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NHL teams manage goalie workload by sharing starts, splitting many back-to-backs and, in some cases, giving a scheduled starter a break from backup duty, team travel or practice work. Coaches weigh that rest against the backup’s need for game rhythm, the opponent, the schedule and the roster options available. There is no single league-wide start limit or proven rest formula.
What counts as goalie workload?
Workload is more than the number of starts. A goalie who dresses as the backup still prepares for the game and must be ready to enter. Practice demands, travel and the mental effort of staying available also contribute to a goalie’s routine.
In a November 2025 report, NHL.com described Seattle keeping Joey Daccord out of the lineup on nights he was not starting. The report also noted that a modified backup warmup still carries physical and mental demands. The point of sitting a goalie entirely is to create a fuller break than simply not starting. NHL.com’s report on rest for goalies gives examples from several teams.
How teams manage starts and rest
These approaches can be combined, but each offers a different kind of relief and comes with a different trade-off.
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| Approach | What changes | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Shared starts or a tandem | Two goalies receive regular opportunities rather than leaving most starts to one goalie. | The starter gets fewer consecutive starts, but the backup may face long gaps between games. |
| Split a back-to-back | One goalie starts the first game and another starts the next. | Both get a start, but the coach must choose who faces which opponent and account for each goalie’s recent game time. |
| Keep the scheduled starter off the game roster | A third goalie or call-up can dress in place of the goalie who is resting. | The resting goalie gets a break from backup duties, but the team needs an available roster option. |
| Adjust travel | A goalie scheduled for the second game can travel ahead rather than join the team after the first game. | The goalie avoids a late transfer, but the team must arrange separate travel. |
| Reduce practice work | A practice goalie can take some team practice reps instead of the NHL goalie. | The goalie gets lighter practice demands, while the arrangement depends on team resources and planning. |
Shared starts and tandem deployment
NHL.com described a trend toward tandem arrangements and shared workloads in a March 2025 feature, contrasting it with the older pattern of a dominant starter playing more than 60 games and sometimes around 70. In the context of that report, top goalies were playing close to 60 rather than 70 games. Those figures describe a reported trend over the preceding decade, not a rule, target or forecast for every goalie.
Columbus offered a team-specific example early in the 2025–26 season: through its first 12 games, coach Dean Evason had alternated Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins. That was a snapshot of the club’s opening stretch, not evidence that the rotation continued unchanged all season. NHL.com’s feature on backup rhythm and confidence and the Blue Jackets’ early-season report describe those examples.
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Splitting back-to-backs
Starting different goalies in consecutive games is a common way to avoid asking one goalie to play on both nights. Coaches can vary the order based on the opponent and how long each goalie has been resting. Seattle’s January 2022 explainer described the split as an established NHL practice, not an automatic rule for every back-to-back. The Kraken’s goalie-workload explainer also cautions against treating historical performance analysis as proof of a universal fatigue effect.
Giving a goalie a full game-day break
A third goalie or an AHL call-up can let a resting goalie stay off the game roster entirely instead of dressing as the backup. NHL.com reported examples involving Seattle, Toronto and Ottawa in November 2025. In one Toronto example, Anthony Stolarz did not dress for the second game of an October 24–25 back-to-back; an AHL call-up started and another goalie backed up. Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark sat out a game after starting five consecutive games, then returned for the second game of a back-to-back. These are examples from specific dates and rosters, not standing policies.
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The same report described Seattle sending Matt Murray ahead to Washington for his scheduled start while Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer handled the first game in Philadelphia. Vancouver, meanwhile, used a practice goalie to replace Thatcher Demko for some team practice work. Each choice targets a different part of the workload: game-day readiness, travel or practice. NHL.com’s November 2025 account describes these team examples.
Why rest has to be balanced against backup rhythm
Sharing starts can ease the starter’s schedule and create more chances for the backup, but opportunity alone does not guarantee readiness. A backup may wait a long time between appearances, making it harder to maintain game rhythm and confidence. In NHL.com’s March 2025 feature, Winnipeg goalie Eric Comrie described the uncertainty: “If I don’t play well this game, when am I going to play next?” The quote captures a trade-off coaches face when managing two goalies: rest for one can mean a longer wait for the other.
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That balance is one reason coaches consider more than a fixed rotation. Recent performance, the next opponent, days since each goalie last played and the shape of the schedule can all affect who starts. The reporting supports these as practical considerations, not a formula that identifies the right choice in every situation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the workload numbers do—and do not—show
The Kraken’s January 2022 explainer reported an average of 31.5 shots on goal and 28.4 saves per goalie-game across 1,019 NHL games through January 2, 2022, attributing the figures to NaturalStatTrick.com. Those numbers are historical context, not current league averages.
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The same explainer used a hypothetical 11 percent reduction in save percentage as an illustration based on its shots-and-saves context. It was not a measured finding that playing on consecutive nights causes that reduction. The cited reporting also does not establish an ideal maximum number of starts, a universal rest interval or a definitive causal size for any back-to-back performance penalty.
Why team and roster context matters
A team with two goalies can rotate them or split consecutive games, but keeping a resting goalie off the roster may require a third goalie or a call-up. Travel arrangements and practice support are separate options, not league-wide requirements. The specific choices available depend on a team’s roster and schedule.
Seattle and Vancouver provide reported examples of teams adjusting travel, backup duties or practice work. NHL.com’s November 2025 status report also documented a Canucks instance in which Demko did not dress for back-to-back games and an AHL goalie was recalled to back up Kevin Lankinen. That report establishes what happened in that instance; it does not establish an ongoing team policy. The NHL.com status report gives the date-specific details.
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