EDMONTON - The NHL is constantly looking at ways to increase scoring, but so far none of the recommendations or rule changes have worked.

Would it be possible to increase scoring without changing a rule or altering the style of play? There might be. It’s been said that black goes with anything, so even the fashion police could accept this alteration.

What if the NHL made black goalie pads mandatory?

It’s no secret that the size of most goaltending equipment is beyond absurd, yet the NHL has no interest in making the equipment smaller. Why not look at making it more appealing to the eye of the shooter?

“The game is so fast that often you don’t have time to decipher between the white mesh and white pads,” said forward Taylor Hall when we discussed this topic.

The two primary measures of spatial vision are acuity and contrast sensitivity. Acuity refers to our ability to resolve fine details and is graded as 20/20 being the ideal. Contrast sensitivity is measured by finding the lowest contrast needed to see light/dark gratings of varied fineness or spatial frequency.

In theory, black pads against the white ice would create the highest contrast and stand out more, thus showing more openings to the shooter. But theory and practicality don’t always jive.

Marc-Andre Fleury started the 2007-08 season wearing bright yellow pads. In his first 21 games, he recorded two shutouts, a 2.61 goals-against-average and a .906 save percentage. He suffered an injury early in the 21st game, but when he returned two months later, he wore white pads. In his new pads he went 23-8-1, (including 14-6 in the playoffs) with five shut-outs, a 1.77 GAA and .937 save percentage.

Many believed his play improved because of the colour of his pads. I’m not sure that was the only reason, but it could have been a factor.

Last season, Ilya Bryzgalov got off to a brutal start with the Philadelphia Flyers. He started the season wearing white pads, but switched to black ones on February 21.

In 39 games with white pads, he recorded two shutouts, an ugly .899 save percentage and 2.69 GAA. However, in his first 19 games with the black pads, he recorded four shutouts and a stellar 1.89 GAA and .928 save percentage. He then proceeded to get lit up in 11 playoff games, with a gaudy 3.36 GAA and a .886 save percentage wearing the same black pads.

Neither goalie had a long enough stint to prove that the pads were the main reason for their immediate improvement, but if white isn’t an advantage, why do so many goaltenders wear them?

I asked Devan Dubnyk if he thinks the colour of pads makes a difference.

“I don’t think so. I’ve played with both. It might make us (goalies) look smaller. I think dark pads certainly have a little bit of smaller visual set; I think it’s just because of the contrast with the white ice.

“I know some people are pretty adamant that white pads are tougher to score on, but when it comes down to it, they cover the same amount of net and do the same job. Visually, it would certainly make guys look smaller, but physically it won’t change anything.

“I wouldn’t care if that was a rule change. I had blue pads for our retro jerseys in my first year. I prefer white pads, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world for me if we changed. When you think about it, it shouldn’t make much of a difference.”

But would it make a difference for the shooter? I tracked down the CEO of Dynamic Edge Sports Vision Training, Karen Muncey, to find out. Muncey, who lives in Ottawa, has specialized in sports vision training for 30 years and she worked with the Oilers from 1984-99. She also worked with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Eskimos.

“It just gives you a clearer view of what your target should be, and that’s not the pads but the space around them,” said Muncey. “It would make the five-hole easier to see. Your idea has been coming up more and more in conversation over the last couple of years, but it is something I’ve thought about for a long time.

“The lighter the pads, and if there is a little bit of a pattern within the pad that is not a deep colour but a grey off-shading colour or light white, then the pads just blend into the background and it doesn’t give the shooter a clear shot of the target.”

Could it increase scoring, I asked?

“Certainly the pros would be better at recognizing this difference than midget AAA players or junior players because they have learned to take in the information faster and process the play quicker. They follow the play faster and they would be better able to find the holes.

“We have never done scientific testing about what colour of pads the goalies should be wearing, but if the pads are black, the holes will be a lot more visible, due to the surrounding area and the higher contrast. It only makes sense that our eyes would be able to see the holes easier. Black is more visible, it is more dense and, naturally, the pads would stick out,” said Muncey.

The NHL is constantly looking to increase scoring without altering the rules or jeopardizing player safety, so why not look at mandatory black goalie pads? Unfortunately, the lockout has proven that the NHL never views anything as just black or white.

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