The position of goaltender
in the game of professional hockey is so specialized that no goalies play other
positions, and likewise, no other players play goalie. Because of the
tremendous power of the shots of the puck towards the net, the goaltender wears
special equipment designed to protect the body from direct impact. Goalies may
use any part of their bodies to block shots, including their face and head.
After receiving a seven-stitch laceration to the face in 1959, Jacques Plante of the
Montreal Canadiens, was the first goaltender to employ the practical fiberglass
mask to protect his face, and since then the goalie masks have evolved to the
full fiberglass helmet and cage combination most popular today. However, while
the National Hockey League (NHL) specifies
maximum dimensions of goaltending equipment to prevent goalies from having an
unfair advantage, there is no agreement on the standards for goalie masks, only
for other player’s helmets.
Every goalie wants to have
the advantage – they want to see better, have an improved range of motion, use
lighter and better fitting equipment, and they are willing to wear below
standard equipment in protecting their head in order to have those advantages.
Concussions have dominated the hockey news for the past year, losing some of
its top players to the sidelines. According to CBC
TV Sports, $118 million worth of goalies were injured by shots off the mask
in the past year.
The NHL and its General
Managers want three things to insure proper protection for the goalies:
-
- evidence that the forehead/jaw of a mask can withstand the most extreme
forces the game can bring
- a minimum of ½” foam inside the shell
While comfort is important, safety for the goalie should
always come first.
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