Jake Allen discovered early in his NHL career that stopping pucks is a lot safer when you have an extra catching glove just for practice.

When it comes to finding a comparable in other sports, NFL quarterback is often cited as the closest thing to being an NHL goalie because of the impact, scrutiny and pressure involved, and the individual, sometimes even solitary, nature of the positions.

Goalies are keeping wood sticks alive in the NHL, but perhaps not for long.

VANCOUVER -- Carter Hart was one of the last cuts from Everett of the Western Hockey League when he was 15 years old, so imagine his surprise at being the first cut from his minor hockey team back home a few weeks later.

VANCOUVER -- The journey toward becoming an NHL goalie has several common starting points, each unified by one theme.

VANCOUVER -- It was a short skate from the Zamboni entrance behind the net to the blue line, but even after playing 16 NHL seasons, it made Kirk McLean nervous.

The ability of a goalie and his position coach to form a quick and strong bond is crucial to success in the NHL.

The first day of free agency can feel a lot like a game of musical chairs for NHL goalies, but addresses and uniforms aren't the only things that change.

There are few absolutes when it comes to goalies, who play a position so volatile that the only certainty is often uncertainty. So it shouldn't come as much of a shock that each of the four conference finalists in the Stanley Cup Playoffs has at least one goalie who took a bumpy path to get there. 

VANCOUVER -- Few coaches know better than Barry Trotz how hard it is to juggle two goalies when the Stanley Cup Playoffs arrive.