Rule Clarifications: Goaltender Equipment

Two situations involving goaltender equipment

Last weekend there were two unusual situations regarding goaltenders losing parts of their equipment.

On Saturday night in Sheffield, Manchester Storm goaltender Alex Oldale broke his stick on a play. Oldale dropped the stick and played without one for some three minutes.

The IIHF ruling on this play states:

A Goalkeeper may continue to play with a “broken stick” until a stoppage of play or until they have one legally handed to them by a Teammate. A replacement stick for a “broken stick” cannot be thrown to a Goalkeeper on the ice surface. The stick must be passed from hand to hand to the Goalkeeper by a Teammate on the ice. For a violation of this rule, the offending Player shall receive a Minor Penalty for “throwing the stick”.

In Dundee on Sunday, Clan goaltender Lucas Brine lost his catcher in a play around the net that resulted in Dundee scoring. There is no specific rule in the IIHF rulebook covering this situation, however the IIHF situation book states:

M1:Goalkeeper loses the glove during play. Is play stopped? Where do you find this in the rule book?
ANSWER
If, in the judgment of the Referee, there is an immediate risk of injury to the goalkeeper, play should be stopped. The Referee may allow play to continue if the opposing team has an immediate and impending scoring opportunity. The issue on a play like this is good common sense. You will not find a specific answer to this question in the rule book.