Face injuries

[Shark#81 0]

In our league across ~150 players there might be 10% cages, 40% visors and the rest just the helmet !! I find this strange, but players are serious about playing well.

The league is really good hockey, with career players so there is not too many stick-type injuries. On our team there is 6 1/2 visors and 9 without facial protection.

I tried the 1/2 cage and while I really liked it I lost the puck in my skates twice while winding up coming out of our zone. So I put my visor helmet back on.

If everyone wore a cage, that'd be great as there is no advantage to the player without. They are heavy, and I believe costs a forward a bunch of points over a season.

I think a visor costs some points too, but not as much of course.

[Michael9 57]

Being only 16, I haven't gotten to use a visor to often. But, this year I got invited to try out for the junoir AAA. I didn't recieve any injuries, but I have a friend who got a highstick to the chin and anothe rwho got clipped in the teeth. After I got cut form the team, I went back down to my midget team. I had to put the cage back on. I noticed a huge difference in visuability. This was the first time that the bars bothered me. I think when I'm old enough I will use a visor, the vision is just so must better.

[N!! 0]

A couple years ago, I got to deal with someone who had collided with a teammate (both had the half-visor on). One was fine, the other was not.

The injured one had three cuts immediately around the eye itself. One was on the lateral part of the socket directly over the bone (with a resulting bone bruise), one was directly underneath (on the lower eyelid), and the other ran along the bottom of the bone above the eye. After getting him patched up as best as I could, he argued with me when I told him that icing the area the rest of the game to control the swelling and getting the cuts stitched was a good idea; I let him go when he agreed that he alone would be responsible if anything happened. Come third period, all the patching reopened and blood was pouring into what remained of the part that wasn't swollen.

For those on the forum, particularly the under-21 crowd, who want to take a cage or visor off or not wear a mouthguard as soon as you it's no longer required, USE YOUR HEAD! Don't go through life with traumatic jaw, dental, cerebral, or ocular problems because you wanted to be cool. Wear a cage or visor and get a mouthguard (Shock Doctor if you're cheap, Brain Pad if you can tolerate the size, or Mahercor if you REALLY care*). In addition, the number of nerves in the face and around these areas will cause more pain than you can imagine with something as odd as a careless swing of the stick.

*Mahercor mouthguards should be worn in conjunction with facial protection since they do not protect the front teeth at all.

[cougarscaptain87 12]

ive found that when i wore a halfer that sticks would get caught in the visor and rattle around instead of completly missing my face, the only injury ive gotten without anything is a "fight" i got in a few months back where the other guy kept his gloves on and stick in hand, cross checked me in the teeth, with pushed my teeth nearly through my lip, and then i caught my finger in his visor and ripped my nail off.

[Penguinsfanatic 0]

this one isn't that bad it is just really ironic.....well last friday, i bought a visor so i could take off my full shield and well we were playing 4 on 4 with one goalie and the other side would play post and then wed switch well my team was the one playing post and the one forward took a wrist shot at the goalie and me and another guy were in front of the net both of us on the same team trying to block the shot well the guy ahead of me tipped the puck up and right into my face...haha my lip swelled up on the left side and was black blue and purple inside and i have a bruise on the outside....and i have a fucked up jaw by the way that when i open my mouth all the way it locks out of the socket well it knocked it off line and i had a very painful couple nights trying to chew anything....i just thought it was funny cause i read this post not to long ago and then bam haha

[BMcDonald19 0]

goalie hit me in the face with a shot. knocked me out, and i get cut in the lips at least once a game

[Patrick67 1]

Cut in the lips once a game... whoa that's a pretty bad streak you got going on.....

[Gwyren 0]

Wow...

I am somewhat amazed to see the number of guys in only a half visor and a few with nothing (and often no mouthpiece) at all. Especially for something few of us are paid to do.

I thank you all for sharing your stories. They are very...painful...to read.

[Shark#81 0]

Another injury for our team on Sunday night. J-mole a defensemen, who has played maybe 5 games this year due to work etc., trying to thwart a 2 on 1 somehow got laying down in front of the crease and took a hard snap-shot to the side of the face. No visor, no cage.

Cut pretty badly. Xrays seem to show a cracked jaw bone as well, but any official word on that was for the specialist to review.

So that is two pucks to the face for our guys in like three games. The other player that took a clearing shot returned with a full cage after missing a game and a few teeth.

[TomMc#4 0]

i dont understand why u wudnt put a glove over ur exposed face if you are diving infront of the puck? :S i always do or i put my hand over my chin(i wear a halfy) if i see a point shot coming(when defending)

[Shark#81 0]

I saw the play from the bench. Happened fast. The rush to the net at full speed.

I thought he fell into the middle of the play and got hit by a skate. Guys out there said it was the shot, and there were a couple of whacks at it before it went in, after he was down for the count.

Regarding facial protection - There is a flow or pattern that is kinda predictable to most plays in the game of hockey. Experienced players, who grew up on the ice have automatic instincts and process plays so they don't put themselves in harms way or take appropriate action as you describe if they are. Experienced opposing players generally take care not to injure another player.

Factors outside of the rink can contribute to risk of injury. J-mole dropped into an intense game between two top teams. I don't know how much he has been playing recently. Also the offensive player in this case should have checked up on the shot, instead of whacking away at it.

[-brady2 0]

A couple years ago, I got to deal with someone who had collided with a teammate (both had the half-visor on). One was fine, the other was not.

The injured one had three cuts immediately around the eye itself. One was on the lateral part of the socket directly over the bone (with a resulting bone bruise), one was directly underneath (on the lower eyelid), and the other ran along the bottom of the bone above the eye. After getting him patched up as best as I could, he argued with me when I told him that icing the area the rest of the game to control the swelling and getting the cuts stitched was a good idea; I let him go when he agreed that he alone would be responsible if anything happened. Come third period, all the patching reopened and blood was pouring into what remained of the part that wasn't swollen.

For those on the forum, particularly the under-21 crowd, who want to take a cage or visor off or not wear a mouthguard as soon as you it's no longer required, USE YOUR HEAD! Don't go through life with traumatic jaw, dental, cerebral, or ocular problems because you wanted to be cool. Wear a cage or visor and get a mouthguard (Shock Doctor if you're cheap, Brain Pad if you can tolerate the size, or Mahercor if you REALLY care*). In addition, the number of nerves in the face and around these areas will cause more pain than you can imagine with something as odd as a careless swing of the stick.

*Mahercor mouthguards should be worn in conjunction with facial protection since they do not protect the front teeth at all.

mouthgards aren't made to protect the teeth, they are made for concussions

Ive worn a mouthguard playing pond hockey the odd time and taken a puck or stick to the face resulting in 4 missing teeth.

[Shark#81 0]

Do's and Don'ts

Don't stick check the puck with your blade angled into your face

Don't circle behind or near the net in a warm-up

Get out of your D's clearing line of fire when coming back into your zone.

Avoid looking over back over your shoulder unless you are standing still.

Be very cautious when skating against the grain of the play

Be 100% aware when cutting into the middle

Going into the corners or end boards, break the inside edge (i.e. start sliding/stopping) with ample margin.

Don't lift an opponent's stick with force and miss. Be 100% sure.

When using one hand on the stick keep the blade low to ice at all times.

Ease up if someone is in a vulnerable position

Watch where you shoot, and keep shots low if coming from a distance.

Any more tips??

[Doctor Hook 0]

When using one hand on the stick keep the blade low to ice at all times.

When I have one hand on my stick and need to stop and go back the other way very quickly, I have a tendency to raise my stick in the air up and over my head as I change directions without regard to anyone. Something I've done forever but the other night I almost clipped one dude in his shield-less face. I gotta watch that but then again, stuff happens.

[Shark#81 0]

I do that too, once every few games -really bad habit.

During the late stages of a playoff game, half dazed from a cheap hit I had taken earlier, I lightly clipped a guys helmet when doing this and was sent to the box.

[Abilectic 0]

I skated in a league that did not require a shield or visor at all and had no problems, then moved across the state, and my first season with a visor in the new league a guy tried a stick lift from behind me as I put a stop move on him and he flew past me, broke one of my front teeth in half, chipped the other and split my upper lip in two places, I was able to finish the game, scoring two goals, but I never even knew who got me, there was no penalty or anything, it was a rookie move on the guys part, he never had a chance of getting my stick. The worst part was the wind blowing over the exposed nerve in my tooth as I skated the rest of the game. The ref saw me bleeding, stopped the game, listened to my story and actually found the other half of my tooth, but it did me no good at the dentist.

So I switched to the cage, and since then I have taked some mighty blows across the cage from errant sticks, the kind of contact that would normally end in losts of pain, and possibly facial surgery, I took one stick so hard that it dented my cage and eventually got another one. I know my peripheral vision and stickhandling would be better without it, but like many have said on here, I play for fun, not for a living, so its the cage for me.

[Patrick67 1]

I hate this thread... makes me worry...

[Doctor Hook 0]

Every time I'm itching to switch to a visor, I get a sign that I shouldn't. Such as I lose out on an auction for a visor, or the LHS is closed when I feel like swinging by to pick one up, or in my last game's case, I got high sticked to the cage and probably would've been hurt.

It ain't worth it if you're not getting paid to play.

[jason37 2]

Took a puck to the jaw last night in a beer league game wearing an Oakley small straight ... nothing bad ... just sore as hell. I turned at the last second or it would have got me in the mouth.

I am putting the cage on from here on out ...

[JPB_69 0]

I was chasing the puck into our zone when our goalie comes out to play the puck. Seeing that he had it and was making a play to clear it I turned to head up ice. He fires the puck and his follow through caught me right in the face. Never saw it coming. Cut my nose, and I thought for sure I lost a couple teeth. Teeth were just a little loose and had a bloody nose. I was VERY lucky.

I was playing in an alumni game and a friend was going for the puck. The defenceman tied up his stick/hands and he went over him. Nothing intentional, just a flukey collision. His visor broke the fall. A few of the guys we play pickup with are Doctors, so we called one and brought our guy to his house. He was hanging out watching TV with his father (another Doctor). They gave him a glass of booze (something wierd like brandy) and then stitched him up. 30 stitches high on the cheek.

[JR97 2]

I nearly lost an eye when I wore nothing. Went to the Itech 1/2 visor. I've had numerous pucks, sticks, and even a skate to the chin. Stitches galore over the years. I've only recently started contemplating going to the cage or combo.

Myself, I tend to play according to the game environment and my protection. There was a game where I took a crosscheck right across the visor. The paint wouldn't rub off so I took the visor off. The rest of that game I felt pretty vulnerable and was very aware of sticks, pucks, etc. I dont' recall feeling that way before I wore the visor though.

I sometimes wonder if those who grew up with cages are less wary of those sorts of things and then when they lose the cage have to re-educate themselves on a few things.

I didn't start playing until after 18 and never wore a cage.

[Patrick67 1]

JR97: Guys wearing cages take less caution towards their surroundings.

Around here, if you play at a high level, it's always the biggest dicks with the highest sticks and highest elbows that wear a cage.

[mack 44]

That's exactly why I've felt fine going without a visor but changed back to one this year because of a wonky retina.

[wickedwrister 0]

JR97: Guys wearing cages take less caution towards their surroundings.

Around here, if you play at a high level, it's always the biggest dicks with the highest sticks and highest elbows that wear a cage.

I don't remember if I ever posted on this thread, but that's the biggest bunch of bull shit I have heard in a while.

I wear a cage because I have grown fond of all of my teeth and both eyes. Since I am never going to play in the NHL (and I will venture a guess 99.99999% of will either), the small amount better I might be without it is not worth the risk. Like drinking alcohol, if you are a asshole hack with a cage, you will be without one too.

[mik3 1]

JR97: Guys wearing cages take less caution towards their surroundings.

Around here, if you play at a high level, it's always the biggest dicks with the highest sticks and highest elbows that wear a cage.

Although not the case 100% of the time, I've noticed this also.

Since being able to by the rules play without facial protection I more or less have for most of the 6+ years.

The only two times I wore a cage were because of injury. One was me playing defense, in the corner with a guy. He was leaning back on me hard, I went to dip around him and once my weight shifted he fell back. Corner of his cage got me in the eye socket, somehow missed my actual eye.

The other was a slot pass from my defensive partner behind the net, buy coming hard to try and cut it off. I went to tap it back and spin off the guy. The first part worked, the second part involved me catching a shoulder to the back and my face meeting the corner of the boards. Broken nose, whiplash, concussion friction burn.

I also kicked a fluttering puck into my face last week, but that was more funny than painfull.