Required to wear masks while we play? Any ideas?

[Domvan66]

Up until now we were only required to wear masks until we dressed out, or when helmets are off. But now my league announced we will have to wear them at all times, even during play. I’m not quite even sure how that will work with cages and mouthguards (I always have mouthguard attached to my helmet, which I guess I won’t be able to anymore). Both are also required.

Anyone have ideas, or a masks that don’t turn into sweaty, soggy mess?

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[JMCx4]

I'm pretty sure a version of these CCM Game On Player Face Masks were what I saw Hockey East college players wearing under their face shields during games last weekend. I cannot vouch for their comfort nor effectiveness, but they might be worth you looking into. Good luck, stay healthy.

 

[Fatass]

Imo, it’s definitely Not a great idea to be restricting one’s breathing by wearing a medical grade mask while exercising.

 

[zombie kopitar]

that is absurd imo

 

[Filthy Dangles]

yeah, no. your league should just cancel the season. I can't see how players are going to be down with that.

only thing i could think of which would be doable would be if you could somehow affix that Bauer face shield thing onto a helmet (no mask underneath).

 

[HansonBro]

Somehow Sparky "The Plug" Smith will still manage a way to put out 3 minute shifts

 

[Garyboy]

Joke of a league. Find another that isn’t trying to wreak havoc on your lungs, Masking the healthy is moronic in general. While exerting yourself? YIKES.

 

[shoeshine boy]

My league does not require masks but I wear one anyway. I am wearing the CCM Game On mask with a full shield. I tried the Bauer Splash Guard but didn’t like it. Too much fogging. The CCM mask is much better. It doesn’t sit right up against your face so it allows you to breathe better than a regular mask. It takes some adjusting to get it right but once you do it’s workable.
Everyone has their opinions on masks but I will tell you this: we’ve had some team-wide breakouts in our league. With one team, every player who could’ve become infected (2 have already had COVID) did become infected with the exception of one player, the goalie who always wears a face mask on and off the ice. Food for thought.

 

[Primary Assist]

Joke of a league. Find another that isn’t trying to wreak havoc on your lungs, Masking the healthy is moronic in general. While exerting yourself? YIKES.

Can you please cite any sort of medical study or peer reviewed journal article to support this?

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I definitely wouldnt be playing with a rule like that.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I have seen a few people wearing these on the ice lately.

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/...ask-20uarasprtsmskxxxaoa/20uarasprtsmskxxxaoa

 

[Fatass]

Can you please cite any sort of medical study or peer reviewed journal article to support this?

I’m all for masks to limit viral spread, but the poster has a point. If everyone playing is proven virus free (healthy in his words) then masks aren’t needed, and would actually be an impediment to performance. That (imo) is a given, and just common sense. However, no way am I playing a team sport right now where I’m in a confined space (indoors) with lots of other people, and we’re all breathing really hard. That’s not safe.

 

[Primary Assist]

I’m all for masks to limit viral spread, but the poster has a point. If everyone playing is proven virus free (healthy in his words) then masks aren’t needed, and would actually be an impediment to performance. That (imo) is a given, and just common sense. However, no way am I playing a team sport right now where I’m in a confined space (indoors) with lots of other people, and we’re all breathing really hard. That’s not safe.

Agreed. However he specifically said that wearing a mask will "wreak havoc on your lungs." Wearing a mask makes breathing a little more difficult at first, although I've been wearing one when working out for the past couple months and have quickly gotten used to it, but there is absolutely no indication wearing a mask will do any long-term damage to someone's lungs.

Posts like the one I quoted are irresponsible and have no basis in reality, and really don't belong on a board like this. They just facilitate the spread of false information and create purposely misleading narratives that spread among those who choose to believe their own realities rather than face the one we live in.

 

[shoeshine boy]

I’m all for masks to limit viral spread, but the poster has a point. If everyone playing is proven virus free (healthy in his words) then masks aren’t needed, and would actually be an impediment to performance. That (imo) is a given, and just common sense. However, no way am I playing a team sport right now where I’m in a confined space (indoors) with lots of other people, and we’re all breathing really hard. That’s not safe.

Yeah but in what world can we be sure that everyone playing is virus-free? You can be asymptomatic and still spread COVID. You can be pre-symptomatic and spread COVID. The latter is more common in our league. We hear about someone who has symptoms 2 days after playing and then others from the same game start having symptoms too.

 

[Albatros]

there is absolutely no indication wearing a mask will do any long-term damage to someone's lungs.

There are some very real health concerns related to high-intensity activities while wearing a mask though, as it does reduce the oxygen intake and could lead to issues with blood circulation. That is not to say that one shouldn't wear a mask while playing recreational hockey indoors, but it is necessary to adapt the intensity accordingly. Top-level competitive hockey would be very difficult to play with a mask.

 

[Fatass]

Yeah but in what world can we be sure that everyone playing is virus-free? You can be asymptomatic and still spread COVID. You can be pre-symptomatic and spread COVID. The latter is more common in our league. We hear about someone who has symptoms 2 days after playing and then others from the same game start having symptoms too.

Didn’t the NHL recently complete a successful and safe (with zero Covid positive cases)playoffs in a bubble? If there is no virus present, then masks aren’t needed. But local recreation hockey, right now, isn’t safe. And wearing a mask, while exercising vigorously, isn’t healthy either. In BC we recently had a men’s hockey team travel to Alberta (when only essential travel out of one’s local community is allowed) only to return with Covid, and spread throughout their small communities.

 

[Fatass]

Agreed. However he specifically said that wearing a mask will "wreak havoc on your lungs." Wearing a mask makes breathing a little more difficult at first, although I've been wearing one when working out for the past couple months and have quickly gotten used to it, but there is absolutely no indication wearing a mask will do any long-term damage to someone's lungs.

Posts like the one I quoted are irresponsible and have no basis in reality, and really don't belong on a board like this. They just facilitate the spread of false information and create purposely misleading narratives that spread among those who choose to believe their own realities rather than face the one we live in.

Are there studies that cover this question? To me it’s kind of common sense that wearing a mask will reduce athletic performance. The more the mask restricts breathing, and the more ones performance would drop, right? In rec hockey I’d assume there are older guy, who are not in good condition. I don’t think wearing a mask while playing would have long term health consequences for them, but the restricted air flow combined with exercise (for elderly out of shape men) could be a precursor to a sudden health event.
To me playing team sport right now(for adults; the older the more risk) just isn’t safe.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

Are there studies that cover this question? To me it’s kind of common sense that wearing a mask will reduce athletic performance. The more the mask restricts breathing, and the more ones performance would drop, right? In rec hockey I’d assume there are older guy, who are not in good condition. I don’t think wearing a mask while playing would have long term health consequences for them, but the restricted air flow combined with exercise (for elderly out of shape men) could be a precursor to a sudden health event.
To me playing team sport right now(for adults; the older the more risk) just isn’t safe.

Try telling that to the guys that play in my leagues. A whole bunch of them want to play around and imitate Wayne Gretzky while out there.

I'm a younger guy, so listening to these older gentleman tell me about how they lost their jobs, and other livelihoods related to COVID hurts. I too would have Cabin Fever if I were home all day, nearly everyday.