Inside the locker Room...

[KMcDermott]

Okay, so as many of you may have noticed from previous posts, my perks from working for an NHL rink include being ablle to hit the caps ice every now and then, but this Friday was possibly the best outing yet.

Not only did I get to have the Asst GM taking shots on me (and not showing much sympathy), but I got to get dressed in the Caps' locker room... the best part was, not only was all of the players' gear there, but Billington & Kolzig's was too!!

This is rare, as you may know, my understanding is that NHL Goalies only go with one set of gear, and it's usually at the practice rink until game night.

So, it took everything I had not to touch any of it, but I did get quite a good look. One thing that was QUITE interesting, is how "stock" their stuff appeared to be... nothing out of the ordinary. No cheaters on C/A's, nothing special on the pads...

Kolzig wears the CCM/Heaton 8 Leg pads, CCM pants, Helite 5 c/a, CCM 8 block (junior size face) & catch (which he stores with a 25lb plate keeping it closed...

Billington has all Vaughn... again nothing special.

Boring description, but pretty cool to see no less.

Kpmcd

[rvboy]

My questions are; Did it take everything in you power not to touch that stuff? Was there anyone else around? Were you afraid that there might have been a security camera in the dressing room, and someone may have thought you were perverted?

[cat29cujo31]

KMcDermott.. i'm wondering if the CCM/Heaton 8 Kolzig wears has a leg channel?
cause whenver i see him playing it don't seem like he has any leg channel on his pads, his legs are always bulging out...

Tony29

Did you say that Kolzig wears a junior size blocker, when you said junior size face?

[Dragogoalie]

I read in goalies world that Kolzig can leg press about 800lbs, so that could be a reason his legs appear to be "bulging out"

--dragogoalie-#88--

[GOALIE69]

Kolzigs blocker always looked a little skinny to me ever since his stint with the helite 4 series with the large stars. Interesting. Well, now i know why he has such a skinny blocker. Anyone know the reason why he chooses this?

[This message has been edited by GOALIE69 (edited April 22, 2001).]

[Stephane Lawa]

his blocker is juste a legal size blocker like all NHLer,

actually, Billington has the "Belfour" type pocket and extra cheater on his glove, and his pads are a lot more like V-Lite's than 5500's. They're really light, but pretty stiff in the face. Kolzig also has an extra thumbpiece on his glove.

[KMcDermott]

RVBoy... didn't want to touch anything for way too many reasons. Number one being, wanted to be asked back again.

Tony29... The leg channel doesn't appear too deep, but there is one. Also remember that since he got his knee scoped at the beginning of this season, he's been wearing a brace on it under his pads (right knee)

Crackor15... I have Curt Cruickshank's blocker from 2 years ago (helite5) that I'm convinced is a junior size face, as I've compared it to reatil ones that are marked Senior, and it is definitely narrower. From eyeing the 2 (mine & Olie's), they appear to be the same.

Tripp... Could very well be the case. I stayed up at Olie's end of the room, and didn't want to snoop too much. As for the xtra glove stuff for Kolzig, it was hidden by the weight and up on the top shelf os his locker... not much to see.

[Rook1079]

Yeah, i saw a Set of gear that Eagle made for Nabokov and the blocker was wayyyyy thin...I dunno....some guys must like it that way

[digitalcrease]

Belfour isn't wearing his special pocket anymore. Of all the recent pictures I've see he has the full double-t I beleive. He used to have a half-laced double but it looks like he changed.

jagger

[VaughnGP]

last a saw...the other nite...belfour still had the same shortened double T in his glove, just has a new glove. besides the way he is w/ his equipment i dont think he would change, deffinitly not 3/4 of the way thru the season

[Two-Nine]

Keep in mind a lot of the blockers you see on retail shelves are illegal for the NHL, but a lot of junior and recreational goalies like the wider size. I think blockers that are to NHL specs always look tiny because we are all used to seeing the illegal ones and thinking they are normal.

[Vision]

Personally I like the NHL-legal board width but it all comes down to personal preference.

I think that Billington's pads are a hybrid. Take a close look at them and I think you'll see what I'm talking about.

[Timberwoof]

A couple of years ago when I played a PHA game in the Shark Tank after a Sharks game, we were cramped for space. The San Jose Arena has four locker rooms. Three were being used that night: The Sharks had theirs; the Penguins had another, and some other team had a third. So the two PHA teams had to share the fourth locker room! But we dealt with it.