Visors/Cages/Fishbowls/Nothing

[CornKicker]

I use this same cage for the same reason.

Oh yeah and so I can high stick and punch people after the whistle without fear of messing up my mug.

lol friggin bridman, BUKKAWWing all over the ice

 

[CornKicker]

'Birdcage boy'. That's fkin hilarious. Gotta use that one. Our last game got pretty chippy and one of the so called birdcage boys on the other team went after one of our visor clad defenseman. Birdcage boy wound up getting pounded and his cage was easily slid up to inflict maximum damage. Ugly situation. After watching that, I wouldn't put too much faith in a cage to save me from a beating, or at least, I'd make sure it was mighty snug.

My visor never fogs and it goes below the tip of my nose and I wear it very close, so I don't understand how others have such a problem with fogging. I do sometimes drip sweat down from the top, but it never fogs.

"toucan Sam" "tweety" "birdcage" "birdman" and my personal favorite "cassie Campbell" all names i have used this season. I also like to ask them if their moms makes them wear the cage or when they act liek they want to fight or something i 'll ask them if they need to ask their mom before they take off their birdholder.

fishbowls have also been called "nemos" or "Neil Armstrongs" "astroboy" "nascar" you dont see much of them anymore. but the last one that i did see some one was yelling from our bench for him to "roll down your window bud i cant hear you" that made me laugh

 

[Torquenstein]

"toucan Sam" "tweety" "birdcage" "birdman" and my personal favorite "cassie Campbell" all names i have used this season. I also like to ask them if their moms makes them wear the cage or when they act liek they want to fight or something i 'll ask them if they need to ask their mom before they take off their birdholder.

fishbowls have also been called "nemos" or "Neil Armstrongs" "astroboy" "nascar" you dont see much of them anymore. but the last one that i did see some one was yelling from our bench for him to "roll down your window bud i cant hear you" that made me laugh

I need to rember "Neil Armstrong"

 

[Ozz]

"toucan Sam" "tweety" "birdcage" "birdman"
I also like to ask them if their moms makes them wear the cage

fishbowls have also been called "nemos" or "Neil Armstrongs" "astroboy" "nascar" you dont see much of them anymore. but the last one that i did see some one was yelling from our bench for him to "roll down your window bud i cant hear you" that made me laugh

I'm totally using at least one of those tonight if someone is wearing a cage on the other team

In the 90s when I was coming up, you weren't cool unless you had a full shield.

 

[Gibson19]

i have the straight cut itech and i like it, i was a no visor guy until i took a slapshot in the eye. im still anti cage, and i dont mind people who do but i always chirp and cheap shot the guys who wear cages and then play with their sticks high and punch people after the whistle. cage people have no respect and no fear of retribution.

And the guys with a cage just take it. I certainly wouldn't.

I just don't see how you could be against something that keeps people safer. It doesn't change the player. They'd have no respect with nothing or just a visor too.

Don't get me wrong I'd love to play without a cage, but I can't afford that. When you've got to pay your own medical bills you wise up and get a cage.

 

[Injektilo]

I hated using a cage when I had to, so first chance I went without. Eventually I took a stick in the mouth, but got away with only stitches. Went to huge visor after that, but now I'm thinking I should get a cage, cause man, a slapshot to the jaw would suck. $40 insurance policy against a thousands of dollars in dental surgery just makes sense.


So question : Is there really a noticeable vision difference between fancy and midrange cages? Like the Bauer 9900 vs the 5100 or 4500? I'm looking at them on icewarehouse.com and trying to decide which one I should go with. They're all reasonably priced (on there) but I'm not sure one is really worth $15-20 more...

Wish I could try them on and test them out first.

 

[izzy3]

Cage, chincup solidly on my chin. Started out with it, and had it ringed by sticks and pucks often enough, that I will not take it off until I play in the NHL.

Once even had a guy falling in the corner as we were battling for the puck, and as he fell he somehow swung his blade right into my cage. I was even a little dizzy after the impact. Imagine that without the cage

 

[Stories]

Full cage. Too scared to wear anything less.

 

[gluvhand]

On the goalie side of things: what type of cage is on you're mask, helmet, or combo? Right now I'm using a non-cert. cat-eye but am strongly considering a cert. cat-eye. The thought of a stick getting through is a bit scary.

 

[ChiTownHawks]

"toucan Sam" "tweety" "birdcage" "birdman" and my personal favorite "cassie Campbell" all names i have used this season. I also like to ask them if their moms makes them wear the cage or when they act liek they want to fight or something i 'll ask them if they need to ask their mom before they take off their birdholder.

fishbowls have also been called "nemos" or "Neil Armstrongs" "astroboy" "nascar" you dont see much of them anymore. but the last one that i did see some one was yelling from our bench for him to "roll down your window bud i cant hear you" that made me laugh

If those were the chirps I got for wearing a cage I'd laugh right in the guys face. Seriously dude, tweety?

No one in my league gets chriped for wearing a cage, but I guess that is probably b/c like I said about 95% of my league wears cages. Maybe it is b/c my league is a little older (25-35 avg.) but almost everyone I talk to thinks it is plain stupid to wear anything else in beer league.

In our game last night a guy on the other team forgot his lid and had to borrow one from the rink. It didn't have any facial protection and he said he was scared ****less the entire game. Said he felt naked out there.

 

[ChiTownHawks]

So question : Is there really a noticeable vision difference between fancy and midrange cages? Like the Bauer 9900 vs the 5100 or 4500? I'm looking at them on icewarehouse.com and trying to decide which one I should go with. They're all reasonably priced (on there) but I'm not sure one is really worth $15-20 more...

Wish I could try them on and test them out first.

I have an Easton S9 helmet and I had the stock grey cage on it for about year. There was nothing wrong with it, other than a little rust, but it felt heavy and seemed to be pulling my mask down. Instead of getting a new helmet I decided to invest in the best cage I could find. I thought about going fishbowl, but too many guys on my team have gone away from that do to fogging/drinking water issues.

Anyways I picked up the Bauer 9900, which is basically the highest end cage you can get. Right now it is $50 at ice warehouse with free shipping: http://www.icewarehouse.com/descpage.html?pcode=B99C

It is a lot lighter than my old cage and the visibility is a little better. I think the 20%vision improvment they claim is probably about right. Don't think though that when you put this thing on it will be amazing and you won't see anything. It is still a cage. For me if you are going to buy a $30 cage then this cage is worth the extra $20, but if your current cage is fine then I'd stick with that. I've always played with a cage and I never think about the lines during the game, but I have also skated around at shinny with no facial protection and that is awesome.

 

[Jarick]

So question : Is there really a noticeable vision difference between fancy and midrange cages? Like the Bauer 9900 vs the 5100 or 4500? I'm looking at them on icewarehouse.com and trying to decide which one I should go with. They're all reasonably priced (on there) but I'm not sure one is really worth $15-20 more...

Wish I could try them on and test them out first.

Go with the 9900. It's worth the $20.

I have used both the 5xxx and 9xxx cages. The 5xxx is a good cage, it has elliptical bars for better vision, and a non distracting matte finish. But mine rusted out after two seasons. I got the 9xxx cage and it's even thinner, lighter, and has a chrome finish which looks better and is rust resistant. I've had mine for 2.5 seasons now and it's still in great shape.

When I started I had a visor and it kept fogging so I went without. Luckily I was playing with really good players who kept their sticks and shots down. It took me less than a game to adjust to a cage. You don't even notice it.

 

[opivy]

Honestly if someone was bothered that much by the cage and they were without, I'd make sure to face wash them two or three times for running their mouth. Nothing wrong with running your mouth in hockey but be ready to take what you give two fold. Where we play the only ones who talk trash are the guys sandbagging and still trying to live out their high school glory days. Most of us are white collar workers who can't afford to miss work with families etc. The mouthy mindset seem to be 18-25 with 25-30K jobs who don't really care.

Just an observation on our demographic, you also have at our level 80-90% of the guys in cages in the mid to lower levels. The upper tier league has almost no cages but consists of players who have played at least juniors and above. I believe knowing how to handle your stick and not getting into certain situations has a lot to do with it as well. I am not taking the risk that some bozo can't handle their stick for the sake of feeling cool.

 

[ChiTownHawks]

Honestly if someone was bothered that much by the cage and they were without, I'd make sure to face wash them two or three times for running their mouth. Nothing wrong with running your mouth in hockey but be ready to take what you give two fold. Where we play the only ones who talk trash are the guys sandbagging and still trying to live out their high school glory days. Most of us are white collar workers who can't afford to miss work with families etc. The mouthy mindset seem to be 18-25 with 25-30K jobs who don't really care.

Just an observation on our demographic, you also have at our level 80-90% of the guys in cages in the mid to lower levels. The upper tier league has almost no cages but consists of players who have played at least juniors and above. I believe knowing how to handle your stick and not getting into certain situations has a lot to do with it as well. I am not taking the risk that some bozo can't handle their stick for the sake of feeling cool.

Yeah I'm in a lower level beer league and it is really not an option to not have a cage. We have too many idiots in our league that can't skate properly and are literally are like helicopters out there with their sticks.

In a game two weeks ago this idiot on the other team was going towards the boards and I was coming up behind him on defense. Well as usual he can't stop, but is going full speed and he loses his balance. Once this happens his arm flys out at about 100 miles per hour and his stick hit me square in the cage with enough force to almost knock me over. Without a cage that would have been a broken nose and some lost teeth at a minimum.

 

[Ozz]

Honestly if someone was bothered that much by the cage and they were without, I'd make sure to face wash them two or three times for running their mouth. Nothing wrong with running your mouth in hockey but be ready to take what you give two fold. Where we play the only ones who talk trash are the guys sandbagging and still trying to live out their high school glory days. Most of us are white collar workers who can't afford to miss work with families etc. The mouthy mindset seem to be 18-25 with 25-30K jobs who don't really care.

Just an observation on our demographic, you also have at our level 80-90% of the guys in cages in the mid to lower levels. The upper tier league has almost no cages but consists of players who have played at least juniors and above. I believe knowing how to handle your stick and not getting into certain situations has a lot to do with it as well. I am not taking the risk that some bozo can't handle their stick for the sake of feeling cool.

Sounds a lot like my league, and surely leagues everywhere. Our "toughest" guy (mouth-wise) is about half the size of me and by listening to him you'd think he was twice my size. Your description nailed it, too, he's 19 and works the usual job for a kid that age, I'm 29 and do computer software. He wears a cage and gets into fights all the time, I'm fully open and rarely have to even give anyone a little shove.

 

[Jarick]

I don't know who these guys are that have cage wearers constantly trash talking? Who trash talks in rec league?

 

[Maccas]

Clear curved Visor.
Started off with a cage but just couldn't get on with it, the bars were too much of a distraction (my stick handling etc is bad enough without something distracting me) and I didn't like the weight of it. Changed to the Visor a few months ago and haven't looked back.
I ALWAYS play with a mouthguard though, I've got friends who play with visors and no mouthguard and have missing/ broken teeth.

 

[hyster110]

i wear a half shield, i started with a cage and hated it with a passion, to the point where i was taking it off every chance i got. i got elbowed in the nose at a pick up game and realized i needed some type of protection. i decided on the visor because it protects my eyes and its not a cage. i have played for 5 years in the bottom of the bottom leagues and up to good leagues and i can say from experience that i have only got one puck to my cheek from a errant clear, otherwise i have been scott free. now i am not going to say that everyone should wear a shield but the fear from people saying all these bad sticks and fear is not as accurate as some people say it is. over its still a personal choice and i have made mine

 

[RangersAM99]

full cage, there isn't a team of doctors on the bench ready to help me if I get a stick/puck to the face

 

[Pog Form]

Have mostly played with nothing the past couple of years, but two of the leagues I'm playing in now require some sort of facial protection so I put a Bauer straight cut on one of my helmets. If I'm playing pick up now I'll usually just wear the one with the visor on it as I'm pretty used to it by now. It doesn't really affect my vision too much, I don't think. Usually, the worse the hockey, the more likely I want to have the visor on because there's a greater chance of errant sticks, guys not keeping their shots down, etc. That said, I've never really taken much damage even playing "bad" hockey (a couple of fat lips and a high stick on the cheek) so I suppose I'm pretty lucky in that regard.

 

[gabbagabbawill]

full cage... glad too, the other night a guy from the other team whacked me good, square in the face on the follow through of his shot... I yelled "watch the stick" at him and he skated off, couldn't have cared less. I may not like the way cages look, but I also don't care what other people think. I'm not out there to make a fashion statement, I'm there to play hockey.

I don't wear a mouth guard however, because I can't breathe with one in my mouth... I have tried the cheap ones and the $15 ones, I can't find one that allows me to breathe without feeling like I'm gonna suffocate.

 

[Ozz]

A guy on my team wore no face protection and caught a slapper right in the mouth. He lost a few teeth and had at least half a dozen pushed around in his mouth. It looked like a cartoon caricature of a hillbilly w/a messed up grill. He's since gone to wearing a cage but the rest of us dummies haven't done the same because of it.

 

[Bedards Dad]

I go open face. Like everyone I used a full cage as a kid, then when I was allowed I switched over to a visor. I had trouble keeping it clean/not scratching it. I took it off one day and never went back. I then played in an inter-mural league that required a cage, I hated it so much.

Without the cage I breath better and feel like I get a much better view of the ice. I may go back to a visor at some point.

 

[rinkrat22]

Go with the 9900. It's worth the $20.

I have used both the 5xxx and 9xxx cages. The 5xxx is a good cage, it has elliptical bars for better vision, and a non distracting matte finish. But mine rusted out after two seasons. I got the 9xxx cage and it's even thinner, lighter, and has a chrome finish which looks better and is rust resistant. I've had mine for 2.5 seasons now and it's still in great shape.

When I started I had a visor and it kept fogging so I went without. Luckily I was playing with really good players who kept their sticks and shots down. It took me less than a game to adjust to a cage. You don't even notice it.

and this is the key, when you have played a decent level of hockey and play with guys who have you are safe because as most of you say "i have to go to work tomorrow" the better players know where their sticks are, they dont rip big slapshots into traffic, and thet know where the play is going and have their head up. the only time I have been hit, as an adult, in the face with a stick is when playing pickup, and its ALWAYS a, "lesser skilled" player. never intentional, always fast to apologize, but none the less, unsure where their sticks are. I now where a visor because in the last month and a half or so I have been opened up 6 times. I'm still not wearing a cage, I respect those that do, and have told some players to put one on because they haven't been playing long. But I am not comfortable with one on.

 

[emgsa85]

I wore the Oakley Pro Aviator Cut shield for a bit when I got back into hockey this year. Real nice during stick and puck sessions and things like that. After a few errant pucks in a pick up league I was in I decided the military may not like me going to the Emergency for some dental work. Switched over to the Bauer Combo Shield and I like it. Can't beat the vision of the half shields though... maybe when my nerves settle down I'll go back to the half shield.