Goalie pad constable Kay Whitmore means business

Former NHL goaltender Kay Whitmore is the NHL's new goalie pad czar. If all goes to plan he'll be an unforgiving presence in NHL rinks league-wide this season. 

Whitmore's official title is a mouthful: "senior manager of hockey operations and goaltender equipment," which matches the leering, specter-like presence he promises to have.

"Spot checks will be frequent and I’ll be arriving unannounced," Whitmore promised in an interview with the Ottawa Sun this week. In the past, Whitmore's arrival would often be anticipated, but now he'll be arriving after the start of the third period.

The NHL's new authority on goalie pad length will just appear this season, as if out of the ground, and the goaltender in question will be brought directly to a secluded room upon leaving the ice. There the goaltender will be quarantined, and his pads subjected to the scrutiny of Whitmore's tape measure.

"I know there are going to be nights when a guy has just lost in overtime and he’s not going to be happy about it, but it’s got to be done. Most of the guys will understand,” said Whitmore optimistically. “They want a level playing field. The best guys don’t want (illegal) things going on."

Penalties for wearing illegal equipment, or equipment that hasn't been signed off on by Whitmore (and we mean "signed off" in a literal sense) will include a two-game suspension for the offending goalie, a $25,000 team fine and a $1,000 fine for the equipment manager (to come out of the equipment managers pay).