18 replies to this topic

[CrazyDanny]

Took a slapper in the face a couple weeks ago - thankfully I had my trusty rusty Itech on, otherwise I would be sipping lunch through a straw right now. The bars were actually touching my cheek for the rest of the game. Finally forced to retire it after 15+ years - trying to get used to the shiny new Bauer 'TrueVision', but I honestly miss the old black bars.

Check out the damage -

[Brian]

wow, that was a solid shot huh

[mikeronan]

I took the cage off for two games a few years ago. I told myself that I would be able to see better with a sheild. Halfway thru the second game my buddy hits me in the face with a slapper. Broken nose,broken cheek,broken orbital bone,3 teeth knocked out and ruptured sinus cavity... Was blind in both eyeys for a week and was blind in the right eye for almost a month. Never again will I take the cage off.

[modny123]

hmm

maybe i'll put my cage back on lol

[Purelife]

I always have my cage on, not work getting smashed in the face for rec league.
All it takes is a careless high stick and you could loose an eye.. well maybe not so bad but you know.

[kaaayelll]

Every time I consider going to a half shield, I get wrapped in the cage with a shaft and am reminded that I can see just fine through those bars.

[thinkingjack]

i wear a shield took a slap shot off the shield and all i got was a sore cheek from where the puck would have crushed my orbital bone and nose and since i watched it come directly at my right eye, well, i may not have had an eye if i didnt wear one. i'm glad i wear one

[Brian]

I wear a shield one out of 3 nights per week I play. The other 2 nights it's full cage. I've been smashed in the face WAY too many times during those other 2 nights. My Wednesday team is generally older dudes, so they are more responsible.

[auditory]

My thing is, why should you risk it when you are not even getting paid? Then again, this is just my opinion.

[Grizzly]

I couldn't wait to get my cage off. For me it just gets in the way and I love the "openness" of having a shield or nothing. I change my mind a lot but lately have been going without anything. I fully understand the risks and have been caught in the face plenty of times. I will say it does help playing with a lot of guys without cages since usually, and I say USUALLY, they are more aware of the risks and tend to keep sticks/pucks down when a fellow "no-cager" is around.

[robert48124]

The part that sucks the most about getting hit in the face is having to hear the same question over and over again...."did your wife hit you?"

[WindyCity]

A couple years ago a guy standing right next to me got a stick in the mouth -- lost all his front teeth. It seemed like such a soft hit to the mouth for that to happen. I've worn a cage ever since even though I hate it. Dave Bolland just took a shot to his right eye and now wears a half shield. He said it really scared him about potentially losing his eye sight.

[Grammer]

A little background, I never played minor hockey - I didn't start playing till I was 23 actually. So I've never worn a cage. But I remember the first time i wore a shield. I had to put one on for a game in a friend's rec league after playing for about a year without anything. I put it on and noticed absolutely zero difference. Nothing happened that game and I thought about taking it off, but I arrived late for drop-in and didn't have time to remove it, so I just went with it. In the first ten minutes, tendy goes behind the net to ring it around the glass, I go into the corner and it hits me dead centre in the middle of the visor. It woulda busted my nose - and that woulda been the best case scenario. It was... eye opening (pun intended). That said, I've played without one more often than not. And like Grizz said, I just the freedom of it. The wind in the face and all. But there's obviously no legitimate reason for me to not wear one. The plus side is my girlfriend supports visor buying a little more than she does the rest of my purchases.

Sorry for the essay.

[Yetso]

It seems like every time I get comfortable enough to take off the cage and throw on a visor, I get a puck to the chest, or wizzing by my head. Scares the crap outta me. I'm pretty much stuck to a cage now, except for stick & puck.

[rocknrolltakeover]

Wow...solid shot! I had that same Itech cage for years when I was a kid.

To echo almost everyone's thoughts, I have a 9-5 office job that I have to be presentable for, so it's just not worth it to ditch the cage. Just takes one bad bounce or careless follow through and you've got a broken face.

[desertdog8]

Took one deflection off the mouth, didn't lose any team but lots of stitches. Cage for life.

[1stOverall]

lucky guy, good thing you had the cage on. I wore a visor my last two years in junior and first year of beer league but it took it off and just rock the bucket for the past 4 years. Im pretty stubborn to put a visor back on even tho i have a couple sitting around. In the past 4 years I've been cut by a stick once. I play in two different divisions on separate nights and i must say in the lower division i get a lot more close calls as guys could give a shit about swinging around their stick like a moron.

[thinkingjack]

few weeks ago i sold the visor on my screw around helmet, a modified bauer 8000, i changed the padding and put on a VN liner, pretty rad. Anyway, i was going to wear it and as i threw it in my bag i stared at it and i got the "washing over me" feeling that gave me chills, and i threw it out of the bag and put my main helmet in it, thirty minutes into the game, i took a deflection off the mouth and visor, not bad because it more skidded off the mouth and bounced off the visor and not my nose. Ten minutes later a full slap shot just rose up and broke my visor at the screws where it connects, no damage to my face or helmet just the visor, i literally took off the helmet kissed my visor told it "MWAH i love you i love you i love you i love you THANK YOU and *points at guy who can't shoot a puck below 4 feet* fuck you!" and skated off, comical time. But i was thankful.

[Ev--NYR]

Went out to shinny Thursday night, buncha high school kids out since its the start of March break. Lotta "hotshots" out to impress...who knows. but everyone knows you don't whip passes from the corner to the front of the net.

One "hotshot" threw the puck out front, tendy went to deflect it away, a natural reflex, and the puck found the one guy on the ice with no visor or cage whatsoever. Pretty sure he still had the cage holders on the side of the bucket too. Hit him right square in the beak. Silly kids thinking they can get out there and just rip off the cage.

Decent amount of blood where he left the ice.