Why don't goalies wear the hasek-style mask anymore?

Your old Jofa helmet

Registered User
Oct 2, 2006
1,701
205
Toronto
I liked Irbe and Soderstrom, they were unique. Martin Prusek was the ugliest

2864545.jpg
 

Jtabo

Registered User
Sep 16, 2010
2,095
232
Greater Toronto Area
As a goalie I can tell you it's for multiple reasons.

First and foremost, protection. The modern mask is designed to deflect pucks. The players mask and cage is not designed with this in mind, it is designed to protect the head from hitting the ice or boards and the cage to protect the face from sticks. It is not designed to absorb pucks. Getting a slap shot to the face with one of those on really rings your bell.

#2 Throat/neck protection. Really ties in to reason number one.

#3 Easy to lift up. I personally remove the chin strap from my mask to make this even easier. I don't like drinking through the cage and it was also easier as a kid to hear coaches with the mask up before drills.

#4 style. Just simply looks better to 99% of the population. However there are those who still like cage goalie masks and jofa buckets.
 

Frank Drebin

He's just a child
Sponsor
Mar 9, 2004
33,477
19,467
Edmonton
The sportsmask Mage (like Thomas used to wear) provides the vision and mobility of a combo mask/helmet with the protection of a traditional mask.

The old SK2000's are super dangerous to take a puck to. Richter cracked his skull wearing one of them, essentially ending his career.

I personally love the look of the Osgood mask, but won't risk it in my level of hockey, cant imagine doing it at the pro level.

There is a guy who does fiberglass (ie safer) versions of the Cooper mask [olympiacomposites], he actually made Dan Cloutiers in LA. Its close to $1000 for it with the cage though.

https://olympiacomposites.sharepoint.com/Pages/CompositeHelmets.aspx

If I had neverending money I'd buy one of each.
 

Kronwalled8*

Registered User
Jul 30, 2014
771
1
Why dont goalies wear neck guards anymore?

Goalies still get stung with shots hitting just under their chin.

MSgallery46.jpg
 

Big McLargehuge

Fragile Traveler
May 9, 2002
72,188
7,741
S. Pasadena, CA
I love the look of the old cages...my two favorite goalies growing up wore them, at least for a while (Wregget eventually switched).
ken_wregget_5.jpg

Arturs-Irbe3.jpg



That said, I hated playing with those things and immediately switched to the modern mask. Hell, a lot of baseball catchers have done the same, though in this case the old style is actually safer.
wedgie_foul_ball_sticks_in_mask_of_mariners_catcher_josh_bard.jpg


Why dont goalies wear neck guards anymore?

Goalies still get stung with shots hitting just under their chin.

Some still do, I think it's mostly a comfort thing. If a goalie has a close call they're more likely to use it...Fleury has had multiple neck guards break on him, so he's not about to risk what would happen if they weren't there.
120514-NHL-Marc-Andre-Fleury-of-the-Pittsburgh-Penguins-PI.vadapt.620.high.0.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: DaveG

CanadienShark

Registered User
Dec 18, 2012
37,357
10,609
They're ugly as hell. Unless you get an advantage from that style, why not make it look nice?
 

CanadienShark

Registered User
Dec 18, 2012
37,357
10,609
Because most of the daveart masks look a lot worse than just plain white or black.

To each their own, I suppose. I'm talking about the style of the mask, not the colouring scheme (you can have a great style, but horrible colour scheme which "ruins" the mask).
 

Mav3rick07

Registered User
Jul 28, 2007
11,494
10,668
This is so funny, I was just thinking the same thing last night.


As a goalie(in ball hockey), I was actually considering switching to the player cage mask because I've heard they don't absorb as much heat on your head but after reading through this thread about how it affects your vision, I might just stick with my regular goalie mask.


I personally love the look of the cage helmet. It's original and looks unique and bad-a**.
 

chauron

Registered User
Jan 5, 2014
2,285
1,114
Probably a vision thing, harder to lift up as well.

More like a safety thing, the Hasek grid is less safe than modern helmet. Especially if Hasek era padding etc. is used.
Also the flat shape doesn't deflect pucks nicely, like the modern helmet does.
 

bucks_oil

Registered User
Aug 25, 2005
8,328
4,513
As a goalie I can tell you it's for multiple reasons.

First and foremost, protection. The modern mask is designed to deflect pucks. The players mask and cage is not designed with this in mind, it is designed to protect the head from hitting the ice or boards and the cage to protect the face from sticks. It is not designed to absorb pucks. Getting a slap shot to the face with one of those on really rings your bell.

#2 Throat/neck protection. Really ties in to reason number one.

#3 Easy to lift up. I personally remove the chin strap from my mask to make this even easier. I don't like drinking through the cage and it was also easier as a kid to hear coaches with the mask up before drills.

#4 style. Just simply looks better to 99% of the population. However there are those who still like cage goalie masks and jofa buckets.

Also a goalie and wore a cage/helmet combo most of my life. Switched to an olie cat eye only a few years ago.

When I did, I had a teammate who was an engineer for a company that did ballistics testing for CSA ( who approve all helmets/masks)

He told me that #1 was simply not true... that when the testing was actually done, it showed that on a whole, a bucket and cage combo was safer.... Problem was that by the time they had been asked to generate the data, 95% of goalies were already growing up with the new style.

In my own experience, my new style mask is definitely more durable, but my bucket was way more comfy... Less of a thunk when I catch a puck square. But if you did catch one solid, you'd be buying a new cage to replace the dented one.

Just think though... Which transmits more energy to your head/brain.... Catching one on the lower part of your dentable bubble cage, or catching one on your fiberglass chin?

I think you are right though.... The new style are better at deflecting and therefore avoiding a square shot.

Plus a new style cat eye will give you better vision.... Grid style vs grid style I'm not so sure
 

bucks_oil

Registered User
Aug 25, 2005
8,328
4,513
Florence Schelling played with special cage.
Gdt3LKF.jpg


Also Irbe and Thomas played with old school masks.
irbehelmet2.jpg

irbe_traininghelmet.jpg


(Old school/new school mask?):huh:
image.jpg

That Schelling mask looks the safest... A solid helmet to protect your head in a fall ( a major downfall of the new style) and a massive cage to absorb and diffuse pucks.

The big problem with the old style (or benefit??) was that players would wear them loose on their chin to avoid stingers. Tough to model that protection in a lab.
 

Frank Drebin

He's just a child
Sponsor
Mar 9, 2004
33,477
19,467
Edmonton
Also a goalie and wore a cage/helmet combo most of my life. Switched to an olie cat eye only a few years ago.

When I did, I had a teammate who was an engineer for a company that did ballistics testing for CSA ( who approve all helmets/masks)

He told me that #1 was simply not true... that when the testing was actually done, it showed that on a whole, a bucket and cage combo was safer.... Problem was that by the time they had been asked to generate the data, 95% of goalies were already growing up with the new style.

In my own experience, my new style mask is definitely more durable, but my bucket was way more comfy... Less of a thunk when I catch a puck square. But if you did catch one solid, you'd be buying a new cage to replace the dented one.

Just think though... Which transmits more energy to your head/brain.... Catching one on the lower part of your dentable bubble cage, or catching one on your fiberglass chin?

I think you are right though.... The new style are better at deflecting and therefore avoiding a square shot.

Plus a new style cat eye will give you better vision.... Grid style vs grid style I'm not so sure
The combo is not nearly as protective as the solid mask. The sk2000 is made of plastic, while a mask is fiberglass or kevlar. Your buddy is full of it.
 

Risingwind

Registered User
Feb 26, 2015
595
107
Getting a slap shot to the face with one of those on really rings your bell.

Yes, the old models tend to really "ring" as they resonate with a good hit. I've switched to a Wall W6 since and the difference is night and day. Usability, safety, vision, everything is just leaps and bounds better.
 

Canadienna

Registered User
Jan 27, 2015
11,702
15,768
Dew drops and rainforest
As a goalie who has used both I found the biggest annoyance was the weight distribution of your head with a cage that comes way out like that. It felt unbalanced.

The other thing I remember is that the cage is visually distracting. Probably because of the focal length of our eyes (picture looking through mesh 0.5 inches from your face vs 2 inches from your face).

But Hasek was the GOAT so maybe those are all things one could become accustomed to and not lose a step.
 

Kranix

Deranged Homer
Jun 27, 2012
18,122
16,153
Was Hasek's TPS helmet custom made for him? I haven't seen anyone else where that lid, unless people did in Europe I don't know about.
 

StreetHawk

Registered User
Sep 30, 2017
25,605
9,433
I recall one reason why goalies went away from them was because it did not deflect the puck as well. The impact of the puck would be absorbed by the helmet. The back of the new mask doesn't offer as much protection.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->