Lacrosse gear

[Jakedajewler 1]

I play rec hockey twice a week, I don't wear shoulder pads cause there is no hitting but last week I got a puck in the chest and it hurt bad LOL. I don't want to wear shoulder pads, but I was wondering about Lacrosse chest protector. Anyone have experience using these for hockey? Would it work?

[Braden717 0]

Should be fine man. I know plenty of friends who use lacrosse gear, even gloves. It's essentially the same thing. If you already have lacrosse pads use em.

[Chadd 916]

Lacrosse pads are fine until they aren't. I've seen a few people get hurt wearing them over the years.

[MountainKing 10]

We had a player who wore lacrosse gear and ended up with a separated shoulder, non contact league. To be honest, I have no clue if a regular pair of shoulder pads would have resulted in any less of an injury but just thought I'd throw it out there. In hockey pads there would have been at least something there to help absorb the impact.

[SirJW 207]

Just get a pair of lighter hockey shoulder pads. There are two or three active threads discussing options right now.

So you got hit in the chest, by "fluke", what not to say you will get rubbed into the boards shoulder first by a "fluke"?

[MThockeydad 469]

Several recent threads on here from people looking for more chest protection but not bulky shoulder pads, either lacing or sewing on lighter shoulder caps.

[PeterLax 3]

Depends on what kind you are getting honestly. You will be more protected in a mid level set of lacrosse pads than a low level set of hockey ones. Just look for ones with solid chest protection. <br /><br />The STX Cells have pretty good chest protection with their isoblox tech (similar to the M11 padding), and you can find them cheap. Wearing lacrosse pads are as close to the feeling of no shoulders as you're going to find.

[Jakedajewler 1]

Just get a pair of lighter hockey shoulder pads. There are two or three active threads discussing options right now.

So you got hit in the chest, by "fluke", what not to say you will get rubbed into the boards shoulder first by a "fluke"?

This is a good point, I guess i'm not really worried about my shoulder, more worried about taking a puck to the heart

Also the Lacrosse gear seems cheaper, Just saw a warrior one with no shoulder pads but full chest protectoin on sale for $29.99

[MThockeydad 469]

That's a great point. Should one consider better chest protection across my entire chest or just my sternum?

Lax shoulders are dirt cheap compared to similarly built hockey shoulders. Lacrosse balls aren't quite as heavy as a 6oz puck. Are they enough?

[PeterLax 3]

Just get a pair of lighter hockey shoulder pads. There are two or three active threads discussing options right now.

So you got hit in the chest, by "fluke", what not to say you will get rubbed into the boards shoulder first by a "fluke"?

This is a good point, I guess i'm not really worried about my shoulder, more worried about taking a puck to the heart

Also the Lacrosse gear seems cheaper, Just saw a warrior one with no shoulder pads but full chest protectoin on sale for $29.99

Certain lacrosse shoulder pads come with an additional removable heart pad if that is what you are looking for, STX cell liners and shoulders should have it for sure, some other STX products, maybe.

[Chadd 916]

That's a great point. Should one consider better chest protection across my entire chest or just my sternum?

Lax shoulders are dirt cheap compared to similarly built hockey shoulders. Lacrosse balls aren't quite as heavy as a 6oz puck. Are they enough?

Depends on how hard the puck is shot. I have to get up and go to work in the morning, I don't get to go on IR or be scratched from the lineup there without losing money. A lot more money than the extra couple bucks that the pads cost.

[PeterLax 3]

Depends on how hard the puck is shot. I have to get up and go to work in the morning, I don't get to go on IR or be scratched from the lineup there without losing money. A lot more money than the extra couple bucks that the pads cost.

You have to consider both sports have roughly the speed of the ball/puck, as well as mass, so they are both built to take roughly the same impact.

The main thing you are gaining are mobility. Are you losing some protection, sure, but the areas in which you are losing them are not regularly impacted areas by any stretch of the imagination. If you are getting a decent, mid-level lacrosse set, they will be more protective than a lower tier hockey set, or the no shoulder pad approach (obviously).

[Chadd 916]

You have to consider both sports have roughly the speed of the ball/puck, as well as mass, so they are both built to take roughly the same impact.

The main thing you are gaining are mobility. Are you losing some protection, sure, but the areas in which you are losing them are not regularly impacted areas by any stretch of the imagination. If you are getting a decent, mid-level lacrosse set, they will be more protective than a lower tier hockey set, or the no shoulder pad approach (obviously).

Lacrosse balls aren't generally frozen and the only mobility lost with hockey shoulder pads are things you never do on the ice with a stick in your hands anyway. Well, maybe you can't get your hands quite as upright on your goal celebration with a bulkier pair of hockey shoulders, I'll grant you that.

I've seen guys doing it for as long as I've been playing and they've all been burned eventually.

[strosedefence34 175]

i wear lacrosse elbow pads. I never could get used to hockey ones.

As someone who played both field lacrosse and hockey growing up. Im going to have to agree with PeterLax on this one. I'm willing to bet a mid range shoulder pad is going to be better then some 5030s or supreme classics in terms of protection from the puck. Providing you leave all the attachments on. Getting hit into the boards is a whole different story. I am not sure what pro box lacrosse players wear, but I am sure they aren't the same as field lacrosse shoulders.

[Iggy Z 1]

Lacrosse pads are fine until they aren't. I've seen a few people get hurt wearing them over the years.

OP - listen to Chadd's first-hand take on lacrosse gear here...

We had a player who wore lacrosse gear and ended up with a separated shoulder, non contact league. To be honest, I have no clue if a regular pair of shoulder pads would have resulted in any less of an injury but just thought I'd throw it out there. In hockey pads there would have been at least something there to help absorb the impact.

I also suffered an AC separation wearing lacrosse shoulder pads. Playing pick-up I made mutual contact going into a corner. The other player was a few inches shorter than I and when we bumped my shoulder jacked up... the damage had been done... I'll spare you all the details, but I will tell you that I ended up with my right arm in a sling. At that time I was working a co-op job through my college which required computer drafting and I got way behind on my work...

Sure, it is possible that I could have suffered that same injury regardless of what equipment I was wearing, but bottom line is that the lacrosse pads I had on did not protect me. I chucked them in the trash. Are you willing to risk your health? I'm not. I hope this thread will persuade you from taking unnecessary risks for the sake of...? Not worth it.

[MThockeydad 469]

Not playing devil's advocate here--serious question:
How do hockey shoulders protect your shoulders better? They're just curved pads held on with Velcro? It's not like they truly immobilize the joint.

[Iggy Z 1]

Not playing devil's advocate here--serious question:

How do hockey shoulders protect your shoulders better? They're just curved pads held on with Velcro? It's not like they truly immobilize the joint.

Right, that's the tricky part in trying to determine whether or not shoulder pads designed for ice hockey would prevent a very specific injury such as an AC separation. I am not sure they would, but I know that lacrosse pads definitely won't.

Shoulder pads are obviously designed differently between sports. Football pads would seem way overkill for hockey right? Lacrosse pads are a notch in the other direction with much less protection offered. The bigger the molded plastic shoulder cup is, the greater dissipation of force is over a larger area, and the thicker the padding is, the more energy is absorbed by the pad.

You could take a blow with a 5 lb. sledge to a football shoulder and be fine. Would I try that with hockey shoulder pads? No way. The principle is the same between shoulder pads, but the design differences are there for a reason.

OP if you are adamant about trying lacrosse pads I would tread lightly and treat yourself as if you were not wearing shoulder pads at all.

[MThockeydad 469]

The bigger the molded plastic shoulder cup is, the greater dissipation of force is over a larger area, and the thicker the padding is, the more energy is absorbed by the pad.

Thank you. That is exactly the answer I was looking for.

[AfftonDad 88]

Depending on how rough of a league my 12 year old son is playing in, I sometimes have him wear his CCM CL shoulder pads in lacrosse!