sort of goal equipment sorta goalie position change question...

[Truckie 27]

Some of you have heard this in other posts of mine... but 50yo noob   pond and driveway hockey   YEARS ago

been playing out and skating for a month....  during a no check game , on D, I fell going  for a puck dumped to our end,, tore an ab( dr said had to be tweaked before I fell and could of happened sneezing or coughing too) and had internal bleeding, hospital stay, and told no work for a month or hockey....  I am I Firefighter for a career, so not in terrible shape but not a calendar guy either. ( I have a repaired left tibial plateau, (broke leg vertically) and already have had 1st heart attack( 2 stents and cleared for work)  I have always been more of a hundred yard dash guy as opposed to a cross country runner.

considering switching to GOALIE, I had a full set of MYLEC street/driveway stuff in the old days ( with the JASON mask) and played plenty of 5 on none, where you knew you were gonna get beat but had a blast doing everything possible to not get beat. even HEXTALL ankle swats

do you guys think I am safer as an older guy sitting in net?   or am I safer out skating??   will only ever play in beginner  or over 40 divisions  or open hockey or the firemans friday night pickup league

and if this is deemed a safer position for me,   I am looking for gear, possibly used to save $$,   I am 5' 10"   200lbs    34W x30 long jeans .... my skating gear now is adult large

how do I size the leg pads so I can compare prices of stuff out there, do I have to do same with gloves? blocker?  guessing other pads  and mask would be adult large.... would probably buy new goal skates unless found some fantastic used deal. will get neck protector too... the cat eye masks look like a puck could get through that hole... certified  mask? or one that says nothing about certified in the description?  what is considered an "entry level shot?  some gear says designed for that...  what if someone gets off a shea weber evil twin shot?    do goalies wear 2 cups?

sorry if this an off base, goofy post

any help would be great... thanks

 

[IPv6Freely 2082]

2 hours ago, Truckie said:

Some of you have heard this in other posts of mine... but 50yo noob   pond and driveway hockey   YEARS ago

been playing out and skating for a month....  during a no check game , on D, I fell going  for a puck dumped to our end,, tore an ab( dr said had to be tweaked before I fell and could of happened sneezing or coughing too) and had internal bleeding, hospital stay, and told no work for a month or hockey....  I am I Firefighter for a career, so not in terrible shape but not a calendar guy either. ( I have a repaired left tibial plateau, (broke leg vertically) and already have had 1st heart attack( 2 stents and cleared for work)  I have always been more of a hundred yard dash guy as opposed to a cross country runner.

considering switching to GOALIE, I had a full set of MYLEC street/driveway stuff in the old days ( with the JASON mask) and played plenty of 5 on none, where you knew you were gonna get beat but had a blast doing everything possible to not get beat. even HEXTALL ankle swats

do you guys think I am safer as an older guy sitting in net?   or am I safer out skating??   will only ever play in beginner  or over 40 divisions  or open hockey or the firemans friday night pickup league

and if this is deemed a safer position for me,   I am looking for gear, possibly used to save $$,   I am 5' 10"   200lbs    34W x30 long jeans .... my skating gear now is adult large

how do I size the leg pads so I can compare prices of stuff out there, do I have to do same with gloves? blocker?  guessing other pads  and mask would be adult large.... would probably buy new goal skates unless found some fantastic used deal. will get neck protector too... the cat eye masks look like a puck could get through that hole... certified  mask? or one that says nothing about certified in the description?  what is considered an "entry level shot?  some gear says designed for that...  what if someone gets off a shea weber evil twin shot?    do goalies wear 2 cups?

sorry if this an off base, goofy post

any help would be great... thanks

 

I see no reason why you can't try. Let me try to address your questions.

- sizing leg pads: you want to get your ATK (ankle to knee) measurement. Basically from the mid knee cap to your ankle. From there you can reference each manufacturers size charts. Most pads these days are "+1" with the size. This just refers to how tall the thigh rise is (the part above the knee that covers... your thigh...). +1 is typical. If you want it taller you go +2, +2.5, etc etc.

 

-For gloves, unless you have small hands then adult gloves are one-size-fits-all

- Your chest protector is probably a medium, but this depends on the vendor. It's not based on width at all, but rather height. Also some vendors have different length arms. You want something thats at, or just above, the wrist bones. 

- Pants will be preference. I'd guess Large for you

- You will want knee pads. For the love of christ get some knee pads. Don't listen to the idiots who say they aren't necessary.

- Mask is all about fit. Make sure it doesnt say "polycarbonate". Certified helmet is irrelevant. A non-cert helmet made of fiberglass is 1000x better than a certified mask made of plastic. So, avoid things like the Bauer NME3 and NME5. The description should say what the mask is made out of. Some brands (Bauer, CCM, etc) have plastic certified masks. Some brands don't have certification stickers on them. As an adult, you don't need a certified helmet or cage. 

- For the cage, its all about risk. A puck is REALLY unlikely to fit through those holes. You'd be much more worried about stick blades and butt ends. Go certified (straight bar) cage if you don't want to risk it. I personally am willing to give up some safety for better sight lines. Some people aren't. 

- Get a dangler to protect your throat. You should probably also wear a throat collar regardless, but the dangler could save your bacon. Again, I don't wear one but I also know I should be.

- For skates: whatever fits you. Go for clearance models to save some money

- Some goalies wear a player cup under their goalie cup. Some don't. Some goalie jocks have two cups in them. Just personal preference. 

Does that help?

- 

[Truckie 27]

with 9.5 skate and 5'10" and 19"  knee to floor and about 7" up 1/2 thigh , I should be looking for 34 +1 leg pads.

I guess my question, relates to more ab pulls, and possible internal bleeding from getting hit by shots( at least until I am off the meds) Playing goal.... guessing an awkward fall tweaked my ab and the next fall tore it and the bleed began.  Dr. ok'd  my for Firefighting which I think is more risky than beer league hockey...

I mean buying goalie equip could pay for itself over time as goalies play free here

 

I guess I need to find a list of all the needed equipment and see what it will cost me for everything.

 thinking of keeping player gear just in case there too many goalies show up one night...  

right now cheaper to just play out, after confirming with Dr.

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Keep in mind sizing is different between brands (and sometimes between models from the same brand) so make sure you consult a size chart for that specific brand.

I don't have any input on the health part, sorry!

[bunnyman666 445]

@Truckie Welcome to the brotherhood. We're a crazy bunch.

I wear a regular jock and cup under a goalie jock. The triple cupping is especially important when wearing compression garments, as with a hard cup, your goalie jock over the compression garment has a place to "sit" (as a compression garment flattens your "stuff" enough that the goalie jock moves around and you can get pinged in the jewels). I have taken enough shots in that nether region to feel the benefit of three cups (as good goalie jocks have two cups). Brand is irrelevant, as long as it's a major (Ccm, Brian's, Vaughn, Simmons, Brown, etc.).

Get together with your doc and see if you couldn't get a physical therapist to strengthen your abs or (probably more importantly) what is around them. Of course most ab exercises build "mirror" muscles. This is an area I have ZERO expertise on, but know enough that there is more than likely a physio element than anything with your pulls. Goaltending is a very physical position, and one in which you find your shape deficiencies in quite a rude way. You will rely more on your core and you will hurt the first few times in net.

Don't skimp on knee guards. Visit the Factory Mad website, get contact info, and talk to Dennis. Tell him some bloke with a crazy accent sent you. His are EXPENSIVE, but have saved my bacon with everytime a junior Mac Innis or Weber shot caught me at the five hole in the butterfly. Knee guards, goalie jocks, chesties, and helmets are places that you should NOT skimp on! Low-level senior equipment everywhere else (leg pads, gloves) are fine, they just break down quicker.

If you are going to try someone else's equipment for a spell, player skates are fine; if you are going to give it an all-in try, for G'ds sake get goalie skates!

List:

helmet (as long as it has ZERO polycarbonate)

goalie jock

regular jock and cup

knee guards

Chest/arm protector

goalie skates

gloves (blocker and trapper)

breezers (pants)

leg pads

compression garment

maybe suspenders for your knee guards (yes- they are called garter belts in North America)

Brown braces (yes, they are called "suspenders*" in North America). Brown "suspenders" are the BEST you can buy, but cost around $50. After breaking three sets of A&R, the Brown became a bargain.

black Gladiator cut-resistant hockey socks to go over your knee guards. Some would say overkill, especially with a modern leg pad's calf wrap; I say better safe than sorry.

Goalie cut sweater

goalie stick

tape

patience

check ego at door, as this position will humble you GREATLY

Some guys wear rubber gloves under their goalie gloves, I just never got used to that.  

Just remember that like myself- you are starting this position at an advanced age. There will be sessions that will make you want to burn your equipment in a bonfire. Just loosen up, laugh off the last goal, set back up, and try to save the next one.

*I always associated the word "suspenders" with stockings and "suspenders" (or what you call garter belts) to cheezy lingerie that exotic dancers wear. So I can't get myself to say "suspenders" for something I would wear.

[Truckie 27]

Thanks for the list!  

May run by a shop ,I found near by, and price out the setup....   gonna head out to the... Nashville Fire department team Vs HOCKEY SAVES team Charity game later today. gonna check to see if rink has a used equip. posting board.... 

I think either way, I need to get back to work next Saturday and see how the injury feels, then check with Dr. who prescribed the blood thinner, on when that stops,

I have pulled stuff in the past, It was the internal bleed that made it extremely painful, and gave it the month off work, as they didn't want me to bleed again...  with no thinner I would have been sore for a week, (10 days tops) and not missed any work.

[Truckie 27]

well,  that shop is out of business... and no used equip forsale board.. at the rink... and nothing at Play it again sports,  except kids stuff...

but we did get to watch the Charity games for 9/11 NEVER FORGET--- Nashville Fire vs  air force bombers ...and then...  HockeySaves  vs Nashville FIRE

2 competitive games  lots of scoring...

I gotta keep looking for a place to try on  gear...ugh

 

[bunnyman666 445]

@Truckie I am surprised that you couldn't find anything at Play it Again, but then again- shopping there can be a full time job and you can miss a gem by literally seconds. 

Independent hockey shoppes are hit and miss. The ones I used to buy gear from as a lad are all gone. I remember one that was ran by one of my favourite ex-Blues players (not Gilmour) was gone literally months after I first checked them the first time years before Monkey and Giant (let alone the internet). There is only one independent sports shoppe/chain that sells hockey equipment in the St. Louis area that I know about, but the goalie equipment selection is poor, if not non-existent. We're lucky enough to have THREE Total Hockey stores here.

eBay is always a good place to look, though it is hit and miss. A lot of people try and sell turds for full freight; of course Play It Again can have that syndrome, as well.

Check the classifieds on this site. 

 

[IPv6Freely 2082]

The best place for used goalie gear is GGSU, hands down. You just have to put up with a bunch of idiotic posts to get to the good stuff.

[bunnyman666 445]

^ which is why I will NOT recommend GGSU. But you're right, @IPv6Freely