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Published on: May 26, 2020
Lower-Extremity Kinematics During Ice Hockey Goaltender Stances
Margaret S Harrington1, Timothy A Burkhart1
1Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Journal of Applied Biomechanics
|July 22, 2026
Summary
Modern goaltending stances like the butterfly and reverse vertical horizontal (RVH) show higher hip and ankle rotation, increasing injury risk. These techniques place more stress on goalie joints compared to traditional stances.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Orthopedics
Background:
- Goaltending techniques have evolved, with newer stances like butterfly and reverse vertical horizontal (RVH) potentially increasing joint stress.
- Traditional stances may offer lower joint stress, but kinematic differences and injury implications are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify and compare 3D lower-extremity joint kinematics across key goaltending stances.
- To identify kinematic differences between traditional and modern goaltending techniques.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Theia3D markerless motion capture technology to analyze 3D kinematics.
- Quantified hip, knee, and ankle angles in 26 goaltenders across four stances: butterfly, standing ready, RVH, and vertical horizontal.
Main Results:
- Butterfly and RVH stances exhibited significantly higher mean hip internal rotation and ankle external rotation compared to standing ready and vertical horizontal stances.
- Kneeling stances (vertical horizontal, butterfly, RVH) demonstrated greater mean knee abduction and external rotation than the standing ready stance.
- The butterfly and RVH stances presented kinematic patterns associated with increased risk for common hip, knee, and ankle injuries in goaltenders.
Conclusions:
- Modern butterfly and RVH goaltending stances involve higher joint rotations and abduction/external rotation at the knee.
- These kinematic findings suggest an elevated risk of hip, knee, and ankle injuries for goaltenders utilizing butterfly and RVH techniques.
