When can a hockey team pull its goalie for an extra attacker?
Short answerA team usually pulls its goalie late in a close game when it is trailing, though it can make the move at other times. The extra skater adds offense.
Timing the empty-net move
Coaches pull the goalie in the last minute or two of regulation when their team is down a goal or tied and needs more offense. The extra skater replaces the goalie, and the net stays empty for the rest of the time.
Pulling the goalie can happen during a stoppage or at a faceoff. The timing is a strategic choice rather than a rule that requires a set moment, and a goal into the empty net can end the game quickly.
- Most teams pull the goalie when trailing late in regulation.
- A delayed penalty or a timeout can also be a time to pull the goalie.
- The team plays with six skaters and no goalie on the ice.
- A team that gives up an empty-net goal may face a second goal, so the risk is real.
Rules that limit the change
Officials must be told when a goalie leaves the ice, and the team must bring a goalie back before the next stoppage if it wants one. Penalties can make the switch more complicated, especially when a team is shorthanded.
Rules on pulling the goalie in overtime and shootouts differ, so check the league's rulebook for those situations.
Common mistakes
- Pulling the goalie with a large lead, which invites an easy empty-net goal.
- Forgetting to tell the officials before the goalie leaves the ice.
- Assuming one rule applies in every league for overtime and shootouts.
