Being a CCM user, I've been able to witness and experience the feel and performance of pads with knee rolls vs. ones that don't have the rolls. The obvious difference is the flexibility in the pad. Most goalies know that pads with knee rolls are generally more flexible that pads with a flat face. So that's common knowledge in the goaltending community. What I intend to do here is inform the goalie that is looking to make a switch, but has never used the other type.
I'll start with the flat faced pads such as CCM Premier, Brian's Subzero and G-Netik III lines, Vaughn Ventus as well as the Bauer 1S and 1X lines. These pads all tend to favor the "butterfly" goaltender with flexible hips. Their design and lack of flex allows for great coverage on the ice and with good hips, a goaltender is able to cover a lot of ice in just a simple wide butterfly position. These pads favor a goaltender who is taller and can rely on their positioning and size to stop most pucks. Their rebounds are pretty predictable with the flat face, so a goaltender doesn't need to be as aware of the puck hitting a roll in the pad. The newer no-roll pads from Vaughn, CCM, Brian's and Bauer do allow for more movement then their older models such as the XLT line and the original Vaughn Ventus line. But they still don't have the same movement capabilities that knee roll lines posses.
Now onto the pads with the rolls on the knee. Brands currently using the defined knee roll design are CCM with the EFlex lines as well as the Retro Flex line and Vaughn with the Velocity (V) lines. The Brian's G-Netik line is a grey area, as the knee rolls seem to appear on the newer pad, but not well defined. These pads are meant for the "hybrid" goaltender who relies more on agility, flexibility, movement and athleticism in general. These pads tend to close the "5-hole" of a goaltender who may be moving and needing a quick seal. These pads stay tighter to your leg, allowing the goaltender to move more naturally. The rolls do stick out a bit more than the flat face of the pad, which in some rare cases has caused some unusual bounces off the knee. But those are a rare occurrence with the newer lines of knee roll pads. These pads defiantly favor a smaller goalie who relies on movement and athletic ability over just dropping into the butterfly.
With the new technology, the knee roll pads aren't any softer than the flat faced pads and neither pad deteriorates faster than the other anymore. Overall; both types of pads work for different types of goalies, neither have a hand over the other. It's all about choosing the style that fits your game the best. Whether that's dropping into the butterfly and using your good positioning along with size to stop the puck. Or it's using athletic moves and being prepared to move a lot in the net, relying less on size, more so reaction time. Either way, there's a pad style for you and I hope this post helps make your decision easier!
I'll start with the flat faced pads such as CCM Premier, Brian's Subzero and G-Netik III lines, Vaughn Ventus as well as the Bauer 1S and 1X lines. These pads all tend to favor the "butterfly" goaltender with flexible hips. Their design and lack of flex allows for great coverage on the ice and with good hips, a goaltender is able to cover a lot of ice in just a simple wide butterfly position. These pads favor a goaltender who is taller and can rely on their positioning and size to stop most pucks. Their rebounds are pretty predictable with the flat face, so a goaltender doesn't need to be as aware of the puck hitting a roll in the pad. The newer no-roll pads from Vaughn, CCM, Brian's and Bauer do allow for more movement then their older models such as the XLT line and the original Vaughn Ventus line. But they still don't have the same movement capabilities that knee roll lines posses.
Now onto the pads with the rolls on the knee. Brands currently using the defined knee roll design are CCM with the EFlex lines as well as the Retro Flex line and Vaughn with the Velocity (V) lines. The Brian's G-Netik line is a grey area, as the knee rolls seem to appear on the newer pad, but not well defined. These pads are meant for the "hybrid" goaltender who relies more on agility, flexibility, movement and athleticism in general. These pads tend to close the "5-hole" of a goaltender who may be moving and needing a quick seal. These pads stay tighter to your leg, allowing the goaltender to move more naturally. The rolls do stick out a bit more than the flat face of the pad, which in some rare cases has caused some unusual bounces off the knee. But those are a rare occurrence with the newer lines of knee roll pads. These pads defiantly favor a smaller goalie who relies on movement and athletic ability over just dropping into the butterfly.
With the new technology, the knee roll pads aren't any softer than the flat faced pads and neither pad deteriorates faster than the other anymore. Overall; both types of pads work for different types of goalies, neither have a hand over the other. It's all about choosing the style that fits your game the best. Whether that's dropping into the butterfly and using your good positioning along with size to stop the puck. Or it's using athletic moves and being prepared to move a lot in the net, relying less on size, more so reaction time. Either way, there's a pad style for you and I hope this post helps make your decision easier!
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| CCM EFlex III (left) vs. CCM Premier (right) |
For an interesting debate on the topic, visit the builtin: Goalies argue over the use of Knee Rolls vs. not having them
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