Protection on the Ice

Hockey is a highly competitive, fast passed sport played on ice. With the hard surfaces of the ice and boards, pucks flying at high speeds and, maneuvering with short tempers each player must take extra precaution on the rink by wearing helmets, pads visors and shields. The shell of a hockey helmet is made of vinyl nitrile that absorbs and disperses the impact of hits by pucks, sticks, skates or contact with the ice. This was issued shortly after the death of Bill Masterton on January 13th 1968. During a game between Minnesota North Stars and Oakland Seals, two Seals players hit Bill so hard, it sent him flying. He was rushed to the hospital and was pronounced dead by four doctors who spent 30 hours trying to revive him. He died of a massive brain injury. In August 1979, then president of the National Hockey League (John Zeigler) announced that protective helmets would become mandatory in the NHL. Any player that chooses to play without one is at risk of injuries, some as serious and a concussion or death. A visor or a shield is attached to the helmet protecting the face from a flying puck or stick.

Although visors are not mandatory by NHL, they are highly recommended for safety. A Cage is another form of a visor or shield a player can wear for face protection. It is attached on the front of the helmet made up of bars spaced far enough to still allow the player visibility. You will typically see a similar version of a Cage worn by the goalie. A goaltender mask is made up of a piece of fiberglass. It wraps over the face and connects to the helmet which is known as a helmet/cage combination. To protect the body, players typically wear shoulder pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, protective gloves, heavily padded hockey pants, jock strap (cup), knee pads and or shin guards. Like most other sports, mouth guards are worn as well. “Checking” is a maneuver that is very popular in the sport of Hockey. When a player collides with another they are often knocked over, pushed up against the protective plastic wall (the shield for the fans). This leads numerous possibilities for injuries. Perhaps the most dangerous position to be is the goalie. Most of the time a goalie uses their body to prevent the high speeding puck from entering the goal, at all costs. Besides the mask, they also wear thicker gear; Chest and arm pads, a catching glove, a Goalie jock, Goal pants and pads.