# Can a "sumo" wrestler be a hockey goalie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 27, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348 "2003-01-27T22:33:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![squid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@squid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squid)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/1 "2003-01-27T22:33:24Z")
I know it would break the spirit of sportmanship (not to mention the ice) but why couldn’t a hockey team hire a very large person to play goalie and outfit them with appropriate sized pad. Seems like they would occupy the entire goal area. Is there a size limit to a hockey players. I know their pads have seemed to be getting larger over the years. ---
**Author:** ![Anomalocaris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Anomalocaris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anomalocaris)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/2 "2003-01-27T22:35:42Z")
I don’t see why not!!! There are no weight divisions on pro hockey! ---
**Author:** ![Tree\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9dc877/32.png) [@Tree\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tree_Boy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/3 "2003-01-27T22:44:42Z")
You are right about breaking the spirit of sportsmanship. If one team decided to go this route, all teams would, and eventually the NHL would expand the size of the goals to compensate. ---
**Author:** ![squid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@squid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squid)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/4 "2003-01-27T22:48:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tree Boy \* > \*\*You are right about breaking the spirit of sportsmanship. If one team decided to go this route, all teams would, and eventually the NHL would expand the size of the goals to compensate. \*\* Guess you’re right. We soon would be playing on a frozen soccer field before long.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/5 "2003-01-27T22:51:04Z")
I doubt it would work well. IMNAHockeyWatcherVeryMuch, but even a little watching shows that a goalie needs quick reflexes as much as anything. My guess is that NHL players against a sumo wrestler would be a lot like me against a statue. Besides, they aren’t that big! It isn’t like they could just lay there and block the whole net. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/6 "2003-01-27T23:02:48Z")
Remember that goalies don’t get aprons: Getting the puck between the big guy’s legs is still just a matter of aim and timing, and if the goalie isn’t quick enough with the stick and/or his leg pads, it’s going to get through. If you can fake him out, getting a puck around him is also very much possible. Recall that every hockey player is skating on blades that aren’t very wide at all. There’s still a lot of room down there even if he shops at `Muu-muus and Tarps’. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/7 "2003-01-27T23:05:33Z")
Sumo wrestlers aren’t nearly big enough to block the whole net, which is 6’ x 4’, if I recall correctly. There are also regulations related to goalie pad dimensions, so you couldn’t just pad someone to 6’x4’. [http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/rulebook/rule21.html](http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/rulebook/rule21.html) Goalies move around a lot, and they are very powerful skaters since they have lots of padding to move and must react extremely quickly. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/8 "2003-01-27T23:50:44Z")
Ok, what about an extremely overweight person? Would such a person be able to completely block the net? ---
**Author:** ![Tsubaki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@Tsubaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tsubaki)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/9 "2003-01-27T23:54:42Z")
Everyone is right in saying that even the biggest pro sumo wrestlers wouldn’t be big enough to block the net. However, some of them ARE agile enough to possibly be able to play hockey. They are all very flexible, too. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/10 "2003-01-28T00:17:44Z")
As others have said, there is more to being a goalie than just standing in the way so that large size would be crucial. Reaction time and agility count for more. I watched Gordie Howe put on a shooting demonstration on TV one time that was a real eye opener. He could put the puck just about where he wanted to while skating toward, away from or at right angles to the net opening. Unless the Sumo guy was pretty agile I think they would shoot where he wasn’t and score a high percentage of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/11 "2003-01-28T00:21:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Controvert \* > \*\*Ok, what about an extremely overweight person? Would such a person be able to completely block the net? \*\* So what you want is a huge inert lump of flesh to simply lay across the goal mouth. I don’t know whether you could find someone, but I’m pretty sure no one would buy tickets to the games if you could. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/12 "2003-01-28T00:38:10Z")
Er, yes, I’d have to point out that a goalie’s skill is in his agility and knowledge in watching the puck and reading the players, not in how big he is. A giant mass of flesh would be shot around fairly easily, or even just flanked on the sides. Most shots aren’t head on. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/13 "2003-01-28T00:42:51Z")
A hockey goal has 24 sq ft of open space. I don’t think there is anyone in sumo who has that sort of “area”. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/14 "2003-01-28T00:42:51Z")
A hockey goal has 24 sq ft of open space. I don’t think there is anyone in sumo who has that sort of “area”. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/15 "2003-01-28T00:43:44Z")
Shades of Bill Veeck and Eddie Gaedel. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/16 "2003-01-28T01:03:23Z")
In high school whenever the hockey team I was on would play against a big goalie (there was one guy that was 6’4 without skates) the general rule was to “shoot at his feet.” Being a goalie takes a tremendous amount of footwork and the bigger they are, chances are they won’t be as quick as someone of average height. I don’t know how much this strategy carries over to the next levels (juniors, college, minors, pros). As others have said, there are regulations on pad size. Playing goalie can also be very demanding if the goalie is facing a flurry of shots and needs to be able to get back on their feet quickly. Goalie skates aren’t “regular” hockey skates either – they don’t come up as high around the ankle and the blade is different. Goalie is the most important position (and most difficult) on a hockey team. They’re the last line of defense and no matter how many goals you score, if your goalie doesn’t stop the other teams shots you won’t be successful (obviously). ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/17 "2003-01-28T02:13:46Z")
I’m picturing the end of the game, if the team is down by one and the goaling comes out of the net to be an extra skater. You do not want to be checked into the boards by this dude. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/18 "2003-01-28T02:38:29Z")
I would think that a sumo wrestler would be a terrible skater and even more useless on the attack than he would be in goal. I can barely skate and I would think I would be more agile than a sumo wrestler on skates. ---
**Author:** ![glarGH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/76d3ee/32.png) [@glarGH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glarGH)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/19 "2003-01-28T02:42:11Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Tree Boy \* > snip_\*You are right about breaking the spirit of sportsmanship. _snip_ \*\* Nevermind the ice… _badaBA_ Oh boy i’m going to hell for that one. ---
**Author:** ![tramp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tramp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tramp)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sumo-wrestler-be-a-hockey-goalie/151348/20 "2003-01-28T02:43:47Z")
I thought of this same thing and asked my hockey luvin’ boyfriend this question. After stopped laughing he said 3 things: 1. No one is that large 2. If someone was that large, they wouldn’t be able to balance to skate on the ice to make it to the goal 3. Even if they could make skate, they would crack the ice