[paulcole]

Of the major professional sports in the US, hockey goalie feels like the only position where this could happen. You could do it for kicker/punter in the NFL, but even then there’s a player on the roster who’s serviceable and then you can alter game strategy to minimize the need for kicking/punting.

[Brendinooo]

If you stop 90 out of 100 shots, you’re a replacement-level goalie in the NHL.

If you stop 94 out of 100, you’re one of the best of all time.

So yeah, even if you can only stop 75 out of 100, that might get you through a period or two as the emergency backup.

[bluedino]

Hey, even Patrick Roy had a bad night and only stopped 10 out of 16 before.

[ascagnel_]

It's also a little strange in that both positions are highly consequential, highly visible, and don't map cleanly to the other players in the game (kickers, at the NFL level, aren't taking regular snaps, goalies in the NHL can't even skate past the center line).

[Infernal]

Not so much can’t as may not, to be clear. Presumably they’re fine skaters.

[hhmc]

Not a US sport (much), but this also applies to prop forwards in rugby union.