Why Do No NHL Players Wear Cage-Type Visors?

[Pink Freud]

I see them in college; I see them in Euro leagues. Does the NHL not permit cage-type facial protection, even for its on-ice officials? If there's a supposed issue with vision, then why do so many goalies wear cage-type masks?

Clear plastic shields don't protect you from butt-ends coming up from below, nor are your mouth and nose protected. Plus, plastic shields fog up and get water-spotted from sweat and ice shavings.

Anyone know why we never see cage masks on NHL skaters? Is it a macho thing, like the six-team days of refusing to wear a helmet or goalie mask? I do know fans wouldn't like how cage masks obscure faces.

That's one thing I really miss about the days before 1978, when helmets became mandatory for rookies. You didn't need to see a sweater number to know who each player was, even from the cheap seats. Insert your own Ron Duguay...Gerry Odrowski...Gary Bergman...Harold Snepsts...Garry Unger...Guy Lafleur joke here.

[aslord]

because they look stupid

[smegma]

I see them in college; I see them in Euro leagues. Does the NHL not permit cage-type facial protection, even for its on-ice officials? If there's a supposed issue with vision, then why do so many goalies wear cage-type masks?

Clear plastic shields don't protect you from butt-ends coming up from below, nor are your mouth and nose protected. Plus, plastic shields fog up and get water-spotted from sweat and ice shavings.

Anyone know why we never see cage masks on NHL skaters? Is it a macho thing, like the six-team days of refusing to wear a helmet or goalie mask? I do know fans wouldn't like how cage masks obscure faces.

That's one thing I really miss about the days before 1978, when helmets became mandatory for rookies. You didn't need to see a sweater number to know who each player was, even from the cheap seats. Insert your own Ron Duguay...Gerry Odrowski...Gary Bergman...Harold Snepsts...Garry Unger...Guy Lafleur joke here.

Players did not seem to be as wild with their sticks, above the waist. From my perspective. Shots on net were kept down as well. After the helmet rules kicked in fully, the sticks seemed to come up.

[moose-and-squirrel]

I see them in college; I see them in Euro leagues. Does the NHL not permit cage-type facial protection, even for its on-ice officials? If there's a supposed issue with vision, then why do so many goalies wear cage-type masks?

Clear plastic shields don't protect you from butt-ends coming up from below, nor are your mouth and nose protected. Plus, plastic shields fog up and get water-spotted from sweat and ice shavings.

Anyone know why we never see cage masks on NHL skaters? Is it a macho thing, like the six-team days of refusing to wear a helmet or goalie mask? I do know fans wouldn't like how cage masks obscure faces.

That's one thing I really miss about the days before 1978, when helmets became mandatory for rookies. You didn't need to see a sweater number to know who each player was, even from the cheap seats. Insert your own Ron Duguay...Gerry Odrowski...Gary Bergman...Harold Snepsts...Garry Unger...Guy Lafleur joke here.

full cages (and full shields) inhibit your ability to look down. this causes players to drop their heads to see what's going on close to them and their feet. and ya know what happens when ya drop your head

nothing good

[leedog68]

I always thought they should wear some type of safety glasses like what Jabbar wore, or handball players wear would be best.

[seattleblue]

I see them in college; I see them in Euro leagues. Does the NHL not permit cage-type facial protection, even for its on-ice officials? If there's a supposed issue with vision, then why do so many goalies wear cage-type masks?

Clear plastic shields don't protect you from butt-ends coming up from below, nor are your mouth and nose protected. Plus, plastic shields fog up and get water-spotted from sweat and ice shavings.

Anyone know why we never see cage masks on NHL skaters? Is it a macho thing, like the six-team days of refusing to wear a helmet or goalie mask? I do know fans wouldn't like how cage masks obscure faces.

That's one thing I really miss about the days before 1978, when helmets became mandatory for rookies. You didn't need to see a sweater number to know who each player was, even from the cheap seats. Insert your own Ron Duguay...Gerry Odrowski...Gary Bergman...Harold Snepsts...Garry Unger...Guy Lafleur joke here.

full cages (and full shields) inhibit your ability to look down. this causes players to drop their heads to see what's going on close to them and their feet. and ya know what happens when ya drop your head

nothing good

bingo

[bluetunehead]

The visibility difference between a half-shield and a full cage is pretty huge. Considering their healthcare is taken care of and they’re getting paid huge sums of money to play… I totally get it.

Even in beer league I’d rather play with a shield for the visibility, but I’m not about to risk it.

[Harry York 37]

I see them in college; I see them in Euro leagues. Does the NHL not permit cage-type facial protection, even for its on-ice officials? If there's a supposed issue with vision, then why do so many goalies wear cage-type masks?

Clear plastic shields don't protect you from butt-ends coming up from below, nor are your mouth and nose protected. Plus, plastic shields fog up and get water-spotted from sweat and ice shavings.

Anyone know why we never see cage masks on NHL skaters? Is it a macho thing, like the six-team days of refusing to wear a helmet or goalie mask? I do know fans wouldn't like how cage masks obscure faces.

That's one thing I really miss about the days before 1978, when helmets became mandatory for rookies. You didn't need to see a sweater number to know who each player was, even from the cheap seats. Insert your own Ron Duguay...Gerry Odrowski...Gary Bergman...Harold Snepsts...Garry Unger...Guy Lafleur joke here.

full cages (and full shields) inhibit your ability to look down. this causes players to drop their heads to see what's going on close to them and their feet. and ya know what happens when ya drop your head

nothing good

bingo

Guys, I don't know the make and model of any helmets y'all wore... I never felt that way. I only wore the metal cages with the very thin bars.
Maybe the plastic shields- with their much thicker bars down by the jawline, DO restrict and/or distort the wearer's field of view. I never, ever felt that a cage did.
The only real obstruction is the chin cup. If you can see your chin without a mirror, I reckon its an issue. I don't know any people who can see their chin without a mirror.
I will add that there was a debate about dark cage bars being more "invisible" to the wearer on the ice than the white bars. I found that I agreed with the dark bar guys.

On my HS Team, we had to wear helmets and a little mouth cup that attached via a strap to the side of your helmet.. No other facial protection. In those days, whenever someone raised their stick up high for balance, the Ref would automatically bellow "Keep your stick DOWN."

[Harry York 37]

A nice article about these things. They mention how strict the game was about casual high sticks when players eyes were unprotected.
https://qujournalism.shorthandstories.c ... index.html

The top pic illustrates my point about metal cages. The player with the cage is gazing almost directly down while the plastic-shield wearer is obviously peeking over the thicker plastic down low.
I never wore a shield. They seem too strange. Looking through curved plastic adds yet another layer of separation in my mind.

[Old_Goat]

A nice article about these things. They mention how strict the game was about casual high sticks when players eyes were unprotected.
https://qujournalism.shorthandstories.c ... index.html

The top pic illustrates my point about metal cages. The player with the cage is gazing almost directly down while the plastic-shield wearer is obviously peeking over the thicker plastic down low.
I never wore a shield. They seem too strange. Looking through curved plastic adds yet another layer of separation in my mind.

Great article...thanks for sharing. And I think Leedog's post above has merit, re wear some type of safety glasses like what Jabbar wore, or handball players wear.
I would further that thought by saying a real opportunity exists for some design analysis to meet the ease to breath requirement as well as to give as much room/motion to turn head sideways without bumping into shoulder. Maybe somewhere along the lines of adjusting or lengthening the shield and curving it in closer at the bottom, with that edge between lower lip and bottom of chin...to minimize the chance of a stick or puck from sneaking up underneath and provide a soft pad along the bottom edge what would minimize hurt from direct on impact at that point?...more like a bubble than a shield. Even have the bottom curving up toward the ear. This would require a conventional strap under the chin. The goal here is to eliminate/minimize that bulk around the jawline. I think it could work with either metal bars, or plastic shield. And actually breathing would be easier with the metal bars. The key is to have some softer padding to minimize lacerations chin and jaw. But it shouldn't be any worse than no protection around the lower half of the face at all.

[Harry York 37]

A nice article about these things. They mention how strict the game was about casual high sticks when players eyes were unprotected.
https://qujournalism.shorthandstories.c ... index.html

The top pic illustrates my point about metal cages. The player with the cage is gazing almost directly down while the plastic-shield wearer is obviously peeking over the thicker plastic down low.
I never wore a shield. They seem too strange. Looking through curved plastic adds yet another layer of separation in my mind.

Great article...thanks for sharing. And I think Leedog's post above has merit, re wear some type of safety glasses like what Jabbar wore, or handball players wear.
I would further that thought by saying a real opportunity exists for some design analysis to meet the ease to breath requirement as well as to give as much room/motion to turn head sideways without bumping into shoulder. Maybe somewhere along the lines of adjusting or lengthening the shield and curving it in closer at the bottom, with that edge between lower lip and bottom of chin...to minimize the chance of a stick or puck from sneaking up underneath and provide a soft pad along the bottom edge what would minimize hurt from direct on impact at that point?...more like a bubble than a shield. Even have the bottom curving up toward the ear. This would require a conventional strap under the chin. The goal here is to eliminate/minimize that bulk around the jawline. I think it could work with either metal bars, or plastic shield. And actually breathing would be easier with the metal bars. The key is to have some softer padding to minimize lacerations chin and jaw. But it shouldn't be any worse than no protection around the lower half of the face at all.

It’s my pleasure, OG.
It’s mainly for the grizzled and angry old men who played full contact ice hockey in the Before-Times… in The Long, Long Ago.

[STL fan in MN]

The NHL actually restricts the usage of a full face cage/shield. They’re only allowed temporarily when extra facial protection is required, like for a broken jaw. So besides no player really wanting to be the first to use a full cage for macho reasons, the rules say they quite literally can’t.

Why is this? Because it’s been shown players are much less cautious with their sticks when they’re wearing full facial protection. So everyone needs to wear them or nobody. That’s the logic of it anyway.

[moose-and-squirrel]

The NHL actually restricts the usage of a full face cage/shield. They’re only allowed temporarily when extra facial protection is required, like for a broken jaw. So besides no player really wanting to be the first to use a full cage for macho reasons, the rules say they quite literally can’t.

Why is this? Because it’s been shown players are much less cautious with their sticks when they’re wearing full facial protection. So everyone needs to wear them or nobody. That’s the logic of it anyway.

I didn't know that, but makes a ton of sense

and to that, in that article it kinda proves that point. in one of the pics, it shows 2 players in what appears to be a crease scrum, and both are hitting each other in the face with their sticks

[Old_Goat]

The NHL actually restricts the usage of a full face cage/shield. They’re only allowed temporarily when extra facial protection is required, like for a broken jaw. So besides no player really wanting to be the first to use a full cage for macho reasons, the rules say they quite literally can’t.

Why is this? Because it’s been shown players are much less cautious with their sticks when they’re wearing full facial protection. So everyone needs to wear them or nobody. That’s the logic of it anyway.

Thanks. I get the reality of the less cautious and I was aware of the rule. Back in those days, just having the stick up carelessly/dangerously resulted in a 5-minute Major period. It did not matter if there was contact nor blood drawn. I feel we should go back to that. But I also feel that just touching the gloves on a slight stick check should not be so quickly penalized as a hook...NOT to be confused with an aggressive slash to the hands -- I realize it's a judgement call, but it seems the pendulum swung a bit.
Anyway... going back to the shield/bubble. Maybe coming up with a better design that most of the players can come to realize is okay, they could then either loosen the rule against a fuller shield, call the high sticks and cross checks to the face more strictly, and/or mandate that going forward for new players, similar to the grandfathering of helmets and subsequently shields.

[Harry York 37]

The NHL actually restricts the usage of a full face cage/shield. They’re only allowed temporarily when extra facial protection is required, like for a broken jaw. So besides no player really wanting to be the first to use a full cage for macho reasons, the rules say they quite literally can’t.

Why is this? Because it’s been shown players are much less cautious with their sticks when they’re wearing full facial protection. So everyone needs to wear them or nobody. That’s the logic of it anyway.

Thanks. I get the reality of the less cautious and I was aware of the rule. Back in those days, just having the stick up carelessly/dangerously resulted in a 5-minute Major period. It did not matter if there was contact nor blood drawn. I feel we should go back to that. But I also feel that just touching the gloves on a slight stick check should not be so quickly penalized as a hook...NOT to be confused with an aggressive slash to the hands -- I realize it's a judgement call, but it seems the pendulum swung a bit.
Anyway... going back to the shield/bubble. Maybe coming up with a better design that most of the players can come to realize is okay, they could then either loosen the rule against a fuller shield, call the high sticks and cross checks to the face more strictly, and/or mandate that going forward for new players, similar to the grandfathering of helmets and subsequently shields.

I don't remember much more than the refs threatening you if you held your stick too high. It seems they might have called penalties on players who ignored them.
It's a helluva lot scarier playing competitive ice hockey with a naked face and vulnerable eyes if everyone is not cognizant about the threat of horrific injury. One of my teammates was involved in a play where an opponent lost his sight in one eye. There was an actual criminal case.

[moose-and-squirrel]

The NHL actually restricts the usage of a full face cage/shield. They’re only allowed temporarily when extra facial protection is required, like for a broken jaw. So besides no player really wanting to be the first to use a full cage for macho reasons, the rules say they quite literally can’t.

Why is this? Because it’s been shown players are much less cautious with their sticks when they’re wearing full facial protection. So everyone needs to wear them or nobody. That’s the logic of it anyway.

Thanks. I get the reality of the less cautious and I was aware of the rule. Back in those days, just having the stick up carelessly/dangerously resulted in a 5-minute Major period. It did not matter if there was contact nor blood drawn. I feel we should go back to that. But I also feel that just touching the gloves on a slight stick check should not be so quickly penalized as a hook...NOT to be confused with an aggressive slash to the hands -- I realize it's a judgement call, but it seems the pendulum swung a bit.
Anyway... going back to the shield/bubble. Maybe coming up with a better design that most of the players can come to realize is okay, they could then either loosen the rule against a fuller shield, call the high sticks and cross checks to the face more strictly, and/or mandate that going forward for new players, similar to the grandfathering of helmets and subsequently shields.

I don't remember much more than the refs threatening you if you held your stick too high. It seems they might have called penalties on players who ignored them.
It's a helluva lot scarier playing competitive ice hockey with a naked face and vulnerable eyes if everyone is not cognizant about the threat of horrific injury. One of my teammates was involved in a play where an opponent lost his sight in one eye. There was an actual criminal case.

when I ref'd a few years back, they def wanted us to call that, even if you were all alone at the point just waving your stick for a pass

we did NOT call that lol

edit: to your point tho, I DID work with a guy that used to yell at players for that