An NHL goalie earns more starts by making the strongest overall case to the coaching staff—not by crossing a league-wide statistical threshold. Coaches weigh performance and consistency alongside health, readiness, workload, schedule, opponent, and confidence in the other goalie. Because many teams share starts, “starter” often means the goalie who plays more, not someone guaranteed an exclusive or permanent job.
What coaches weigh when choosing a goalie
The decision is an ongoing evaluation, not an automatic reward for seniority, reputation, or one good game. NHL.com contributor and goaltending coach David Marcoux describes late-season planning as a combination of standings pressure, travel, schedule, workload, and injuries. He says a goalie coach assesses the leading goalie’s performances and discusses physical health and mental state before recommending a plan. His account describes coaching judgment, not a uniform NHL rule. Marcoux’s explanation of late-season goalie planning
- Performance over time: Coaches consider whether a goalie is delivering dependable performances. A single win or loss does not settle the role, and the cited sources establish no universal save-percentage, goals-against, wins, or games-played cutoff.
- Health and readiness: Injury, fatigue, and a goalie’s physical and mental state can change the plan.
- Workload and rest: Previous starts, expected workload, days since the last game, back-to-backs, and travel all matter.
- Matchup and game context: The opponent and standings situation can influence which goalie gets a particular start.
- The other goalie: A close alternative can make sharing starts sensible; a coach’s confidence in that goalie affects how much workload the leading option needs to carry.
How goalies are evaluated beyond the box score
Coaches also study how a goalie reads plays and follows the team’s intended structure. Seattle Kraken goalie coach Colin Zulianello has described using video and conversations with other coaches to identify individual skills and patterns, as well as studying opposing shooters’ tendencies. The aim is to help goalies anticipate what may happen, rather than react only after a shot is taken. Zulianello calls pattern recognition important “to be able to read situations in plays so you can anticipate outcomes.” His description is an example of one coaching approach, not evidence that every team follows an identical process. Zulianello on video, preparation, and managing a goalie group
Why a team might start the backup
A backup start does not necessarily mean the starter has lost the job. The leading goalie may need rest, be unavailable, or be a less suitable choice for that spot in the schedule. In a tandem, the coach may also want the second goalie to remain game-ready rather than sit through a long stretch without playing.
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That creates a balance: protect one goalie from excessive work while giving the other enough opportunities to maintain rhythm and confidence. NHL.com’s reporting on backup goalies describes shared workloads becoming more common while noting the uncertainty and loss of game rhythm a backup can face during long gaps between starts. NHL.com on game rhythm and confidence for backup goalies
Starter, backup, or tandem?
The traditional picture of one clear No. 1 playing most games still exists, but teams can also use a “1A/1B” tandem when their goalies are close enough in ability. In that setup, the starter label may be fluid: one goalie can receive more starts without the other becoming a purely emergency option. The Seattle Kraken’s workload explainer describes back-to-back choices as potentially depending on the opponent and on how long each goalie has rested. Seattle Kraken’s explanation of goalie workload
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Three-goalie groups are possible, especially during a competition for a roster role, but carrying three does not guarantee that all will stay sharp. In a September 9, 2026, NHL.com report, New Jersey entered training camp with Jake Allen, David Rittich, and Nico Daws in a competition for an open top job; the report also quoted San Jose director of goaltending Evgeni Nabokov warning that “One goalie can get hot, while the other two get rusty.” That was a team-specific camp snapshot, not a league-wide selection formula. NHL.com’s report on the Devils’ 2026 training-camp competition
How schedule and workload affect starts
Back-to-backs make the trade-off especially visible. A team may split the two games between its goalies, taking into account rest, the opponent, travel, and recent workload. Coaches are managing the readiness of both goalies, not simply maximizing the number of starts for the one currently labeled No. 1.
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The Kraken’s workload explainer summarizes a 2013 analysis by Eric Tulsky that found playing a goalie both nights of a back-to-back reduced save percentage by just over 11 percent. That is a reported historical study result, not a settled current estimate or a prediction for an individual goalie: the same explainer notes that later analyses by SMT’s Andrew Thomas and The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn found the effect may be less significant. Its separate comparison of average shots and saves was based on 1,019 NHL games through January 2 of the season discussed, so it should not be read as current league data. The Kraken’s workload explainer and its study context
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is there a formula for winning the job?
No cited source establishes a current league-wide number for save percentage, goals-against average, wins, or games played that automatically earns a goalie the starting role. Those statistics can inform evaluation, but the decision described by coaches also includes observation, health, readiness, workload, game context, and the quality of the alternative. The role can change during training camp or over a season as performance, injuries, and team needs change.
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