What happens when you put 30 goalies together on one sheet of ice? Pure and utter chaos, of course!
Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, and now residing in Oak Harbor, Wash., Kyle Sorenson, known as Salmon Nerd (@NerdSalmon) on X, had a simple yet oddly brilliant idea for a hockey game.
Calling it the “Oops, All Goalies” game, Sorenson, along with 32 other regional goalies from all different ages and levels of competition, migrated up to Bellingham Sportsplex in Bellingham, Wash., last Tuesday night to see his idea come to fruition.
The game went viral across social media platforms and was even featured on a ROOT Sports Kraken pre-game show.
The rules were simple. The two teams played five goalies per side, but none were allowed to be in their native position in the crease. There would be no offside calls, and all penalties would result in penalty shots.
So, what was the motive to make this event even remotely possible? Sorenson explained himself…
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Cameron Riggers: What led to this even being an idea?
Kyle Sorenson: I’ve done goalie games at points in the past, but it had never been a full-structured game like this was. The whole idea of it with rules and paying referees to come and manage the chaos, it was all my idea. And then it takes your friends to agree to a stupid idea like this.
CR: What was the main challenge of getting this event to work?
KS: Convincing all those goalies to come up here was the main challenge. There were only three from Bellingham proper, and then the rest of them were spread out along the I-5 corridor. A few were from Everett, someone from Oregon came up, a few from British Columbia, Canada, came down.
CR: How hard is it to move in all that gear goalies wear?
KS: It’s not as hard as you would think. I think there’s a lot of misconception that goalies are the worst skaters on the team, when in actuality I think goalies are some of your best skaters, they have some great edge work. If you give a goalie an opportunity to get out there, it’s kinda cool to see them shine. I know a couple of the goalies who joined us and were only hockey players for a few months were very nervous about getting out there and moving around. Sure, some of them were slower than others, but I think it’s impressive just how fast some of those guys were moving.
CR: What was the age range of everyone who was involved?
KS: Anyone over 18 could join, but most everyone was about 24-60 years of age.
CR: What was Bellingham Sportplex’s thoughts on being host to this event?
KS: I have a good relationship with Bellingham Sportsplex, and they were excited to host such a goofy event. When I told them about it, they were sold instantly.
CR: How much did it cost you put this together?
KS: Initially I had to pay around $700 after tax, but split evenly among everyone, it was only about $40 per person.
CR: This game gained a lot of traction online, going viral on numerous social media platforms. What have been some of the most positive outcomes you’ve seen from this?
KS: I think the main thing was that connecting all those people was really amazing. I really think that it’s generated a lot of attention to hockey in our area. A few of the goalies already made moves to join local leagues like in Everett or Bellingham. This event was a lot of the guys’ first times speaking with other goalies. Almost all those guys are friends now, and this really united a lot of people.
I knew it would be popular just because it’s a weird idea. I think I read about a thousand comments across all the platforms that it was posted on, and almost every single one was positive.
CR: Do you think goalies embody the other stereotype that they’re good at everything they do?
KS: I think so! One of the comments I kept seeing online was how good the positioning was by some of these goalies, and I was like, ‘I think this is because all these goalies are sick of yelling at skaters to get in the right position.’
CR: Which NHL goalies could you see getting on the ice in an event like this?
KS: I think Jeremy Swayman would be all over this, and obviously Joey Daccord if he saw this would be all about it. Maybe in the offseason we could convince him to come out. Henrik Lundqvist made note of this event too, which I thought was awesome.
CR: Seeing the amount of turn out for this special event, as well as what the Kraken have done for growing the game of hockey in this region, how do you think interest has grown in your eyes?
KS: Seeing the growth of hockey here is awesome. There’s been a passionate hockey community in Washington for a long time, but to see it be so high on people’s minds, especially for the kids of this region, has been fantastic.
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Expanding beyond the game, Sorenson believes that this event and the arrival of the Seattle Kraken to the Pacific Northwest are just a few of the ways that hockey is piquing interest in this region with the ways it continues to evolve. He is hopeful to have the event return in the coming years, and that events like this will continue to inspire young kids to give playing hockey a chance.
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CR: With events like this, how do you think we could get more people involved in this game?
KS: It’s goofy stuff like that where it’s interesting to people that have never seen anything like it before. But as far as getting more people playing, it’s access. We need more sheets of ice, especially with hockey not being an inexpensive activity. Providing more access to kids, like the Kraken’s One Roof Foundation… If I were to do an event like this again it would be to raise money for kids in youth hockey in some way, whether it be ice-time or a gear drive, to increase kids’ ability to access hockey.
CR: Do you think if someone who’s new to hockey and wants to play sees you out there in a game like this, do you think they would want to give being a goalie a try, or would they stay away from it?
KS: I think they would want to try it, if they see how fun it is. Goalies are particularly goofy, as the stereotypes go, and seeing us out there in a 5-on-5… A bunch of the people who participated mentioned going to learn-to-play events that lead into playing adult hockey, and talking to people who are interested in goalie. Right now, most learn-to-play’s don’t teach goalies, so if you’re an adult starting out, there’s not many current goalies who teach hockey for adults. I think this is something we’re going to start doing.
CR: Could you see yourself doing an event like this and involving the Kraken somehow?
KS: If the Kraken wanted to do something where it was actually at a game, I would love it if it would be all kids. If the Kraken Community Iceplex and the Kraken Hockey League wanted to do it where it involved raising money for kids to access hockey, I’d be all about it.
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