The Goalie Is Late: Protocol

It happens. Family things come up. Traffic. Work. Whatever. Sometimes your goalie is late.

First, check the locker rooms to see if someone who just came off is willing to play for a few more minutes (often someone will stand up). Sometimes that doesn't work.

Ok, so your guy is in the dressing room, but no one's there to help out.

(1) Call a timeout before the first face off. That will give you an extra 1:30 or so.
(2) The other team should call a timeout, too. First, because goals scored against no goalie are suspect, and second because it isn't much fun playing against a goalie-less team because you feel like a chump if you're actually trying to score (and you basically are).
(3) Still waiting, both timeouts burned, gotta get a sixth guy out there. Now, don't have him skate like an extra attacker. If you do, you deserve every goal scored against you (and if you're the other team, put in a couple of empty-netters if that's how their going to play it).
(4) Get as many stoppages of play as possible. Ice the puck. Take it in offsides on purpose (but not too obviously or you'll get the faceoff down where you have no goalie). You've gotta burn time for your guy to get dressed and get out there.

Now, what about the other team? We've already covered taking their timeout. What about shooting? The opposition has a skater playing goal, so you've got to back off a little, but how much? Well, taking slappers from the point seems right out. Seriously.

I was the sixth guy the other night, and I stopped two slapshots. One in the chest (note: my shoulder pads "chest protector" was not designed as a goalie's chest protector), one a "blocker" save. But come on, guys, was that really necessary? How about trying to work it down low and get a decent wrister off?

And look, if you see the goalie waiting for a whistle, regardless of which team you're on, get the whistle. It's not cool to exploit the lack of a goaltender, and if you're the team playing with the sixth guy, it's not cool for the sixth guy.

Anyway . . . some etiquette to think about.