Large Cages NCAA hockey

[Leafsrule16 5]

I dont understand why they dont just roll the j-clips outward, it worked on mine have them facing straight out so i can hang my cage but its still being held back.

Not really sure if i understand if you have a picture care to post?

I dont have a camera, but what i did is i hooked my j-clips on facing outwards holding the cage off my face yet still providing some backing, its not 100% effective but i can still get the hung cage look ,

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/08Ki9FJ9KI1nb/340x.jpg

you turn them so the actual hook itself is on the end of the cage but adjust it so its holding the cage off your face, id post up a picture if i could

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

Without a doubt young children should be protected adequately and parents/coaches/trainers should take steps to make sure they wear a cage tightly. However, when there are guys ranging in age from seventeen to twenty-four - even twenty-five - out there playing college hockey I really don't take issue with how they wear their cages. College hockey is "Men's" hockey and there is little difference in play between top tier D-1 conferences and AHL, much less ECHL. Many of the guys playing in these two leagues although playing an equivalent game where nothing. It seems ridiculous to me to criticize cage-wearing NCAA players when they are playing a sport where similarly aged and situated guys are not required to wear any facial protection and where all out fighting is permitted(even encouraged).

Kids might try to emulate this style, but I don't see how curbing a man's decision to protect himself (legally under the rules) is outweighed by any minute reduction in the "role model" paradigm.

And although it's personal preference as to where you stand on the whole issue of protecting people from their own decisions, I say let them do what they want so long as it is under the rules of the NCAA or whatever organization they're playing under.

I think a bigger issue is the loose chin strap, but staying on topic. . .

Actually the rules state that the cages and helmets must be worn in an HECC approved manor and they are not! Knowing this info from a much higher level and working with people in the industry as well as coaches and players this will be coming to an end very soon!

Just because you can do it does not mean it is legal or sanctioned. If you check the USA hockey Rule book on equipment and NCAA does fall under that as far as I am aware they are worn improperly and there fore not looked at properly by the officials and should be penalized!

the time is coming were if you dont were it properly you wont play!

[dontdumpdangle 0]

This whole over protection thing is getting crazy and not just in hockey. The human body is alot more rugged than people think. Pretty soon we wont even be able to hit!

[PBRyan 0]

Just because you can do it does not mean it is legal or sanctioned. If you check the USA hockey Rule book on equipment and NCAA does fall under that as far as I am aware they are worn improperly and there fore not looked at properly by the officials and should be penalized!

the time is coming were if you dont were it properly you wont play!

I'll be waiting.

If something is as prevalent as this has been for many years and has not been deemed "illegal" by the sanctioning body, it will continue. It's just not a priority until something happens. And until that day does come, if ever, in my book this qualifies as "legal" under the rules. Wearing the wrong size or poorly fitted is difficult to make illegal. Heck, look at Ovechkin. He has all sorts of straps, laces, and God knows what else hanging off of him. There's no penalty for being disheveled unlike the NFL.

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

This whole over protection thing is getting crazy and not just in hockey. The human body is alot more rugged than people think. Pretty soon we wont even be able to hit!

It has nothing to do with anything excpet wearing the gear as it should be worn.....

Have you not seen what many concussions can do or a severe one?

I can tell you first hand if you want to hear all the problems you have when your older.

I tell you right now it really sucks when you forget some things like when your child first walked......

Or as I mentioned before Natasha Richardson.......one fall and that was it. All you need to do is wear it properly and everyone will be happy.

Thats not saying you cant go bash the hell out of each other infact I would love to get back into a good league.

If I would have worn a bucket a little better the last 2 wouldnt have been so bad and I would still be able to play at a decent level instead of shinny every once in a while and coaching.

Just because you can do it does not mean it is legal or sanctioned. If you check the USA hockey Rule book on equipment and NCAA does fall under that as far as I am aware they are worn improperly and there fore not looked at properly by the officials and should be penalized!

the time is coming were if you dont were it properly you wont play!

I'll be waiting.

If something is as prevalent as this has been for many years and has not been deemed "illegal" by the sanctioning body, it will continue. It's just not a priority until something happens. And until that day does come, if ever, in my book this qualifies as "legal" under the rules. Wearing the wrong size or poorly fitted is difficult to make illegal. Heck, look at Ovechkin. He has all sorts of straps, laces, and God knows what else hanging off of him. There's no penalty for being disheveled unlike the NFL.

I will be willing to bet the NHL will come with a ruiling of one finger under the chin strap.......for next season...and well if there doing it all others will follow suit.

http://www.29sports.com/29/london/about.html

Read through some of this Information and see if it changes your mind at all. Lindros and the others are all for ending head tramau in Hockey. If that means keeping our helmet on reduscing fighting......then so be it....I can tell you Eric was pretty adiment that he would still like to be playing.....

[sdcopp 1]

how many pros in contact sports have had early ends to their careers because of thinking the body is so rugged? A lot of these pros pay a heavy toll for hard hitting play, is it really so wrong to try and safeguard their futures after they are done as an athlete and still have 50-60 years of life to live?

[dontdumpdangle 0]

Lindros probally doesn't even know what color his team's jerseys were because he skated with his head down. AND he didn't get those concusions from wearing his cage a little loose

[in da crease 0]

Random thoughts....

- Have you ever had a helmet with the cage strapped up to your chin and had it ripped from your head in a scap? It feels like your nose gets ripped off. Just saying.

- I wear HECC approved head protection while coaching (because I have to). The 12 year old girl on the ice before me is trying to land some sort of triple Salchow-triple toeloop combo with no head protection at all. Will the USFSA ever require HECC-approved buckets? Doubtful.

- Actually, I lied. I took my "ear protectors" off so I guess I'm not in accordance with HECC. I have a difficult time communicating with the kids with those things covering my ears. Sue me.

- Will they even let a kid wear a helmet in soccer, basketball, or during figure skating competitions? I think it's against the rules.

Anyway, this is interesting... Keep scrolling. you will find hockey down there, just above fishing and cheerleading.

The following 20 sports/recreational activities represent the categories contributing to the highest number of estimated head injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2007.

Cycling: 64,993

Football: 36,412

Baseball and Softball: 25,079

Basketball: 24,701

Powered Recreational Vehicles (ATVs, Dune Buggies, Go-Carts, Mini bikes, Off-road): 24,090

Skateboards/Scooters (Powered): 18,542

Soccer: 17,108

Skateboards/Scooters: 16,477

Winter Sports (Skiing, Sledding, Snowboarding, Snowmobiling): 16,120

Water Sports (Diving, Scuba Diving, Surfing, Swimming, Water Polo, Water Skiing): 12,096

Horseback Riding: 11,759

Health Club (Exercise, Weightlifting): 11,550

Golf: 8,417

Trampolines: 7,075

Hockey: 5,483

Gymnastics/Dance/Cheerleading: 5,459

Ice Skating: 3,703

Fishing: 3,560

Rugby/Lacrosse: 3,281

Wrestling: 2,640

[ID Rollerpop 4]

Like cdoug55 said it is about the way the torts system works in the US. Knowing that hockey is a physical game is not an absolute defense. Failure to warn cases can be horribly difficult to defend, and it gets even more cumbersome when a fatality or catastrophic injury is involved.

On the original topic some of the cages I saw this week were just insane. While there is always risk of head injury I was worried about something else all together. Some of those over large cages combined with the super loose chin straps had me wondering if one of these guys is going to take shoulder to the chin and end up with a crushed larynx when the helmet slides forward and the cage swings back. Especially with the reputation for high hits in the college game

Of course my view is tempered by having defended more than my share of personal injury and products liability suits. While I am not aware of any lawsuits over this specific issue I do know of a D-1 football program that was sued for wrongfull death by the family of a player who died from a head injury suffered during practice that could be considered analogous. The player regularly did not inflate the air bladders on his helmet during practice and the trainers/coaches were aware of this and let him practice anyhow. Again it was a personal choice not to use the equipment the way it was designed that led to the injury, but it was not an immediate out, and there was a settlement involved in the end.

Thank you for your input....I am all about making thinks look good when you play I have some great gear.....But and injury isnt something I am looking for! For me or a player I am working with!

I dont know where this Idea of this causing a ton of injuries is coming from. I've never been injured nor has any one I've played with has gotten injured from wearing their cage like that. I can see where it might seem like that could happen but it just doesn't. If there's someone out there who has got injured from wearing their cage this way please post and tell your story.

I did not say that this is cause a lot of injuries or even that it is likely to cause a lot of injuries. However, an entity like the NCAA or USA Hockey or even an individual college team does not necisarrily look at that specific factor in isolation. Believe it or not there is a formula of sorts taught in law school to evaluate liability potential. Its been several years so I may be off in my recollection is probably not spot on but the factors that are looked at are; the likelihood of a particular risk, the potential damage resulting from a particular risk, and the cost involved in reducing a risk. In application it comes down to if either the likelihood of injury or the severity of the potential injury are quite high and the cost of the reasonable measure to reduce either of those factors is low then there is a potential for liability. If the measure to reduce that potential risk is a simple as implementing a rule change then it is likely to happen. The big problem from a legal perspective that can crop up now will be how good these entities are at enforcing an rule change they make.

I really do not have a dog in this fight but if we are going to have the discussion I figured it best to give a frame of reference poeple could use to look at this from the perspective of the entities involved.

Personally, I think the oversized hanging cage looks pretty stupid to begin with and I would think it actually interferes with visual field more than wearing it correctly but that is just my $0.02.

[sdcopp 1]

http://www.drpashby.ca/content/quest.htm

interesting reading about how equipment has progressed and decreased injuries. I wonder what the Canadian annual numbers for head injuries are since hockey is really a second tier sport in the US behind football for contact sports.

[lampliter87 8]

According to an article in THN, only 566 players reported concussions to Hockey Canada last year.

[gerbe3:16 19]

College hockey is "Men's" hockey and there is little difference in play between top tier D-1 conferences and AHL, much less ECHL.

As someone who sees a ton of AHL and college games... gotta disagree with you here. AHL really is a big step up, much faster, much more strength on the ice with those guys. ECHL I would agree is about D1 level. Most D1 guys playing on a team in a major conference can go ECHL at the least. Only good players could make the AHL. Great ones, NHL.

[homerocks 0]

No clue. But I'm really getting sick of seeing these kids in college get their faces cut up when their cages drill them in the face because they don't have a helmet/cage even close to fitted properly. Seriously.

That was a good game BTW. Weird ending but got the call right without a doubt.

This is nothing but for style.

What ever happen to the ol' Canadian battening down the hatches?

The way these kids wear them now also further obstructs your peripheral puck view when it's on your stick. To each his own, I guess.

[dontdumpdangle 0]

i feel like the guys saying this is dangerous all rock cascades with true visions and double decker mouth guards. loose cages dont cause injuries, heads down hockey causes your injuries. im pretty sure also that usa hockey sanctioned leagues require j clips, and i've been sent off before for not having them. lastly for the people who think it looks stupid, could you please post your current bucket set up.

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

i feel like the guys saying this is dangerous all rock cascades with true visions and double decker mouth guards. loose cages dont cause injuries, heads down hockey causes your injuries. im pretty sure also that usa hockey sanctioned leagues require j clips, and i've been sent off before for not having them. lastly for the people who think it looks stupid, could you please post your current bucket set up.

You're an idiot. Don't make me silence you.

Having a cage in the right spot minimizes jaw impact. Any impact to the jaw with a done up cage will be dispersed to the helmet. Now if your cage is loose...guess what's happening there? A concussion.

[dontdumpdangle 0]

still haven't heard from anyone who has had an injury from a loose cage

[TBLfan 25]

still haven't heard from anyone who has had an injury from a loose cage

Congratulations.

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

still haven't heard from anyone who has had an injury from a loose cage

Last time I checked, they didn't check in Mites. :)

[dontdumpdangle 0]

still haven't heard from anyone who has had an injury from a loose cage

Last time I checked, they didn't check in Mites. :)

sorry if i dont get that at all?

[TBLfan 25]

still haven't heard from anyone who has had an injury from a loose cage

Last time I checked, they didn't check in Mites. :)

sorry if i dont get that at all?

That's a complete shocker.

[dontdumpdangle 0]

im guessing you were referring to what level i play at. good one???

[sdcopp 1]

still haven't heard from anyone who has had an injury from a loose cage

Do you really need to? Is it the whole "do NOTHING until something bad happens" philosophy you work with here? I suppose you wouldn't play with a helmet except that you have to.

[dontdumpdangle 0]

how about the old if it aint broke, dont fix it philosophy?

[sdcopp 1]

how about the old if it aint broke, dont fix it philosophy?

how about the old an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure philosophy?

[IniNew 53]

how about the old if it aint broke, dont fix it philosophy?

If your cage has to hang that far off your face, it is broke. Fix it.