Full face cages in the NHL

[night-timer]

Why don't any NHL'ers wear a full cage?

Is it solely for puck visibility reasons or because a cage makes it harder for cameras or specatators to see a player's face?

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[Phoenix]

visibility isn't it? I hate face cages - I wear one but I hate it. I'm tempted to go the visor but am weighing up injury risk for someone who's only a rec player.

 

[night-timer]

The injury risk is far greater for them, not you, but I understand what you're saying. Still, not one player in the entire NHL wears one - unlike the Winter Olympics.

 

[mini-mite fan]

no - there was a third or fourth liner that had a full cage for at least one game in the semi-final round. I don't remember the name (actually didn't recognize the name when I saw it) & it was either on the Sabres or the Canes (red jersey). He wasn't out there often, but he did have a full cage. Could have been protecting an eye injury or something for a game or two while it got better.
??

 

[hckyguy14]

no - there was a third or fourth liner that had a full cage for at least one game in the semi-final round. I don't remember the name (actually didn't recognize the name when I saw it) & it was either on the Sabres or the Canes (red jersey). He wasn't out there often, but he did have a full cage. Could have been protecting an eye injury or something for a game or two while it got better.??

That is usually the only time I notice NHL players wearing cages.

 

[stick9]

It's visability. If you wear a cage you'll know what I mean. I don't mind it and I've come to deal with it but I would much rather not wear one.

When I first started wearing a visor a wise man said to me - guys at the NHL level know where the puck is, and they are so skilled you don't have a lot of pucks in the face area. It made sense. I didn't like the visor and took it off, only to have my face mashed into the boards....hi I'd like to buy a full cage and have it mounted on this helmet please.

 

[night-timer]

My memory is not that great these days, but I remember an incident that happened to me early in my playing career:

In the early days I didn't have much hockey gear, certainly no full cage. I soon got one, and my timing was just right - the second time I was on the ice with a full cage I went face first into the boards. I stood up quickly so no-one would see me, but when I got back to the bench I heard one player saying "Hey, that guy just went face down into the boards!"

Like I said, my timing was just right.

Now let's talk about neck protectors. If you've ever done any martial arts training, you'll know that the throat is the most vulnerable part of the human body. We don't wear all this protective gear because we will need it in every game. We wear it for those rare instances when it really saves our skin.

 

[nni]

i think its a tv thing. you get used to the visibility issue as most professional players have worn cages from peewees through college/juniors etc.

its funny because i went a few years without the cage until i got hit in the mouth and lost some teeth. i put the cage back on and a full season and a half passes until this weekend and i got high stick right on the mouth area twice.

its safe to say i love my cage.

 

[Greeneye]

I hate wearing the cage I probably wouldn't play without one again. I used to play with no visor or cage. I first had a half shield, one game it started to fog up and I wanted to take it off. Lucky for me we didn't have a screwdriver on the bench...next shift I took a very hard clearing attempt straight off it. It would have hit me right between the eyes... I'm wearing a full cage now and I do hate but it saved my teeth last night...

I would say NHLers dont wear it soley on vision purposes. I lose the puck in my skates quite a bit.

 

[NJDevs430]

When I first started wearing a visor a wise man said to me - guys at the NHL level know where the puck is, and they are so skilled you don't have a lot of pucks in the face area. It made sense. I didn't like the visor and took it off, only to have my face mashed into the boards....hi I'd like to buy a full cage and have it mounted on this helmet please.

I read that part and chuckled.
<(-:{
Seriously, I hope you're okay though.

 

[Steve L*]

They dont wear it because of the macho thing. Id love to see one of Cherrys favourites be the 1st to convert just to give the old coot a heart attack.

 

[nni]

They dont wear it because of the macho thing. Id love to see one of Cherrys favourites be the 1st to convert just to give the old coot a heart attack.

loosing teeth and getting stiches in your face changes that fast.

 

[CaptBrannigan]

I thought there was a rule in the NHL that you can't wear a cage unless you're protecting an injury?

 

[geezette]

I saw a player take one in the eye from a deflected point slap shot. Needless to say, he lost the eye. That was an end to his pro career.
I am sure the cage slightly hampers vision, but not as much as not having an eye does!

 

[dabid]

There's someone on the Blackhawks that wears a full face visor thing (not the cage, the one thats tough to breathe out of).

 

[velocity]

kk

You are not allowed to wear a full cage. it is a rule in the AHL-UHL-NHL--only if injured....

 

[Kimi]

You are not allowed to wear a full cage. it is a rule in the AHL-UHL-NHL--only if injured....

Stupid rule. A good reason never to play in those leagues.

 

[kurt]

Stupid rule. A good reason never to play in those leagues.

Why is that a rule? It doesn't suit anyone's interests.

 

[RangersMoogle]

I guess it has to do with fighting in those leagues, but you could always take the helmet off. I dunno. I guess it should be up to the player. If Heatleys giant visor is allowed, face cages should be allowed as well.

 

[Hedberg]

Stupid rule. A good reason never to play in those leagues.

So players should not play in the NHL because they can't wear full cages?

 

[Blackjack]

You are not allowed to wear a full cage. it is a rule in the AHL-UHL-NHL--only if injured....

Do you have a link? I find that very hard to believe.

It doesn't matter what kind of waiver the player signs, the team is leaving themselves wide open to a huge lawsuit if a player was prevented from protecting himself and suffered a major injury.

 

[sc37]

Keep in mind all those guys who play in the CHL...they're not required. Once they're off after peewee hockey, they stay off. It def in a visibility thing, I haven't heard about the rule but fighting probably is a reason. Plus I don't think guys like that have the chin up and stuff on either.

The guys who I were mentioned wearing cages or full shields was Curtis Brown for the Hawks and Mike Fisher in the playoffs for the Sens. Both had taken hits of some sort in the face.

And as for neckguard I think someone mentioned...I still wear mine. Some scary things happen when you take a tumble and get tangled up.

 

[Biggsy]

Visibility i hate Cages i tried wearing one 2 years ago after i had stiches i couldnt do it

 

[Laus723]

, no cages.


Friend's son was 5 or 6 when he started playing hockey. He tripped trying to make a turn and the cage busted his nose. Kinda funny the thing that was supposed to protect him helped injure him.

 

[Steve L*]

loosing teeth and getting stiches in your face changes that fast.

Not in the NHL.