from Nicholas J. Costonika of NHL.com,

The process began three years ago when the late Ed Snider, owner of the Philadelphia Flyers, spoke at a Competition Committee meeting in New York. The NHL and the NHL Players' Association had been discussing ways to improve the game, and Snider focused on a big issue: goalie gear.

"He made an impassioned plea to the group to say, 'Guys, we can still do more in this area. We think they're still too big,'" said Kay Whitmore, NHL vice president of hockey operations. "I think we owed it to him to follow through and get it done once and get it done right."

First, leg pads and pants were streamlined. Now, as NHL teams open training camps this week, chest and arm pads have been as well to comply with a detailed new rule developed by the NHL and the NHLPA.

The goal isn't more goals, exactly. It's for goaltenders to make saves because of ability, not equipment. They should wear equipment that fits properly -- enough to protect them, but not extra to stop the puck. A 200-pound goaltender should not look like a 250-pound goaltender.

"The assumption is that it's primarily to increase goal-scoring, and it is," said Mathieu Schneider, special assistant to NHLPA executive director Don Fehr. "We'd be lying if we didn't say that was a big part of it. But I think the fairness is certainly a close No. 2 on that list. We're trying to come up with rules and guidelines that don't give players a distinct advantage because of their equipment."

continued