JOHN VANBIESBROUCK SKATES, 1997

Goalie skates are a little different from standard ice hockey skates. Note that the surface of the skate is reinforced with a “cowling” — that’s the white, plastic-like covering — to prevent damage from 100+ mph slapshots. You can see that some of the 1,638 shots John Vanbiesbrouck faced in the 1997-1998 season left black marks on the cowling. The top of the skate has a lower boot cut which allows for more flexibility while skate blades are longer and flatter to allow for more ice contact.