Cheaper Masks

[Slayers 3]

My old and trusty Bauer mask that I have had since 1995 has finally seen its best days.

I need a new mask and I am on a budget so its got my choices to the Bauer's NME3/NME5, CCM 7000 or the Vaughn 7700.

I mostly play in a over 40 league without slap shots but I do spend time in c/b leagues that seem to head hunt.

[badger_14 601]

For what it's worth, having used an NME3 for street, I would not use it for ice.

[Axxion89 32]

Get the best mask you can afford. I personally wouldn't play with anything that wasn't at least fiberglass. You should be able to find a Hackva or comparable composite mask on eBay for a close price to a new plastic mask

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Agreed with the above. I played with an NME3 for a while while my NME8 was being painted... scary!

Like Axxion said, don't buy anything that isn't at least fiberglass. That means nothing labelled as polycarbonate or any other form of plastic. If there is anything worth paying a bit extra for, it's a goal mask.

[SirJW 207]

Get the best mask you can afford. I personally wouldn't play with anything that wasn't at least fiberglass. You should be able to find a Hackva or comparable composite mask on eBay for a close price to a new plastic mask

This. Don't mess w your head.

[Hills 712]

You can get Protechsport masks for about $400 Canadian. But you have to send in a mold of your head to have a mask fitted to it.

[psulion22 402]

The protection level of your mask isn't dependent only on the caliber of shots you face. It also has to protect against collisions with players, sticks, etc. In rare cases you need a mask with a high structural rigidity in case you are landed on while you are down on the ice. You don't want any mask that will flex or crush in a situation like that. While lower level guys (or inline/street/ball) can't shoot the puck as hard, they still will make contact with you in the same ways (and sometimes worse/harder because they often can't control themselves).

Hackva, Protechsport, Olie, Sportmask, Eddy all have mid-priced, protective masks that will be much better than any of the ones you listed. There is also the used market to consider.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Hackva, Protechsport, Olie, Sportmask, Eddy all have mid-priced, protective masks that will be much better than any of the ones you listed. There is also the used market to consider.

And when it comes to the used market as long as the shell is in good shape, it's pretty easy to replace all the foams and hardware if you don't like the idea of wearing a used mask.

I'd try the maltese gel padding if it wasn't bloody lime green... bleh.

[Phantom 19]

And when it comes to the used market as long as the shell is in good shape, it's pretty easy to replace all the foams and hardware if you don't like the idea of wearing a used mask.

I'd try the maltese gel padding if it wasn't bloody lime green... bleh.

To be fair, you don't see the neon green when you're wearing it. I redid the padding in my Itech 961 and replaced it with the Maltese kit and it's lovely. Protective and a lot more airflow.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

To be fair, you don't see the neon green when you're wearing it. I redid the padding in my Itech 961 and replaced it with the Maltese kit and it's lovely. Protective and a lot more airflow.

So it doesn't look like this, then? Because this is atrocious.

[Hills 712]

If something protects your head better than anything else and makes a helmet fit you better get it. Who seriously cares how bad it looks? I can't believe people won't buy superior products because something doesn't look right to them, especially when it comes to protective.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

If something protects your head better than anything else and makes a helmet fit you better get it. Who seriously cares how bad it looks? I can't believe people won't buy superior products because something doesn't look right to them, especially when it comes to protective.

Believe it.

[Phantom 19]

Your loss. You don't see the color of the padding when you're wearing it, and the guys you play with don't give a crap about what color it is either.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Oh well.

[Thinkingjack 51]

i have a Wall Pro Active mask, its an older Model prototype, so its just an Active (at the time)

I slapped some Maltese in there and its the best stuff ever. I dont give a single crap about the "color" of the gel, i took a clapper right off the bottom of the cage closer to the chin on sunday and felt nothing, no ringers, nothing.

The Maltese is doing a great job

[beedee 227]

I'm brand new to goal, only doing clinics right now and plan to play in low level rec league when I feel comfortable. My buddy at Goalie Monkey recommended the CCM 9000 (i preferred the non-cert CE) for me. I went with his choice, and it felt better to me and fit better than the Bauer equivalent. It was $379.00 (usd) I actually took a shot off of it on Monday night, granted it wasn't a blistering shot, but it wasn't a little flutter-puck either. The impact made noise, but that was it, no ring/sting or hint of discomfort was experienced at all.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Nice! At least it's fibreglass :)

I didn't like the fit of the CCMs (or the Vaughn for that matter). I loved the Concept C1 but the lower models didn't feel right to me. Ended up with NME8.

Like most things, fit matters more than anything else with masks. Well... I take that back. I'm honestly not sure what's worse, a poor fitting mask or one made of plastic.

[badger_14 601]

Beedee - I have the CCM 9000 as well. Bauer masks just didn't sit right on my head/face. I've found it perfectly acceptable for rec-league play - taken several shots off the face and jaw, and mostly felt nothing, no rings, no dings. Taking a shot off the face isn't pleasant, of course, but the mask is certainly solid enough to take it.

[bunnyman666 445]

The senior-level masques that Kustom Composites makes is a good, low-level masque. I have taken a few shots to the head and I didn't even have to shake anything off. Senior level is custom moulded and doesn't cost a tonne. You want fibreglass, not plastic.

Find Shawn on facebook. Look up either Kustom Composites or Shawn Schroeder.

You only get one head- don't cheap out on it.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

The senior-level masques that Kustom Composites makes is a good, low-level masque. I have taken a few shots to the head and I didn't even have to shake anything off. Senior level is custom moulded and doesn't cost a tonne. You want fibreglass, not plastic.

Find Shawn on facebook. Look up either Kustom Composites or Shawn Schroeder.

You only get one head- don't cheap out on it.

Approximate cost?

[bunnyman666 445]

Approximate cost?

I think a senior level costs $600 for a full-custom,fibreglass masque. His Senior level masques actually feel pretty light compared to some low-level fibreglass masques, and his build methods and materials are a LOT better than many.

[Monty22 832]

What would be some good masks to look at for a Squirt goalie? One of the teams in our organization is looking to get a mask for the full time goalie. This would be for a 9-10 year old kid. So where should i start? I think they would be trying to keep it under $300 if possible. Is there a decent fiberglass entry level offering in that range?

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Assuming you need something certified, NME8 is certainly under than range especially if they fit into a JR size (no idea where the deliniation is between JR and SR). CCMs equivalent would be fine too.

Really, as long as it doesn't say polycarbonate (plastic) you'll be fine. If the kid was younger id say they'd be fine even with polycarbonate. But he's at an age where they can actually shoot, or at least start to.

Oops, I'm wrong. Even with the coupons the NME8 is still just over 300, and I don't see a JR option.

I'm not sure then...

[Axxion89 32]

What would be some good masks to look at for a Squirt goalie? One of the teams in our organization is looking to get a mask for the full time goalie. This would be for a 9-10 year old kid. So where should i start? I think they would be trying to keep it under $300 if possible. Is there a decent fiberglass entry level offering in that range?

I didn't pay Ice Hockey as a kid, how hard of shots are 9 - 10 year old taking? I know in this thread I said I would not play with anything less than fiberglass, but that's because I'm facing adults taking hard shots. If the shots aren't all that hard, I don't see much of a risk using a lexan / poly mask. Be interested to hear what some of the experienced goalies or youth coaches have to say but I would venture to say that untill they are 12 - 13, the cheaper well fitting mask will serve your kid well & then I would graduate to fiberglass where the mask will last much longer (less growth)

[IPv6Freely 2092]

From what I've seen based on the 10 minutes or so I spent looking, there aren't really any "off the shelf" options for youth/junior that aren't poly. With that in mind, I'd go ahead and go with an NME5 or something (depending on what fits his head) and go with something fiberglass once he gets to a senior size.

Of course we're ignoring the custom route, which is surprisingly cheap - however most (if not all?) of these options are not CSA/HECC certified so they can't be used in 99.9% of kids leagues.