The Hockey Edit

Discover how NHL goaltending has evolved from the ironman workhorse goalies of the past—like Grant Fuhr and Martin Brodeur—to today’s modern tandem systems. This blog explores why goalies no longer play 70+ games a season, the financial impact of elite goalie contracts under the salary cap, and how travel demands and strategy are shaping the future of the position. Are we witnessing the end of the workhorse era, or could it make a comeback?

Why NHL Goalies No Longer Start 70+ Games

When I first started watching hockey, there was one question I had to ask: Why don’t goalies start every game like forwards and defensemen? Is it fatigue? A strategic move to keep the opposing team guessing? Or has the role of the goaltender evolved over time?

This curiosity led me down a rabbit hole, comparing some of the greatest goalies from the past two decades to see how their usage has changed. Let’s explore the evolution of goaltending—from workhorse starters of the past to modern tandems—to understand how the position has transformed over the years. Let’s take a closer look at the top goalies currently, in the early 2000’s, and in the late 1950’s. 

A Look at Goaltending Trends: 1950s vs. 2000s vs. Today

Goalies Today: The Rise of Tandem Systems

Looking at current goalies, Connor Helleybuyck who was excellent in the 4 Nations Faceoff, has played a total of 54 games. His record was during the 2017-18 season, with 67 games played with the Winnipeg Jets. 

Early 2000s: The Last Era of True Workhorses?

In the early 2000s, Martin Brodeur played 78 games during the 2006-07 season and had three other seasons with 77 games—all with the New Jersey Devils. Another true workhorse of the 2000’s was Evgeni Nabokov who played 75 games in the 2007-2008 season for the San Jose Sharks. Both Brodeur and Nabokov are some of the last goalies who were true workhorses clocking more than 90% of the games in the season. 

The 1950s-1990s: Ironman Goalies Dominated the Ice

Going even further back, Glenn Hall had 7 back to back NHL seasons starting in 1955-56 where he played a full 70 game season split between the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks. Interestingly enough, Glenn Hall holds the record for the most amount of consecutive regular-season games started with a streak of 502 games. There was also Terry Sawchuck, while not consecutive, had 3 NHL seasons where he played full 70 game seasons. 

While some have come close, none of them could beat the record holding goalie. Playing from 1981-2000, Grant Fuhr played 79 games in 1995-96 season while playing for the St. Louis Blues. 

How NHL Teams Manage Goalies in the 2024-25 Season

With goalies now averaging fewer than 60 games per season, teams are increasingly relying on tandems—two strong netminders sharing the workload. Often it means having 2 good goalies on their roster playing tandem. In 2024-25, most goalies play between 20-50 games per season, a stark contrast to the early 2000s when starters regularly played 40-60 games.

The Financial Impact: Are Teams Paying More for Goalies?

The implication? Spending more of a team’s salary on goalies. According to an ESPN article, “Starting next season, eight goalies will make at least $7 million. By contrast, 107 skaters will be at or above that mark — with 11 making at least $11 million.” The salary cap for the 2024-25 season is 92.4 million dollars. Meaning the top 8 goalies would be consuming nearly 8% of the team’s salary cap, and that’s just for one goalie! 

While during his record setting season, Grant Fuhr made $975,000. While salary caps weren’t introduced into the NHL in 2005, the St. Louis Blues spent $24.9 million on payrolls. That would put it at nearly 4% of their salary. 

The Florida Panthers’ Goalie Spending

When you look at the Florida Panther’s, reigning Stanley Cup winners, they pay their goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, a cap hit of $10 million and their backup, Vitek Vanecek, a cap hit of $4.5 million! Which is nearly 16% of their salary. Clearly, last season, their strategy was successful. As the trend of goal tending has shifted, it’s clear to see teams are willing to invest more in elite goalies, even if it means limiting the salary space.

Why Teams Are Moving to Tandem Goalies

According to an ESPN article, the Dallas Stars’ GM said “travel [was] at the top of the list” of reasons teams are starting to switch to a goalie tandem game play. It’s easy to see why teams would want two capable goalies as the NHL travel schedule has become more demanding than ever – especially for the Western Conference facing longer flight.

The Future of NHL Goaltending: Will Workhorses Return?

And the Panthers and the Stars aren’t the only team that has adopted this “goalie tandem” mindset. In the 2022-23 season, a sweet relationship between goalies Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark was formed. It appears goalie tandem strategy seems to be the current direction of most NHL teams. 

With NHL teams prioritizing tandems over workhorse starters, the goaltending landscape has changed dramatically. While this shift may reduce burnout and improve long-term performance, it also raises a big question—will we ever see another goalie like Brodeur or Fuhr? Or has the era of the workhorse goalie officially become a relic of the past?

Let us know what you think in the comments and share with someone with a fellow hockey lover.