Olie MA2000 Pro Series Goalie Mask

[Netminder32 32]

Reviewer Specs:

Height: 5’ 8”

Weight: 220lbs

Head Size: large

Experience: 17 years rec and beer league

vs Shooters: rec to semi pro

Olie MA2000 Pro Series Goalie Mask:

Fit:

Very comfortable mask with a good large facial opening and adequate adjustment. This mask has the standard five strap system for back plate adjustment and uses a velcro mounted chin cup for facial adjustment. This mask does fit slightly narrow in the cheek/chin area. If you have a more rounded face you will find the fit of the new 7000 better choice but for most faces the 2000 offers a great fit for a non-custom mask. The sight lines are great. Overall a really comfortable mask with lots of adjustment.

8/10

Protection

The protection is outstanding. The mask uses a rubberized vinyl nitrile liner (VN600) which is pretty much standard in the industry. It has sufficient protection and isn’t overly bulky. It’s not as light as the extruded foam used in some masks but it’s a lot more pliable and comfortable. The shell is a fiberglass composition with carbon fiber reinforcement. This adds to both the strength and the rigidity of the shell.

8/10

Weight

This mask is not the lightest on the market but is also no where near as heavy as some of the other fiberglass shells available. I would place it somewhere in the middle. Not as light as a Sport Mask, not as heavy as an Eddy.

7/10

Durability

I’ve been using various Olie 2000’s for approaching a decade now. Currently I’m on my 5th mask. During all of that time I’ve only every had one mask crack on me. The first week I was using my “pyro” mask I took a blast from the dots that came at me past my defenseman through a total screen and caught me square in the chin. The mask didn’t fail but it did do it’s job protecting me and in the process developed a hairline crack visible from inside the shell. I contacted Olie about it, they said return it to the dealer and they’d exchange it right away. No problems at all. I’ve never seen another shell crack either before or since.

8/10

Intangibles

The factory has a really decent paint program. You can order one of well over 30 available designs in any colour combination you want and they keep the mix fresh introducing a few new designs each year. The paint is durable and the paint jobs are crisp and clear. You can get yourself a nice mask with a unique look right off the shelf at a price others charge for just the paint. Pretty unbeatable deal.

9/10

Conclusion

The little bit of extra weight is well worth the extra protection and comfort. I’ve faced a lot of head shots without any problems. The factory paint jobs stand up well to any beating you are willing to inflict on them and this is one of the most inexpensive pro level masks around. I would recommend this mask without hesitation to any other goaltenders out there regardless of who’s shooting the rubber at ‘ya.

Overall: 8/10

[Netminder32 32]

Update:

For those of you keeping track, I finally retired my Olie Checkers mask after three years of heavy use. It was a great bucket and protected me well. Just felt it was time for a change and got a great deal on yet another Olie M2000 to add to the list. (That is #6 now... )The new mask is an Olie Kiprusoff or "Kipper". It is another factory paint mask designed to reflect one of Kiprusoff's 2009 paint jobs. I have been using this mask since December of last year and like it's predecessors it has been/is a great mask. Improvements to this model over the previous model years include: A newly designed for 2009/2010 stainless steel progressive wire cage and a new bare VN liner. Initially it took a little bit of time to adjust to the new wire positions on the new cage but after a few games I adjusted and they've kinda disappeared now. The new VN liner without the foam overlay layer is a big improvement over the older masks as it doesn't retain sweat like the old foam overlay did and seems to stay cooler. Otherwise, no changes and still a great deal for the money.

Rating Unchanged 8/10