NEW YORK, July 17 (UPI) -- In a continuing attempt to increase scoring, the NHL announced Thursday it is restricting the height of goaltender pads.
The new rule will be in force beginning with the 2003-04 season.
The maximum length of pads will be 38 inches. League officials estimated that as many as a third of NHL goalies used pads last season that exceeded the new limit.
"Our objective in bringing in a restriction on the height of pads was to create a level playing field for all goaltenders without compromising their protection," NHL senior vice president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell said.
"We intend to strictly enforce this new standard by measuring goaltenders' pads on a regular basis during the season."
It will be the first time the league has limited the height of goalie pads. The only previous restriction was a 12-inch limit on width.
