Large Cages NCAA hockey

[ironic_chef 0]

I never realised people wore their cages like this ("hanging") for looks. I don't think it looks good at all but of course that's personal preference.

The concentration on brain injury is largely a result of the fact that concussions are permanent damage. This flies in the face of the "research" and beliefs of the past. Once you have had a concussion, you are more suceptable to subsequent head injuries. I had my first concussion playing lacrosse, second while mountainbiking and third from a same-level fall. The injuries sustained have gotten increasingly worse, and it has taken less and less impact for damage to result.

As an aside, an interesting study done by the NCAA has evidence that women's hockey has the highest concussion rate of any NCAA sport, twice that of men's hockey. http://www.thestar.com/article/533234

[DarkStar50 679]

When we sell gear in the shop, the two most important pieces of equipment that have to fit right are your skates and your helmet. When a 6 year old kid comes in for his first "Hockey Prep" clinic and needs a helmet/mask combo, we are not interested in him having the NCAA college look. His chin must sit snugly in the chin cup of the combo. If we need to remove the J clips to get this done, we do. There is no hitting so the J clips are not an issue. The chin cup is secure providing a snug safe fit. This is the way to learn to wear your helmet/mask from day 1 for safety. If you are 10, 20, or 30, it's just stupid to wear the cage loose off your chin. Ever get hit by that guy who you didn't see coming or didn't see you until it was too late? All it takes is his shoulder into your loose cage and smashing your jaw to ruin your "look" for life. Go ahead and do it if you must but once you're toast, hey, get off the ice and don't hold up the game because you wanted to "look" good.

[stuie7 6]

70% of hockey is how you look ;)

Thats a serious contender for 'Worst commented posted anywhere, ever'.

I like new kit as much as anyone else on here, but theres a 'poser-line' which i hope i never cross. If you've got to wear a cage in your league then you might as well get some benefit out of it. atleast that way you might continue to look good on a daily basis :)

[TomMc#4 0]

surely if a cage is hanging and flapping in front of ur face it becomes a distraction. when you wear a cage properly you get used to the bars being there and your mind almost blanks them out for you. i went to a visor to improve peripheral vision. hanging a cage like that gives no benefit and it looks crap. it simply looks like either:

a ) you are too retarded to buy kit that fits correctly and too retarded to know how to wear it properly

b ) you found some random junk in a bin outside the rink

c ) you want to have your jaw broken and face torn up because of an accidental collision

if you actually think it looks better and that its serving a purpose, you have to be a GRADE A TOOL!

[chk hrd 164]

When we sell gear in the shop, the two most important pieces of equipment that have to fit right are your skates and your helmet. When a 6 year old kid comes in for his first "Hockey Prep" clinic and needs a helmet/mask combo, we are not interested in him having the NCAA college look. His chin must sit snugly in the chin cup of the combo. If we need to remove the J clips to get this done, we do. There is no hitting so the J clips are not an issue. The chin cup is secure providing a snug safe fit. This is the way to learn to wear your helmet/mask from day 1 for safety. If you are 10, 20, or 30, it's just stupid to wear the cage loose off your chin. Ever get hit by that guy who you didn't see coming or didn't see you until it was too late? All it takes is his shoulder into your loose cage and smashing your jaw to ruin your "look" for life. Go ahead and do it if you must but once you're toast, hey, get off the ice and don't hold up the game because you wanted to "look" good.

I can't stand when people put an adult size cage on a youth helmet. The chin cup is no where near the kid's chin and the bottom of the cage sits at about mid neck. One bad fall or accidental hit and it's a partial tracheotemy.

[dontdumpdangle 0]

For those of you who think it looks stupid, could you please post your current setup (only if you wear a cage). Also this is the most retarded thread ever. YOU DON'T GET HURT FROM WEARING YOUR CAGE LIKE THIS! I can see where it might be a possablility but it doesn't happen.

[Vishi05 0]

For those of you who think it looks stupid, could you please post your current setup (only if you wear a cage). Also this is the most retarded thread ever. YOU DON'T GET HURT FROM WEARING YOUR CAGE LIKE THIS! I can see where it might be a possablility but it doesn't happen.

Do you wear your seat belt? Preventative measures to things that don't happen too often still aren't a bad thing.

Sure it's a small likelihood that you're going to get seriously injured but there is a chance that you get drilled in the face and your cage goes straight into your throat which probably wouldn't feel too good. Wearing a cage doesn't look good anyway so you might as well strap it up.

To answer your question, I have a Reebok 8k with the truevision cage. I don't see what the hate on is for with the bauer cage, is it because it's gray?

[dontdumpdangle 0]

I dont know how big you think my cage is, but there's no chance it would make it to my throat and I think the gray true vision is the only way to go if you have to go tv. It's the way that it bulges out so far at the top and is an odd shape that makes it look bad. I will say that some of the guys on Miami had HUGE cages that maybe could hit them in the throat.

[interpathway 9]

Looks are all personal preference. Do you want people to post their pictures so you can chirp in your $.02 and tell them their hang doesn't flow with their team's socks?

I seriously think this thread has become lockable at this point. If anyone in the future wants to know about cages in NCAA they could search, and find all relevant info in this thread. Anything else added here seems to be running the argument around in circles.

[dontdumpdangle 0]

Looks are all personal preference. Do you want people to post their pictures so you can chirp in your $.02 and tell them their hang doesn't flow with their team's socks?

I seriously think this thread has become lockable at this point. If anyone in the future wants to know about cages in NCAA they could search, and find all relevant info in this thread. Anything else added here seems to be running the argument around in circles.

Hang doesn't flow with their socks??? No need to post a picture of yourself, you just painted one for me. I agree that this thread has become pretty ignorant

[furlanitalia 1]

Yah this is getting stupid. Wear you cage properly so you don't look like an idiot. I agree the switch is tough, but I find it hard to believe a swinging cage is gonna help your game at all. Although by the sounds of it, some people don't care if they can play or not, as long as they have "steeze" or are "durty"

ridiculous

[Hockey2009 0]

i wear my cage "loose" however it is the correct size, and if i took a hit to the cage it would not cause a concussion due to jaw contact, because the j clips would stop it.

i think its rediculous to wear a cage that is too large and without j clips. with a correctly sized cage, and properly installed j clips there is not the danger that everyone keeps talking about

C14

[Chadd 916]

i wear my cage "loose" however it is the correct size, and if i took a hit to the cage it would not cause a concussion due to jaw contact, because the j clips would stop it.

i think its rediculous to wear a cage that is too large and without j clips. with a correctly sized cage, and properly installed j clips there is not the danger that everyone keeps talking about

C14

If the impact comes from anything other than a directly forward angle, one side of the cage could miss the j clip and it would be similar to not having the clips at all. I've seen a kid wearing what appeared to be the right size cage (with clips) get knocked out cold and his cage get ripped off his helmet on a hit from the side.

[Vishi05 0]

i wear my cage "loose" however it is the correct size, and if i took a hit to the cage it would not cause a concussion due to jaw contact, because the j clips would stop it.

i think its rediculous to wear a cage that is too large and without j clips. with a correctly sized cage, and properly installed j clips there is not the danger that everyone keeps talking about

C14

If the impact comes from anything other than a directly forward angle, one side of the cage could miss the j clip and it would be similar to not having the clips at all. I've seen a kid wearing what appeared to be the right size cage (with clips) get knocked out cold and his cage get ripped off his helmet on a hit from the side.

But did he look good while out cold? As we all know that is 70% of the battle.

[mwerth 5]

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

For those of you who think it looks stupid, could you please post your current setup (only if you wear a cage). Also this is the most retarded thread ever. YOU DON'T GET HURT FROM WEARING YOUR CAGE LIKE THIS! I can see where it might be a possablility but it doesn't happen.

Listen buddy, I played good hockey growing up, I wore a Bauer 5000 with a Jofa 480 cage. My cage was loose on my helmet, but by no means like the NCAA guys we're talking about on here. I didn't take a hit to the head, I didn't get into a fight, I didn't break my jaw, none of the severe things we're talking about here. But what did happen was that someone's stick blade went up under my cage and scraped the hell out of my face. My cage was barely loose and I still got cut from my chin to just under my eye. Do you realize how lucky that is? I easily could've had major eye damage.

Don't tell me guys aren't reckless enough to take a slapshot while you're behind them and get their stick caught under your cage. Or go to stick check you, miss, and hit you in the face- especially if you're looking down at the puck and your cage is hanging away from your face. Honestly, is it worth it?

I'm into the whole style thing, matching gear, etc., and I'm not a big fan of the look of the Bauer cages. But honestly, broken bones, cuts, and stitches really don't look too hot either.

[dontdumpdangle 0]

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

For those of you who think it looks stupid, could you please post your current setup (only if you wear a cage). Also this is the most retarded thread ever. YOU DON'T GET HURT FROM WEARING YOUR CAGE LIKE THIS! I can see where it might be a possablility but it doesn't happen.

Listen buddy, I played good hockey growing up, I wore a Bauer 5000 with a Jofa 480 cage. My cage was loose on my helmet, but by no means like the NCAA guys we're talking about on here. I didn't take a hit to the head, I didn't get into a fight, I didn't break my jaw, none of the severe things we're talking about here. But what did happen was that someone's stick blade went up under my cage and scraped the hell out of my face. My cage was barely loose and I still got cut from my chin to just under my eye. Do you realize how lucky that is? I easily could've had major eye damage.

Don't tell me guys aren't reckless enough to take a slapshot while you're behind them and get their stick caught under your cage. Or go to stick check you, miss, and hit you in the face- especially if you're looking down at the puck and your cage is hanging away from your face. Honestly, is it worth it?

I'm into the whole style thing, matching gear, etc., and I'm not a big fan of the look of the Bauer cages. But honestly, broken bones, cuts, and stitches really don't look too hot either.

A stick up in your cage could happen regardless, and could someone show me these NCAA players in question? I know a few of the guys on Miami had taken it a little too far

[interpathway 9]

Not if there is no room between your chin cup and chin...

[dontdumpdangle 0]

Not if there is no room between your chin cup and chin...

So the only place a stick could get in your cage is through the chin? Theres plenty of space around the rest of the cage

[Rylake 0]

Argue this all you want, but people who wear cages are more chippy than anyone else on the ice. Period. If you want to wear it loose, go ahead - You will only be hurting yourself. To say that how it looks is important usually only means that you go to the rink for a fashion show and not to play hockey.

Grow up or don't play.

[interpathway 9]

My cage was barely loose and I still got cut from my chin to just under my eye. Do you realize how lucky that is? I easily could've had major eye damage.

He's talking about getting cut up from chin/nose/eyes. A stick can poke in at your sideburns but that's not what he is referring to.

[dontdumpdangle 0]

Argue this all you want, but people who wear cages are more chippy than anyone else on the ice.

You kind of have to wear a cage in all USA hockey sanctioned leagues except the NA and the USHL

[sitzlejd 0]

I dont know how big you think my cage is, but there's no chance it would make it to my throat and I think the gray true vision is the only way to go if you have to go tv. It's the way that it bulges out so far at the top and is an odd shape that makes it look bad. I will say that some of the guys on Miami had HUGE cages that maybe could hit them in the throat.

I went to Miami (graduated last May) and I've noticed that as well. I remember when Ryan Jones was on the team last year his cage was enormous.

[bar_down_21 0]

Like most things with hockey equipment, its personal preferance! Some people like it loose, some like it tight. Who really cares?!

[furlanitalia 1]

I just think it would be distracting to have it flopping around. I'm not telling people to wear it one way or another, although I would never recommend wearing it loose.

[cdoug55 0]

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.

That is exactly how I remember it from torts class. But then again I think that is pretty much the analysis in how all products liability is viewed even from the business standpoint. If the potential pay out due to a product causing injury is less than the amount of money needed to adequately warn then most companies just take the risk.

I think a few people really hit the nail on the head. There may not be any injuries from this type of setup and the risk of injury may be low, but there is still a risk out there and when it has to do with your head then this problem should be rectified immediately. But as most people have already said it won't be made out to be a big deal until someone does get hurt and that just shouldn't be.

Dontdumpdangle - I really just don't get your point. Are you saying that because no one has been hurt yet, it isn't a big deal. Tell that to a kid's mother when something happens. Because she sure as hell is going to say "why didn't some impose a rule or tell my kid to wear his equipment properly".

And let's face the facts 90% of people who play hockey are not going to the pros or will be able to make a living out of hockey. Just a plain fact. So, that means that all those people need to keep their melon intact so they can work, so why not make a rule. Where is the harm in having a rule that is strict when it comes to head and face protection?

This is where being a lawyer helps hahaha. I don't think many players would sue, but if there was a serious injury and a player was at least looking to recoup medical costs then they probably would sue. The argument being that the manufacturer did not warn him the extent of potential injury from using a cage that was not the proper size or worn a specific way. Player could probably even go to some extent to sue the team because the equip manager did not warn the player of the potential for injury and did not rectify the equipment problem. Its sad to think that you could sue for these things and most likely the manufacturer would win if it went to trial (they could argue that there is sufficient warning and that the player's use of the equipment was improper or even possibly modified to a point where they are relieved of their duty to warn), but most likley it would just settle and the player would get some cash. That is how torts work in this country and it needs reforming, particularly in certain industryies, but that is a topic for another day.

And no I am not an ambulance chaser or a plaintiff's attorney haha. I'm a corporate lawyer...a whole other breed of scum as some people might say hahaha. :D

Sorry to get a bit off topic, but seriously where does this whole look good thing come from?? I mean its always nice to have a good matching uniform and gloves, but when I played as a kid I don't really think anyone gave two shits about looking good. Is it because all the kids brought up today are completely brainwashed by pop culture and looks? I know this has been talked about to death, but PHEW almost reminds me of a group of homosexual males worried about how they look all the time. Since when did hockey become a primadonna sport? Maybe its me and I am in neverland or something.

I'm guessing that when you played, cooper was making buckets still? If we're thinking of the same time period, looking good wasn't really an option. Also what is PHEW?

Nah, it wasn't that long ago. I played high school hockey about 12 years ago. But I just don't remember it being that big of a deal.

There isn't much style in high school hockey. My high school team was a joke. We had kids trying not to fall down, they weren't really worried about how they looked doing it

What do you mean there isn't much style in high school hockey? So style only becomes a thing when you get to juniors or college? Last time I checked there were high school kids all over PHEW concerned with their "style" and these college players were in high school maybe a year or two ago. I am sorry your high school team couldn't skate (the guys on my team could definitely skate), but that really doesn't imply that teenage players aren't becoming too concerned with the looks of their gear as opposed to just playing.