The RinkFor the not so ready for prime-time players, coaches, referees, and the people that have to live with them. Discuss experiences in local leagues, coaching tips, equipment, and training.
I used to play without a cage. Took a high stick to the mustache area. 5 stitches and health insurance ending that day (got laid off the same day earlier) means I now wear a cage. Totally used to it, and it's already saved me a couple of times.
The first time I ever skated out as a forward on ice I played without a cage or visor. Then again I was playing in a light semi-weekly pickup game with no slap shots allowed, no checking allowed, and I even played without shin guards a few times.
In any event, I played without any facial protection for about 2 1/2 years without a single problem. One day I decided that if I was going to keep playing and I should get a cage. I bought a cage, attached it to my helmet......and just two days later, somebody in our defensive zone fired a high hard clearing attempt that rimmed around the glass, ricocheted off one of the metal stanchions just as I turned around along the side boards, and it hit me square in my new cage right between the eyes. 2 days. So lucky.....
I won't ever comment on anybody else wearing or not wearing them, but personally I won't ever do it again. Occasionally I have a slight urge to go back to wearing nothing.......but I quickly put that thought right out of my head again. There are just too many errant sticks and too many uncontrollable tipped pucks. Heck all I need is for some guy to stumble into me and knock me over right as someone is lining up for a slapshot.
If I was playing competitive or semi-pro hockey, I might think about it. But a co-ed rec league game? I don't see any glory or honor in not being able to talk to my co-wokers/clients, or kiss my wife, or eat solid food without pain for a week. Maybe this is just me getting older, but it's just not worth the risk.
did you get the guy back?
lesson one hockey players.... when a stick comes up on you...you fight the guy. are we all understanding that?
He was getting hooked from behind and as while he was going down his stick came up (still should have been a penalty)..but no, my league we have decent people in it and he came right over to apologize.
You must have a pretty garbage league if anytime a player gets high sticked a fight breaks out..
i've got five or six scars around my mouth. EVERY oner of themn came at the hands of a guy wearing a visor or cage. that proves to me that these guys are the ones who are reckless with theior sticks, because they will suffer no or little consequences when they themselves get hit.
There may be some truth to this.
The younger players today grew up wearing full cages and did not have to be overly cautious with there sticks. Good reason to wear a full cage when you are on the ice with them.
Easier and safer than just beating them up. I doubt any of them want to high stck you in the face but it happens and as careful as you are it could be your stick coming up as well.
When you lose an eye and can no longer work and support your family, I will remind you of what a man you are.
For one second, maybe we should all get over the "Slapshot" mythology and understand the real responsiblity that we have to is our families, not to some phony standard made by people unnecessarily putting themselves in harm's way.
...and let's PUNISH evryone who doesn't have one!
...because cars have SO much to do with hockey!
If you can't see why his comparison is valid, then it's not because it's not a valid comparison.
My first responsibility is to my family and friends. My second responsibility is to my employer. I'm not going to endanger either of those responsibilities just to prove that I'm tough enough to not wear facial protection. If you feel differently, then that's your prerogative.
for the geniuses that refuse to wear a visor?... YOU ARE NOT PROS!
I don't get the real man stuff.... seriously.. most of us don't have that great an insurance policy anyway. And like some have said.. we have families to take care of. We don't have nhl contracts that we can live off of.
If you play without a visor , hell.. why not take off that cup? I've seen guys that attempt to play HELMETLESS? And why not? in the old days only ******* wore helmets..
In the end its your choice. No league wil be 100% bereft of stick injuries. Anyone skating without protection better be aware that you've made a conscious decision to take the risk of injury.
Its always easy to say,.. oh the guys that cut the most are visor wearers but in all honesty, that's ******** (and usually comes from someone with a prejudice towards visor wearers. THere is ZERO established data to back that up beyond "I'm tellin' you man, I noticed that.."
Hell I played visorless for a while till I got cut less than a centimetre from my eye during a tourney (with A and AA level players no less) and the guy that cut me ? no visor. (does that mean that all guys that wear buckets are likely to cut me? )
I might as well tell you that guys that wear red are more likely to be great goal scorers.. I've noticed that
When I first started playing hockey, I HATED most of my equipment. shoulder pads, pants shin guards.. you name it. If I had my way I'd play without it (there's nothing like a stick and puck session where I skate alone unencumbered.
However.. i'm not God.. never been her.. never will be. Its pure luck that I haven't gotten seriously injured.. same for EVERY single person on here.
Visor/neck guard on or off its YOUR call.
NOTHING about wearing protection makes you any less of a man/woman..
being aware that there is protection and refusing to wear it because somehow it makes you more of a stud? does in my eyes.
again.. its a choice
Last edited by the_speedster: 02-03-2009 at 12:12 AM.
Since we're on the topic of high sticking, I have a little story to tell. I was playing last week in a league, and in the corner with a former teammate of mine. He's a big guy, about 6'2-6'3 and around 290, I'm about 6'1 and 165. We had a brief battle in the corner for a loose puck, and I had to come in at an angle, had one hand on my stick. So I try to play the puck, and do a stick lift on him, instead, he stick lifts me and my stick hits him in the forehead. No injury or anything but penalty on me, even he said it wasn't my fault but still, 2 minutes. First high sticking penalty in years, and we both had a good laugh about it
When you lose an eye and can no longer work and support your family, I will remind you of what a man you are.
Grow up.
thanks buddy.and you're right . i'm going to go buy a visor right this minute because you don't think i'm a man
maybe you should lobby your local representative to mandate that EVERYONE in any hockey has to wear a mask/visor. take your own advice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by the_speedster
for the geniuses that refuse to wear a visor?... YOU ARE NOT PROS!
I don't get the real man stuff.... seriously.. most of us don't have that great an insurance policy anyway. And like some have said.. we have families to take care of. We don't have nhl contracts that we can live off of.
If you play without a visor , hell.. why not take off that cup? I've seen guys that attempt to play HELMETLESS? And why not? in the old days only ******* wore helmets..
In the end its your choice. No league wil be 100% bereft of stick injuries. Anyone skating without protection better be aware that you've made a conscious decision to take the risk of injury.
Its always easy to say,.. oh the guys that cut the most are visor wearers but in all honesty, that's ******** (and usually comes from someone with a prejudice towards visor wearers. THere is ZERO established data to back that up beyond "I'm tellin' you man, I noticed that.."
Hell I played visorless for a while till I got cut less than a centimetre from my eye during a tourney (with A and AA level players no less) and the guy that cut me ? no visor. (does that mean that all guys that wear buckets are likely to cut me? )
I might as well tell you that guys that wear red are more likely to be great goal scorers.. I've noticed that
When I first started playing hockey, I HATED most of my equipment. shoulder pads, pants shin guards.. you name it. If I had my way I'd play without it (there's nothing like a stick and puck session where I skate alone unencumbered.
However.. i'm not God.. never been her.. never will be. Its pure luck that I haven't gotten seriously injured.. same for EVERY single person on here.
Visor/neck guard on or off its YOUR call.
NOTHING about wearing protection makes you any less of a man/woman..
being aware that there is protection and refusing to wear it because somehow it makes you more of a stud? does in my eyes.
again.. its a choice
another poster i owe a sincere apology to. i'll never play wiythout a visor again. it's not worth all of the name calling and hurt feelings i get from the righteous HF crew.
once again i'm sorry i offend everyone here because i don't wear a visor. how can i ever make it up?
A few years ago when I was working at a rink, I got to patch up a guy who was cut by his teammates half-visor. They basically ran into each other and non-visor guy opened up two cuts (one next to his eye, the other right above).
I got him patched up as best as I could and suggested that he might want to wear a cage or visor the rest of the game. I even offered him my helmet, which was the same size and model (different color) with a cage attached. He got annoyed and basically told me to sit on it.
About five minutes later, who needs helped off the ice with two re-opened cuts from where someone else had just accidentally rubbed him along the boards with his shoulder?
thanks buddy.and you're right . i'm going to go buy a visor right this minute because you don't think i'm a man
maybe you should lobby your local representative to mandate that EVERYONE in any hockey has to wear a mask/visor. take your own advice.
another poster i owe a sincere apology to. i'll never play wiythout a visor again. it's not worth all of the name calling and hurt feelings i get from the righteous HF crew.
once again i'm sorry i offend everyone here because i don't wear a visor. how can i ever make it up?
No need to lobby, municipal laws are already in place.
Maybe I came off strong. Truth is, if it was only your choice and responsibility, I would not have a problem with you putting yourself in harm's way.
Do whatever you want, brother. As long as you take sole responsibility for any injuries you incur, it's alright by me. Sign a waiver. I may not admire you for it, but I am certain you do not care.
You know, if it was only about purposefully high sticks, I wouldn't think a cage is needed. But as we can all launch a puck damn hard, and cannot predict deflections, no can we predict an opposing player losing his balance and his stick comes up by mistake.
Those things preclude me from ever taking off the cage. It just is not worth it. Anyways, when the puck drops, I do not even notice the cage, nor any of my equipement. I cannot see the benefit of puting myself in a dangerous position.
another poster i owe a sincere apology to. i'll never play wiythout a visor again. it's not worth all of the name calling and hurt feelings i get from the righteous HF crew.
once again i'm sorry i offend everyone here because i don't wear a visor. how can i ever make it up?
No need to apologize. We are all ecstatic that you will now be safe.
i've got five or six scars around my mouth. EVERY oner of themn came at the hands of a guy wearing a visor or cage. that proves to me that these guys are the ones who are reckless with theior sticks, because they will suffer no or little consequences when they themselves get hit.
[QUOTE=Crosbyfan;17657992]There may be some truth to this.
QUOTE]
It is very true. At least, in youth floor hockey. As the program co-ordinator and head coach for the NHL sabres street floor hockey program(admined through the Greater Buffalo YMCA) it was a point of contention when establishing the min equip. requirements. A full cage helmet was prohibited. When mixing players who have full face and those who do not engage, stats show that it is the player with the full face are more likely to commit a high sticking infraction where the offended player is struck in the face. Those who are fully protected do tend to be come complacent.
This is why it is VERY FOOLISH to participate in play WITH OUT full protection when there are players on the ice/floor who DO have it. Your risk is increased. Its a game where you will have to make the call. As others have said...its also yours to take the consequences and FULL BLAME when your injured because you feel its UNMANLY. Its just a matter of time before you WILL get hurt because of the choice, not If.
No one WANTS to hurt another player when going for a fun pick up session. Those who choose to come out with out full protection make most everyone else play a lesser game. At the very least have a small amount of courtesy and wear full protection at an open pick up session. Is that really too much to be asked of a fellow player?
Why does everyone equate not wearing facial protection to being tough? That has nothing to do with it. I didn't wear a cage cause I thought it was uncomfortable and impaired my vision. I couldn't care less what other people thought of me.
Eventually this argument will be completely moot as rinks will likely require visors if not full face protection to play. Some leagues require it already and I think that it is trending up. There are people out there who won't wear a cage and then sue the league/rink when they loose their chiklets. Sure, there are waivers and such but eventually the hassle and money will cause rinks to just require face protection.
If I owned my own rink (how freakin awesome would that be?) I would require full face protection just to avoid problems. Besides, it would boost sales of cages and visors at my pro shop.
