Thank you to everyone who responded (so quickly!) to my query as to
why no one brought Steve Shields (Michigan goaltender) a new stick
after his was broken.
The consensus from the responses is that an illegal stick minor would
have resulted if a non-goaltender were to enter the ice carrying a
goaltender's stick (even he intended only to skate it to his goalie).
Several people also mentioned giving up a "normal" stick and getting a
stoppage in play. From reports in the Ann Arbor News and the hearsay
that I receive, here's the scoop. Shields did NOT want a "normal" stick
because it was a 5-on-3 situation, therefore Michigan would have only
two skaters with sticks. He was upset that his teammates did nothing
to create a stoppage in play, especially after the penalties had
expired.
John H
U Mich