Butterfly Slide History

[PeteSmithStoppa]

Hi Guys,

Have some questions that I am sure someone here could answer:

1. Who started the butterfly slide style and when?
2. Is it safe to say that the butterfly sliding style goalie is the style of the future?
3. Is this technique a result of different pad technology and features (ie stabilizers, knee lifts, etc)
4. How much does a loosely strapped pad have to do with the ability to do this? I like my pads on the snug side.

The more I study it, I see pro goalies really abuse the slide, even using it as a way to get across the crease instead of shuffling and staying up. This can't give you accurate positoning, as the slide must be tough to gauge. I also see guys like Tim Thomas do this absurd looking fly and slide when they are behind his net.

This also must be super tough on the knees. I would like to say that it is best to use all save techniques instead of a pure all fly goalie, but it is impossible to ignore the trends in the way the position is played. The fact is, a majority of the shots are low, and fly style handles low shots well. Rebounds seem to be very tough to control ( I have even seen fluery get cooked on rebounds), where a more measured stand up save might have been able to handle them better. WDYT?

Pete Smith

[kevinsane]

Although this member signs his name "Pete Smith", he is not the gear manufacturer of the same name.

[PeteSmithStoppa]

Originally Posted by kevinsane

Although this member signs his name "Pete Smith", he is not the gear manufacturer of the same name.

This is correct - I have to blame my mother for this.

[Ryeno42]

I do know the biggest offender of this is Abby.

No, it is not the future.

Yes, lighter pads makes it less stressful on the body.

Nothing to do with it. Just slant the top straps.

BTW: Its not a style just like the paddle down style

[TIMMAAYY]

Hasek invented it accidently.

During a game in 1973 the Dominator attempted to actually skate across the crease, and fell down. The only thing he could muster was a sudden frantic last second "slide" across the ice on one leg, and viola! the BF slide was born.

[hroark2112]

Al Gore invented the butterfly slide.

It's like the cha-cha slide.

Only different.

James Brown perfected it. Usually in bed with his 36 year old wife.

[paulsmachetti]

Originally Posted by Ryeno42

I do know the biggest offender of this is Abby.

BTW: Its not a style just like the paddle down style

ABSOLUTELY CORRECT! It is not a style , merely a save selection!
Paul

[Faint]

I've noticed that the butterfly slide has all of a sudden started to be over used, especially this year in the NHL.

[McTrout!]

I would guess the slide started either with the inventor of bfly, Glenn Hall, or the early goaltenders that played the style Esposito for example.

[grimjake1]

Originally Posted by paulsmachetti

ABSOLUTELY CORRECT! It is not a style , merely a save selection!
Paul

Wouldn't it be more of a movement to set up the next save selection?.

I think I heard it called a pre-save-movement (PSM)

[paulsmachetti]

You might be splitting hairs here.

[profly_coach]

I'm old enough to have watched Glen Hall and I can tell you he never used the butterfly slide.
Neither did Roger Crozier, who also used the butterfly extensively. Neither did Esposito (I couldn't stand watching him; he looked so un-coordinated to me).
If you saw film of Hall and Crozier today, you would call them hybrid goalies because they stayed on their feet more than today's NHL pro.
I began to use the butterfly slide in 1985 to defend against the wrap attempt. The conventional defense was to t-push over to the opposite post and stay on your feet, pads together and stick flat on the ice. I kept getting burned doing this so I used to slide over and hook my foot inside the post.
I won't take credit for inventing it. I never saw anyone else doing it in the Detroit area back then. Also, I wasn't smart enough to apply the move to any other situation until 2000

[azdave]

I personally like the slide. I guess it comes down to what you feel comfortable with and I feel I am in position to make a save or to react when I have completed the slide. As far as NHL goalies overusing it I think they probably feel the same way that it offers them a better save opportunity. Just my opinion but the stand up style with a t push does not seem to work very well for me.

[spidergoalie]

I don't notice it so much over used in the NHL but in junior hockey it definately is.
Even watching the world juniors, as impressed as I am with Price's play, (he is so friggin uprite with his upper body on all movements!!) He is BF sliding even when shots are not likely or even possible...just as a means of moving across. I notice this alot in WHL games I"ve attended and CHL games I've seen on TV.
I don't really understand it as economy of motion and energy to me would suggest T pushes and shuffles are more economical where no shot is imminent since no recovery is required. I can see it where a shot or deflection is possible.

As for keeping on angle, I think most of these kids, and certainly NHLers practice the move enough they are pretty good at staying on angle.

As for it's usefullness for beer league. I find that it is very usefull in decent skill levels, but with lower levels or mixed levels, it is not so good. sometimes there is a pass across, I BF slide over to stop the one timer, only to see the pass receaver fumbling with the puck in his skates (essentially creating a close in scramble situation so I tend to stay down)...then passing it back over and I'm not able to get back across. In other words...when the shooters do what is expected, or when the skill level of all players does not give the offence too much time or space, it works well, but with lower skill, or increased time and space you are better to get across on your feet if possible.

Laslty who invented it? I honestly don't know, but certainly not the older generation of BFers. Maybe Roy??

[Faint]

Originally Posted by spidergoalie

I don't notice it so much over used in the NHL but in junior hockey it definately is.
Even watching the world juniors, as impressed as I am with Price's play, (he is so friggin uprite with his upper body on all movements!!) He is BF sliding even when shots are not likely or even possible...just as a means of moving across. I notice this alot in WHL games I"ve attended and CHL games I've seen on TV.
I don't really understand it as economy of motion and energy to me would suggest T pushes and shuffles are more economical where no shot is imminent since no recovery is required. I can see it where a shot or deflection is possible.

If you watch Huet Aebischer and Roloson they do the same thing as Price. But obviously it works for those goalies, so whos to complain.