Full Face Shields

[JJsChaos]

I recently brought this conversation up with friends about full face shields in hockey. There is no contact sport that allows you to play your whole career with face and head protection, and then allow you to play without protection when you turn pro.

Crosby's recent injury created a conversation topic and my point was, would he have been as servery injured with a cage on? I also brought up him taking a puck to the face. It's really bizarre to me that concussions are a focal point in all contact sports, yet the no-brainer solution would be to play with full cages.

I'm curious to hear other peoples opinion. Would this not mitigate head and face injuries in hockey. Would this not reduce the risk of concussions? Why is the NHL not exploring this as an option?

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Why would a mask reduce the risk of a concussion? It would potentially negate any eye injuries but getting crosschecked in the back of the head will cause a concussion with or without a mask covering the face. The energy in hits still has to go somewhere.

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by JJsChaos

I recently brought this conversation up with friends about full face shields in hockey. There is no contact sport that allows you to play your whole career with face and head protection, and then allow you to play without protection when you turn pro.

Crosby's recent injury created a conversation topic and my point was, would he have been as servery injured with a cage on? I also brought up him taking a puck to the face. It's really bizarre to me that concussions are a focal point in all contact sports, yet the no-brainer solution would be to play with full cages.

I'm curious to hear other peoples opinion. Would this not mitigate head and face injuries in hockey. Would this not reduce the risk of concussions? Why is the NHL not exploring this as an option?

It wouldn't do anything to protect you from concussions.
A sheild for your face is not going to stop your brain from bouncing around in your head.

[Samonadreau]

I wear a full cage in beer leagues. Need to protect the moneymaker.

But seriously I've seen too many knocked out teeth and a broken jaw or two and no thanks.

[N-E-B]

I bet eventually that's the way it will go. Personally I find cages uncomfortable and a bit distracting so I choose not to wear one, but they're definitely the smart option.

[GreenLantern2814]

We're probably headed that way; probably thirty or forty years away, but there will come a time when some dude wearing a visor is remembered as his generation's Craig MacTavish.

[2ArmBands]

Guy with the bird cage always chirping the most

[pylon]

My opinion on beer league players that wore cages was they should be given a penalty for speaking. If everyone wore a cage fine. But it was always 'that guy' chirping, and getting his stick in your face during scrums, because he's never had to defend his face.

[greyshep]

Originally Posted by 2ArmBands

Guy with the bird cage always chirping the most

Quoted for truth.

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by pylon

My opinion on beer league players that wore cages was they should be given a penalty for speaking. If everyone wore a cage fine. But it was always 'that guy' chirping, and getting his stick in your face during scrums, because he's never had to defend his face.

LOL. I wore no visor for years got a couple sticks in the face and then a puck. Then put a cage on. Not sure what that would have to do with being a guy who chirps or has never had to defend my face.

[Deegee]

It just shows you how dumb the sport is sometimes when nobody is wearing a cage. Total craziness.

[Oil Stain]

The really bat #### crazy piece of information in this whole debate is that full cages/facial protection are ILLEGAL in the NHL.

How can they claim to take player safety seriously when they don't even allow full face protection in a sport where a frozen disc of rubber is flying around at speeds up to 100 mph?

Its just absurd.

[Keselke]

Originally Posted by pylon

My opinion on beer league players that wore cages was they should be given a penalty for speaking. If everyone wore a cage fine. But it was always 'that guy' chirping, and getting his stick in your face during scrums, because he's never had to defend his face.

Off topic, but

This is always the first, most idiotic chirp you see in any mens league, usually repeated several times and followed up with nothing else.

The reason I and others typically wear cages is not because "we have never had to defended our faces" its because other people cannot control their sticks, and most importantly no matter how much you try you cannot defend from freak deflections and accidental plays, many cage wearers are converts from an accident.

If you have a career to go to the next day, or value your bank account, it baffles me that non professionals play without cages. Its purely for machismo reasons and others do not follow suit, due to the fear of being chirped and the perception of looking weak. Rather than their well being

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by 2ArmBands

Guy with the bird cage always chirping the most

I find its the idiot who thinks he is going to turn pro any day now that is chirping the most, usually about the "bird cage". It's highly original.

More often than not, this individual is the reason people need to wear full masks as he is throwing body check or elbows in non contact hockey or his stick is flying wild.

My hope is that if the full mask starts to become a thing in the NHL that we will finally see some new advancements in mask design and technology instead of the same cage we've had for decades.

I think this is the newest mask to go to market.
http://www.hockeymonkey.com/avision-...-elite-sr.html

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Keselke

Off topic, but

This is always the first, most idiotic chirp you see in any mens league, usually repeated several times and followed up with nothing else.

The reason I and others typically wear cages is not because "we have never had to defended our faces" its because other people cannot control their sticks, and most importantly no matter how much you try you cannot defend from freak deflections and accidental plays, many cage wearers are converts from an accidents.

If you have a career to go the next day, or value your bank account, it baffles me that non professionals play without cages. Its purely for machismo reasons and others do not follow suit purely due to the fear of being chirped and the perception of looking weak. Rather than their well being

Now hang on a minute, are you trying to say you don't expect to get in a fight in a rec hockey game? And that you don't take seriously the chirping of guys who take rec hockey seriously enough to challenge you to a fight? Not very Canadian of you!

I was in a rec game one time and a guy (wearing a yellow helmet, which always seemed weird to me) went down to his knees during a goalmouth scramble and the puck and ended up at about waist high for a second and I chopped at it. I probably missed the puck by three feet, but only missed his eyeball by about one inch when I hit him in the face with my stick. He got a couple stitches on the eyebrow and no biggie, no (real) harm done, and no hard feelings, but he started wearing a shield after that, and so did I. Not cages though, it was the 90s!

[pylon]

Originally Posted by Keselke

Off topic, but

This is always the first, most idiotic chirp you see in any mens league, usually repeated several times and followed up with nothing else.

The reason I and others typically wear cages is not because "we have never had to defended our faces" its because other people cannot control their sticks, and most importantly no matter how much you try you cannot defend from freak deflections and accidental plays, many cage wearers are converts from an accidents.

If you have a career to go the next day, or value your bank account, it baffles me that non professionals play without cages. Its purely for machismo reasons and others do not follow suit purely due to the fear of being chirped and the perception of looking weak. Rather than their well being

My opinion is the beer leagues should pick a lane. Cages, or no cages. No middle ground. I don't wear one, because my last 2 years of competitive hockey I didn't, and I much preferred a half shield. It's just way more comfortable. I breathe better, have way better peripheral vision, Has nothing to do with being 'macho'. I have a good enough dental plan if I lose a tooth, it's covered.

But players who never played the game at a level that cages aren't worn, especially full contact, typically have very little awareness or control of their stick. It took adjusting for everyone that went from midget to Junior, and a large portion of beer league players never had to make the adjustment.

And yes, guys with cages are usually the guys to hack and slash like idiots. Because they know they can't be punched in the face. It definitely does ramp up courage. Heck, if I wore one I'd think a whole lot less about my actions.

For the record, I've never been a goon like beer league player, and a few guys on this board could confirm that. I maybe took 5 penalties a season playing defense in Div 1/2 Sometimes not coming off the ice for full periods. of most games. where it got out of hand. A lot. So it has nothing to do with being 'tough guy'.

[vanisleflamesfan]

Cross-check a star player in the face and face no repercussions other than, maybe, a few games suspension. Why would Washington (who could not beat the Pens otherwise) not take a shot at Crosby. OR... take a shot at a star player and risk getting your face punched into custard...

Get rid of the stupid "INSTIGATOR" rule and let the players on the ice police themselves. We demonize the 'goons' who throw punches at the dinks who take liberties with vulnerable players, but we don't say a word about the cowards who fire cross-checks and slashes at 'star' players. Get rid of the bull-ish rules that are handcuffing the 'police' and get back to a league built on respect and a 'code'.

I actually like Bettman and I think that he has done good work but his ban on "instigators' is pure bull-ish.

I want to see the best players in the league (Crosby), not the cowards.

[vanisleflamesfan]

Right now it's: want to win a series? Just take a cheap shot at the best player on the other team. How long until the Ducks clue into this? I hate the stupid oilers but how long until someone takes a consequence free shot at McJesus?

[vanisleflamesfan]

I coach 14 year olds who swing their sticks around head height all day like knights on the battle field. So what is going to happen when they take their masks off? And they all feel that they can swing those sticks around because there is NO consequence for smashing another player in the head. So what is better, 23 players on the ice who have no fear of constantly playing with a high stick, or no one doing that because they are afraid of getting their face beat into pablum?

[vanisleflamesfan]

But fighting is causing injuries!!! Yeah... and I am going to go cheer my face off at the latest UFC fight. But...head injuries in hockey...