SNIP
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>Goalie protection? These guys used to play with minimal pads and no mask as recently as the Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull era. Even when Rocket Richard was shooting at them. Goalies have just become idiosyncratic, superstitious head-cases looking to "pad" their stats. They don't need a 12 inch (0.3m) wide pad to protect a 6 inch wide calf/ankle and jerseys that billow out from under their arms like parachutes. JS Giguerre and his seamingly "jump-up shoulder pads" when he dropped down in the 2003 playoffs comes to mind.
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>If you want to fully protect goalie legs, then curve the pads around the leg to the sides instead of extending them out so far so they cut off the angle shots.

With the modern materials of today they could probably get 1/8 inch thick 'cloth' that would do a better job of protection than the big padded stuff in use now.