As goalie industry evolves, Mike Vaughn remains laser focused

Connecticut native Jonathan Quick has thrived using Vaughn gear. (Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)

Goalie equipment pioneer Mike Vaughn had no illusions of grandeur when he was growing up in Michigan in the 1970s and ‘80s.

He was a sturdy-if-unspectacular goaltender who understood that the professional game wasn’t in his future. At least not as a player.

“I played in the local area here, in the Great Lakes Junior League,” said Vaughn, now 54. “I knew I was just good enough to never go anywhere. As an amateur, I was about as good as you can get, in my prime. But that wasn’t good enough to take me anywhere else.”

Today, generations of goaltenders, at almost every conceivable level, are grateful for Vaughn’s keen sense of self-awareness. And for his innate interest in his gear. Four decades later, Vaughn Hockey remains a major influencer in the sport, particularly in the arena of goaltending equipment.