Cheaper Masks

[IPv6Freely 2082]

There's a blue/white NME3 on GGSU for $100 if you're interested.

[badger_14 601]

I didn't pay Ice Hockey as a kid, how hard of shots are 9 - 10 year old taking? I know in this thread I said I would not play with anything less than fiberglass, but that's because I'm facing adults taking hard shots. If the shots aren't all that hard, I don't see much of a risk using a lexan / poly mask. Be interested to hear what some of the experienced goalies or youth coaches have to say but I would venture to say that untill they are 12 - 13, the cheaper well fitting mask will serve your kid well & then I would graduate to fiberglass where the mask will last much longer (less growth)

In my experience, the 9 & 10 year olds have fairly recently discovered lofting the puck and will take any opportunity to do so. Their shots aren't that hard, necessarily, but they are pretty high. The cheaper mask is probably okay as long as it doesn't vibrate too much.

[Thinkingjack 51]

I would stay away from any bauer NME mask below the 5-7 depending on your level of play, the 3 is just dangerous and plastic and breaks too damn easy. We had a beginner guy in a beginner league get hit with a soft shot and it cracked the shell

Imagine a real shot?

[bunnyman666 445]

I normally like lexan/polycarbonate for many things, but with the complex curves of a masque, it seems plain dangerous. I wish they would make masques out of the more ductile plastic helmets are made from. Maybe that is not possible; who knows?

[IPv6Freely 2082]

I would stay away from any bauer NME mask below the 5-7 depending on your level of play, the 3 is just dangerous and plastic and breaks too damn easy. We had a beginner guy in a beginner league get hit with a soft shot and it cracked the shell

Imagine a real shot?

For an adult I 100% agree. For young kids it's fine. For 10-12 age range it's probably not okay but Bauer/CCM don't make JR sized fibreglass masks as far as I've seen, and because of the stupid requirement that they be certified some of the custom mask makers aren't really an option.

[Thinkingjack 51]

i would draw the line at age 12 for kids using plastic masks, unless we're talking WaLL which i was using a PRO-Active for years, and it was awesome, then yeah thats different.

I normally like lexan/polycarbonate for many things, but with the complex curves of a masque, it seems plain dangerous. I wish they would make masques out of the more ductile plastic helmets are made from. Maybe that is not possible; who knows?

i would look at it this way, everyone seems to think ridges are good. Well, are they really? Patrick roy and many goalies wore rounded masks their entire careers, and round is better because it doesn't leave any flat surfaces to hit.

as for the mixture, it really depends, a little ABS helps give it a rubbery shock absorption and keeps it from vibrating, Lexan is too flexible and depending on the weather you see it go brittle too fast and dangerously, look at danglers for goalies in warmer weather. and extreme cold weather like ….almost all of canada.

with the way impact is and how soft player helmets are, a mask made out of that would need rock solid different types of padding internally to just keep your head from being caved in

[IPv6Freely 2082]

i would draw the line at age 12 for kids using plastic masks, unless we're talking WaLL which i was using a PRO-Active for years, and it was awesome, then yeah thats different.

Does WaLL have CSA/HECC stickers?

[Thinkingjack 51]

I'm not sure, mine didn't have them because mine was a prototype

[andysly 1]

On 1/19/2016 at 3:27 AM, OptimusReim said:

From what I've seen based on the 10 minutes or so I spent looking, there aren't really any "off the shelf" options for youth/junior that aren't poly. With that in mind, I'd go ahead and go with an NME5 or something (depending on what fits his head) and go with something fiberglass once he gets to a senior size.

Of course we're ignoring the custom route, which is surprisingly cheap - however most (if not all?) of these options are not CSA/HECC certified so they can't be used in 99.9% of kids leagues.

I'm trying to find a mask for my 10 year old and I'm amazed that hecc has certified a bunch of poly/lexan but left the better fiberglass masks off the list. He is in an nme 3 now and about to transition to travel hockey. I won't let him on the ice in his nme 3 against these travel kids who love to shoot high. He has just about outgrown the nme 3 anyway. 

 

I wish I could go with a sportmask but it's not hecc certified. USA hockey mandates hecc certification.

 

So, I've narrowed it down to the nme 8 and profile 940. I hope he can work with the fit 1 which is the smallest of the 3 bauer sizes. If not, I'm forced to go with the 940 since that is the only mask made of fiberglass in junior size. 

[bunnyman666 445]

@andyslyI know what I would do- use the backplate from an HECC certified masque and put it on a good masque. Just remove the Sportmask stickers. 99/100 refs don't inspect that thoroughly. Of course I don't know if goalie helmets have expiry dates on the stickers. You would have to have a certified cage, however. Pro cat eyes are kind of a dead give away.  Of course I don't like the pro cat eye any longer since I almost had a puck stick in the opening.

[andysly 1]

1 hour ago, bunnyman666 said:

@andyslyI know what I would do- use the backplate from an HECC certified masque and put it on a good masque. Just remove the Sportmask stickers. 99/100 refs don't inspect that thoroughly. Of course I don't know if goalie helmets have expiry dates on the stickers. You would have to have a certified cage, however. Pro cat eyes are kind of a dead give away.  Of course I don't like the pro cat eye any longer since I almost had a puck stick in the opening.

Hmm, now THAT is an interesting approach. I'll think it over.  Thanks. 

[bunnyman666 445]

53 minutes ago, andysly said:

Hmm, now THAT is an interesting approach. I'll think it over.  Thanks. 

 

Back in the day, I remember CSA stickers finding their way onto things like Jofa VM (a.k.a. Gretzky helmet) and other questionable helmets. Knowing what I know, it's just as ridiculous as HECC certification on crappy plastic goalie helmets. 

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Id go NME8 personally (as I have two of them) but really it's whichever one fits better.