ABOUT

WHY IT EXISTS

Every hockey fan has coached from the couch. Pull him now. Why is that guy out there? Don't ice it! The last few minutes of a one-goal game pack more real decisions into less time than anything else in sports.

Pull the Goalie hands you the bench for those minutes. It uses a real game from last night, so the stakes and the players are real, and then it shows you what actually happened. You find out whether your instincts hold up, and whether the real coach's did.

It takes a few minutes a day. One game, the same one for everyone, so you can compare squares with your group chat.

WHY 8-BIT

The look is a love letter to the hockey video games and arcade cabinets a lot of us grew up with: chunky sprites, hard shadows, a scoreboard that buzzes. A pixel rink also keeps the focus where it belongs, on the decisions, and it loads fast on a phone in a crowded arena concourse.

The game was inspired in spirit by daily sports-coaching puzzles for other sports. We wanted one built for hockey's very particular late-game chaos.

WHO MAKES IT

Pull the Goalie is a small independent project made and operated by Stash Grab LLC. There's no big studio behind it, no ads right now, and no account to sign up for.

It's an independent fan project. It isn't affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the NHL, the NHLPA or any team. We don't use league or team logos. Team names, colors and player names are there so you know who's who.

WHAT'S NEXT

• A real win-probability model to replace today's staged numbers.
• More kinds of calls, including protecting a lead and matching lines.
• Classic Games: famous finishes from hockey history.
• Coach a Season: every close game for one team, in order.

The honest details on what's real and what's staged today are on What It Tracks.

CONTACT

Questions, bug reports, data corrections or a game you think should be a daily: hello@pullthegoalie.app.