I took a puck to my throat

[AIREAYE 248]

PM LawGoalie. Not sure when he can get back to you though, he's preoccupied with other things.

[docar15 1]

I am a goalie and I wear a Maltese neck. Not the bib, just a collar. Have had it for a couple of years now. It is no heavier then any other goalie neck protector I have tried. They are sized to fit your neck. Typically 2 inches tall, over 18" neck 1.5" is recommended (probably to accommodate my second chin). I have a second generation one. Third generation is supposed to be even lighter, it is some completely brand new gel type.

Phil Maltese is a class act to deal with.

My personal opinion is that any player neck guard will not protect against puck impact.

+1 vote for Maltese for sure.

Let me know if you have any questions about the collar.

P.S. Maybe an idea to ask Phil if he can make you a neck collar using thinner foam. Thinner then a goalie setup, but, something that will still save you from permanent damage.

[hockeyguy1 1]

Throat trauma from stick, puck, or skate is scary stuff.

I am posting a link to a blog I recently read by Dr. Jo Innes, who, besides being a hockey player and blogger, is an Emergency Medicine doctor. In this post she gives a detailed description of the Zednick injury, how it was treated, and the immediate steps to take if you ever find yourself confronted with someone with a severed cartoid artery.

It's a fascinating post and should be required reading for anybody who plays in situations where medical professionals are not standing by (and I imagine that would mean a lot of us) :

http://blogs.thescor...ing/#more-63949

thanks for the post! definitely something everyone should read. Now i know what to do if that were to ever happen to me or someone else.

[Law Goalie 147]

For the record, Phil Maltese's 'neck guards' (which can cover anything from just a collar on the throat, to a huge 'combo' piece covering the sternum, heart, clavicle, and trapezius, depending on what you ask for) are the very OPPOSITE of restrictive. They are, in fact, LESS restrictive than those useless 'BNQ certified' pieces of ballistic nylon and cotton you can get for $20, and FAR less so than pieces that use plastic or high-density foam.

The gel Phil uses -- especially the newer stuff -- is a freakish combination of supple, comfortable, impact-resistant, CUT-resistant despite a very soft cloth shell (you can cut the gel easily with scissors, but not with a blade), surprisingly light, and unusually cool. (Roller guys can also through their gel pieces in the freezer before games for extra delight.

It is by a wide margin the most comfortable AND most protective 'neck' protection you can find, and worth every penny of what is, in comparison with most goalie-specific solutions, a silly good deal. It boggles my mind that any player would spend $200 on a stick before spending half that to save his own life AND play in comfort.

Personally, I won't play a second in net or skate out without mine. I'm hoping to get someone in the Physics Dept. owing me a favour to have it tested just for fun.

Back to the cave...

[shooter27 117]

If you're going to go the route of modifying a base layer with built in neckguard, consider those amorphous materials like zoombang/poron xrd/d30. My understanding of these materials is that they are all pliable by nature, but when impacted become momentarily rock hard. I would think something like this would be perfect to protect from a puck impact. I know poron can be bough in individual sheets, not sure about the other two.

[AIREAYE 248]

You are correct that Poron and D3O are pliable and solidify upon impact. Zoombang isn't, it's more of a HD liquid inside of a plastic membrane sac.

[Phantom 19]

Saw our goalie take a hard shot to the throat recently, so really thinking of purchasing the Maltese. But I'm just a skater (not a goalie), so was curious if other folks wear this and is it comfortable enough to play in? I don't care so much about looks, just don't want it to be overkill and restrictive to the point where I don't where it.

I play goal and have two Maltese Combos for that (I have one in my bag at all times so I don't end up at the rink without it...I WILL NOT play without my Maltese on). I also skate out on rare occasions, and have a regular Maltese neckguard for that. It's comfortable, and I feel very protected against any pucks, sticks, or skates. I don't worry about "looking cool," because I'm a late-20's female who just plays for fun, not going to make the show, and could care less. I feel safe, that's all that matters.

The Maltese is low profile, well balanced, and not noticeable when I'm out there. I completely forget I'm wearing it. And for anyone concerned about protection, while I was in goal, I took a slapshot to the throat two years ago, it broke the dangler, and the Maltese was the only thing standing between me and an ambulance ride. I have absolute faith in those products.