1. End of Game Pulling
Pulling the goalie in hockey is associated with the end of a game when a team becomes desperate for a goal and wants an extra skater on the ice to score the puck. Before pulling the goalie in this situation, you must make sure that the puck is at the end of the ice, preferably low in offensive circles. Understand that this will often backfire, but a two-goal loss is the same as a one-goal loss: the risk is minimal and the reward of a game-tying goal is great, if it is successful.
2. During Delayed Penalties
An excellent low-risk time to pull the goalie is when the officials call a delayed penalty. The reason is that on a delayed penalty the official will blow the play dead as soon as the opposing team touches the puck. Thus there is almost no risk of pulling the goalie on this play and getting an extra skater out there, if only for a few seconds.
3. Might Defeat the Purpose
Using the extra skater as more of defenseman may to an extent defeat the purpose of pulling the goalie, because you want all skaters to attack the goal. However, if you don't have a skater near the blue line, it is much easier for the puck to escape the offensive and find its way into your goal. This effectively ends the game or negates the advantage of pulling the goalie. It is important to balance puck control with aggressive floor play when attempting the maneuver.
4. During End of Period
Another low-risk time to pull the goalie is at the end of a period when your team has the puck at the other end of the ice on a face-off. Although the end of period pull does not have the same protection as the delayed maneuver, a team does have time on its side. If you pull the goalie with less than a minute and the puck is at the opposite end, it severely lessens the chance of the other team to move the puck given the time on the clock.
5. You Don't Even Need a Goalie
Although you will see teams pull the goalie during the end of a match, there is no rule that states when or for how long a team may pull the goalie from game action. In fact, there is no rule on the books that states a hockey team must have a net minder to begin with. Though it would be extremely foolish, a team could play an entire game without a goalie if they so chose.
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