Privileges===
[[File:Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, Bryan Rust (33744033514).jpg|thumb|[[Braden Holtby]] positions himself in the goal crease in front of the net, attempting to stop an incoming shot from [[Bryan Rust]]. The other attacker, [[Sidney Crosby]] (#87, far left), is not allowed to enter the crease to interfere with the goaltender]]

The goaltender has special privileges and training that other players do not. They wear special [[Ice hockey goaltending equipment|goaltending equipment]] that is different from that worn by other players and is subject to specific regulations. Goaltenders may use any part of their bodies to block shots. The goaltender may legally hold (or freeze) the puck with their hands to cause a stoppage of play. If a player from the other team hits the goaltender without making an attempt to get out of their way, the offending player may be penalized. In some leagues (including the NHL), if a goaltender's stick breaks, they can continue playing with a broken stick until the play is stopped, unlike other players who must drop any broken sticks immediately.

The goaltender normally plays in or near the ''goal crease'' the entire game, an area marked in front of the net, unlike the other positions where players are on ice for shifts and make frequent line changes. Attackers cannot make contact with the goaltender within the crease, as this interferes with the goaltender's ability to make saves. However, attackers may still enter the crease if they have the opportunity to make a play on a loose puck.

Additionally, if a goaltender acts in such a way that would cause a normal player to be given a penalty, such as slashing or tripping another player, the goaltender cannot be sent to the penalty box. Instead, one of the goaltender's teammates who was on the ice at the time of the infraction is sent to the penalty box in their place; the goaltender will still be credited with the penalty minutes on the scoresheet. However, if the goaltender receives a game misconduct or match [[penalty (ice hockey)|penalty]], they must immediately leave the ice and be replaced by another goaltender. In such cases, an unpenalized player is required to serve any minutes assessed to the ejected player in the penalty box; this holds true for all hockey positions in the event a player is ejected from the game.

Goaltenders are often pulled if they have allowed several goals in a short period of time, whether they were at fault for the surrendered goals or not. Usually, a substituted goaltender does not return for the rest of the game. During a game in 1995, future Hall-of-Famer [[Patrick Roy]], playing for the [[Montreal Canadiens]] at the time, was infamously [[Patrick Roy#Trade to Colorado|kept in net]] by then-head coach [[Mario Tremblay]]. Roy perceived this as a means of "humiliation," as he had allowed nine goals on 26 shots to that point, and the crowd in Montreal sarcastically applauded him after making an easy save. Tremblay would finally pull Roy midway through the second period; as he was walking to the locker room, Roy famously leaned toward Canadiens then-president Ronald Corey and told him that it would be Roy's "last game in Montreal." The Canadiens would ultimately lose the game 11-1; Roy was traded to the Colorado Avalanche four days later.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2012030312&navid=sc.com-series-recap|title=Boston Bruins at Pittsburgh Penguins - 06/03/2013|work=NHL.com|access-date=June 16, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609035455/http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2012030312&navid=sc.com-series-recap|archive-date=June 9, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=145407|title=Remembering Roy's career-changing game|date=September 11, 2008|work=TSN|access-date=June 16, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224093010/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=145407|archive-date=December 24, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

[[List of goaltenders who have scored a goal in an NHL game|Seventeen goaltenders]] have scored a goal in [[National Hockey League]] (NHL) games; combined, NHL goaltenders have scored 20 total goals. A goaltender can score by either shooting the puck into the net directly, or being awarded the goal as the last player on their team to touch the puck if an opponent scores an [[Own goal#Ice hockey|''own goal'']]. A goal scored by shooting the puck is particularly challenging, as the goaltender has to aim for a six-foot-wide net that is close to 180 feet away while avoiding hitting opposing players or turning the puck over; in cases of own goals, combining the circumstance of an own goal itself with the goaltender having been the last player to touch the puck renders own goals a very rare occurrence. Of the twenty goals, twelve were scored by shooting the puck and eight were the result of own goals.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/03/sports/it-s-snow-as-flyers-switch-goalies.html?scp=574&sq=Ron+Hextall&st=nyt |title=It's Snow As Flyers Switch Goalies |work=The New York Times |last=Diamos |first=Jason |date=June 3, 1997 |access-date=April 24, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108133950/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/03/sports/it-s-snow-as-flyers-switch-goalies.html?scp=574&sq=Ron+Hextall&st=nyt |archive-date=January 8, 2014 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/08/sports/legion-of-brooms-red-wings-wait-ends-with-sweep.html?scp=580&sq=Ron+Hextall&st=nyt |title=Legion of Brooms: Red Wings' Wait Ends With Sweep |work=The New York Times |last=Lapointe |first=Joe |date=June 8, 1997 |access-date=April 24, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108133541/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/08/sports/legion-of-brooms-red-wings-wait-ends-with-sweep.html?scp=580&sq=Ron+Hextall&st=nyt |archive-date=January 8, 2014 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> As of 2023, [[Ron Hextall]] and [[Martin Brodeur]] are the only goaltenders in NHL history to be credited with multiple goals; Hextall remains the only NHL goaltender to have scored multiple goals via directly shooting the puck. Brodeur is the only goaltender to be credited with three goals, and is the only NHL goaltender to have been credited with a game-winning goal.

A hockey team is not technically required to use a goaltender. At any time in any game, a team may remove its goaltender from the ice in favor of an [[extra attacker]] (a process colloquially known as "pulling the goalie"). Using an extra attacker is typically intended to overwhelm the opposing team's defense, and unlike during a [[power play (sporting term)|power play]], the defense cannot legally [[icing (ice hockey)|ice the puck]] if they are not already shorthanded due to a penalty (if the team on defense is serving a penalty, then the usual icing rules prevail, although in this case the team pulling the goaltender will have the additional advantage of having at least two more skaters on the ice). This puts the team without a goaltender at a significant advantage on offense. However, leaving the net untended creates the opportunity for an opposing team to score an [[empty net goal]] from virtually anywhere on the ice (even in the case of attempts that may cause the opponent to be called for icing if they miss the net, any goals still count). Obviously, if the opposing team does manage to advance the puck out of their own defensive zone, it becomes much easier to score an empty net goal. Thus, pulling the goalie is often used as an end-of-game desperation measure by losing teams, done in an attempt to quickly score a tying goal with the aid of a sixth attacker. A team may also pull their goalie in the event of a [[Penalty (ice hockey)#Enforcement of penalties|delayed penalty]].

NHL rules strongly encourage that teams use goaltenders in [[overtime (sport)|overtime]]; if a team opts for the extra attacker in overtime and an empty-net goal is scored, the game is credited as a regulation loss instead of an overtime loss (as an overtime loss earns one standings point, as opposed to two for a win of any sort), and the team pulling the goalie forfeit the point earned for going to overtime.<ref name="NHL-rulebook-84.2">{{cite book |author=National Hockey League |url=https://media.nhl.com/site/asset/public/ext/2023-24/2023-24Rulebook.pdf |title=National Hockey League Official Rules 2023-2024 |publisher=The National Hockey League |year=2021 |at=Section 10, Rule 84.2 |language=English |quote=However, should that team lose the game during the time in which the goalkeeper has been removed, it would forfeit the automatic point gained in the tie at the end of regulation play, except if the goalkeeper has been removed at the call of a delayed penalty against the other team.}}</ref> Teams thus typically forgo using a goaltender only in situations where they are trailing by one or two goals with only a short time (typically less than four minutes) left in the game and have possession of the puck in their opponent's defensive zone. Prior to the introduction of the shootout, NHL teams occasionally pulled goalies in overtime during rare late season situations where the team pulling its goaltender needed two points to remain in playoff contention or home-ice advantage. The shootout has essentially ended this practice, since teams are statistically much more likely to win a shootout as opposed to winning with an empty net in overtime. Even with the introduction of the shootout to resolve games tied after overtime, it is still theoretically possible for a situation to arise where it may be advisable for an NHL team to pull a goaltender late in the regular season when tied late in regulation, since the statistics "regulation wins" followed by "regulation and overtime wins" are the top two criteria to break ties in the standings; as of {{year}}, no such situation has occurred since the adoption of the shootout. However, as seen in the [[2023-24 ECHL season]], the [[Orlando Solar Bears]] were tied against the Reading Royals, 0-0, with less than two minutes in the final game of the regular season. The Solar Bears and [[South Carolina Stingrays]] were tied in points with the Solar Bears needing a win in either regulation or overtime to clinch the final South Division playoff berth, while the Stingrays led the [[Florida Everblades]], 3-2, late in the third period. Orlando pulled their goaltender with a minute remaining in order to attempt gaining the two points necessary to clinch the final berth, and scored to take the position by one point.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Traikos |first=Michael |date=2024-03-11 |title=The Morning Take: Wild Risk It All By Pulling Goalie in OT — 'We're Here to Win, Right?' |url=https://thehockeynews.com/news/the-morning-take-wild-risk-it-all-by-pulling-goalie-in-ot-were-here-to-win-right |access-date=2024-03-30 |website=The Hockey News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Donnelly |first=Patrick |date=2024-03-30 |title=Marchessault's empty-net goal in overtime lifts Vegas over Wild 2-1 |url=https://apnews.com/article/wild-golden-knights-score-febb18885877827b5a0ee7fd1b57da3a |access-date=2024-03-30 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>

The rules of the IIHF, NHL and Hockey Canada do not permit goaltenders to be designated as on-ice [[Captain (ice hockey)|captains]],<ref name="IIHF-rules">{{cite web |title=IIHF Rule Book |url= http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/sport/iihf-rule-book.html |format=PDF |access-date=October 18, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081002092827/http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/sport/iihf-rule-book.html |archive-date=October 2, 2008 |work=[[International Ice Hockey Federation|IIHF]] |df = mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="NHL-rules">{{cite web|author=National Hockey League |title=National Hockey League Official Rules |publisher=Triumph Books |year=2007 |url= http://www.nhl.com/rules/index.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20050925113900/http://www.nhl.com/rules/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 25, 2005 |format=PDF |access-date=October 20, 2007}}</ref> because of the logistical challenge of having the goaltender relay rules discussions between referees and coaches and then return to the [[Crease (hockey)|crease]]. The [[Vancouver Canucks]] did name goaltender [[Roberto Luongo]] as their team captain during the 2008–09 and 2009–10 seasons, but due to NHL rules, he did not serve as the ''official'' on-ice captain.<ref>{{cite book |last=Duplacey |first=James |editor-last=Diamond |editor-first=Dan |title=The annotated rules of hockey |year=1996 |publisher=Lyons & Burford |isbn=1-55821-466-6 |url-access=registration |page=25 |url=https://archive.org/details/annotatedrulesof00dupl}}</ref> In the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]], there is no position-based restriction on the team captain.<ref name="NCAA-2008-10-rules">{{cite journal |title=2008–10 NCAA Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations |journal=Ncaa Ice Hockey Rules |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |date=August 2008 |location=Indianapolis, Indiana |page=178 |url= http://www.ncaapublications.com/p-4099-ncaa-mens-and-womens-ice-hockey-rules-two-year-publication-covers-2008-2010.aspx |issn=0735-9195 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131203035713/http://www.ncaapublications.com/p-4099-ncaa-mens-and-womens-ice-hockey-rules-two-year-publication-covers-2008-2010.aspx |archive-date = December 3, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Out of the five positions on the [[Ice hockey rink|rink]], goaltenders are frequently candidates for the [[Conn Smythe Trophy]], awarded to the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs; goaltenders have won this honor in four of the last ten playoffs. [[Patrick Roy]] has won a record three times, and four goaltenders have won the Conn Smythe Trophy as part of the losing team in the Finals.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/early-stanley-cup-playoff-mvp-candidates-1.1349867|work=CBC News|title=Early Stanley Cup playoff MVP candidates|access-date=October 30, 2015|date=June 11, 2013|first1=Doug|last1=Harrison|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619012409/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/story/2013/06/11/sp-gallery-conn-smythe-trophy-candidates.html|archive-date=June 19, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1669130-power-ranking-the-2013-nhl-conn-smythe-trophy-candidates|title=Power Ranking the 2013 NHL Conn Smythe Trophy Candidates|author=Steve Silverman|work=Bleacher Report|access-date=June 16, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20150617121916/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1669130-power-ranking-the-2013-nhl-conn-smythe-trophy-candidates|archive-date=June 17, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref>