What do you call the full gear guy in no check men's league?

[60PlusWinger 82]

We all know the different names for the different guys on beer league teams but what do you call the guy who is head to toe protected, shoulder pads, mouth guard, the works in a NO CHECK intermediate league?

[YesLanges 127]

I dunno, maybe "Smart"?

There are 64 guys in my 50+ league and only 1 guy who doesn't wear shoulders or any facial protection. The only other guy who used to go with just a helmet recently added a half-shield after taking 9 stitches to his eyebrow. I recently upgraded from the half-shield to the Oakley 910 that covers almost everything but the chin without the annoying extra snaps and mass of full-face protection. So, out of 64 guys, there's now just 2 with my setup, 1 with a half-shield, and 1 with just a helmet. Everybody else goes with full face cages or bubbles. I prefer the half-shield but figured it's only a matter of time before I catch a puck in the mouth after a half a dozen close calls mostly forechecking hard against guys who like to flip it over me as a last resort; also had a few whistle right by my mouth screening goaltenders. One guy separated a shoulder with shoulder pads after getting tangled up and sliding into the boards like Connor McDavid and another almost broke his neck getting his skates tangled up and going face-first into the boards with a cage in a similar situation. Both guys are very good, experienced players, same with the 9-stitches guy who played juniors in Massachusetts. And if you're talking about intermediate leagues, the risk of accidental collisions as hard as open-ice checks goes up as the level of play goes down, not down, and same goes for accidental high sticks.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

"Normal"

The only thing I sometimes see guys leave off is shoulder pads, but that's rare. And leaving shoulder pads off is kind of stupid in any league.

[Travislicious 22]

Yeah... I'm not blocking shots with less than full padding. I may not be checked, but I've ended up on my ass for other reasons too haha

[stevelknievel 51]

Agree with the others. I play in a low level league and everyone wears full equipment. I don't wear shoulder pads only because I can't get our unusually small jerseys over them. Hell, I usually wear full gear for just sticks and pucks.

[x-axis 44]

Unless I'm getting paid to play and am insured, I see no reason to risk injury. Some people have jobs that require them to be very physically active such as the trades or that require full motor function the next day.

Generally speaking, there's always idiots at any level of hockey who shoot into traffic, are more physical than they should be, or just have something to prove.

[Stewie 721]

There's a guy on my B league team that used to not use shoulder pads. He's glad to be back from his rib injury. I used to wear mouth guards all the time as well, mostly because the one time I didn't I had my teeth shattered in a summer league in Windsor. No check around here is still fairly physical and there's some guys that can definitely let them rip

[Cosmic 178]

I am one of the few guys in my area who wears full gear (mouth guard/ cage/ shoulder pads/ skate guards), in intermediate no check league/ tourneys/ scrimmages. 99.9999% of the time, I leave the ice in the same condition that I stepped onto it. Ideally, this # will become 100%, when I return in January from a broken thumb.

In about 50-70% of the sessions that I participate in, someone else leaves with a bloody face or injured something/whatever, due to a random puck deflection or miscellaneous stick that went high or whatever. Usually the injured player yells, "Keep your sticks down," or something in an agitated manner, but seeing as how we have all seen guys with visors or less get teeth knocked out unintentionally, I cannot fathom why people always act so shocked that they have gotten injured.

Even I broke my thumb a week ago, while wearing what I consider to be a standard/ pretty protective glove (Bauer Vapor Matrix Pro). I did not act shocked- as my shift ended (about 40 seconds after the break), I just told the Captain to plug a reserve into my position, and then iced my thumb. People all said the same thing, "I did not even know you got hurt," and yes, it is because I do not collapse like a ton of bricks at the first sign of potential injury, and then cause a great scene that I may be injured (as guys out here like to do).

On a related note, I know I have taken quite a few shots off my skate guards that would have hurt, and I took a saucer pass off the mouth of my cage at pretty close range that I know would have knocked some teeth around and out. I have felt some sticks smash into my cage too, I assume by accident, that I know would not have been pleasant against my face. Always, I feel a thud, and just continue to go about my business. Does the thread author find fault in such a phenomena being relegated to insignificant? Or, does the thread author just wish to make this mentality more commonplace (as just about every thread respondent is doing)? I do not know, just curious.

So yea, just because we play no checking, does not mean that sticks, pucks, and falls at high speeds ought to make our experiences to be like walks on the beach at sunset with our lovely lady friends. Most of the pickups and things that I play in do not frown on big slapshots into traffic, so the rule that everyone seems to abide by is, "If you do not wish to block a shot, then do not stand in shooting lanes." I have no reservation about standing in the shooting lanes as I am pretty much armoured up like the juggernaut in MW3 Survival. My thumb break was from a guy's stick smashing into my thumb as I reached across to challenge his shot (thinking that I was protected from damage). Custom thumb guards are pending, so this will not happen again.

[Amazinmets73 69]

If you wear full cage is a mouthguard necessary?

[Cosmic 178]

I just wear the lower (UA Performance). Some theorize that having the layer between the teeth reduces risk of concussion. UA claims that performance increases because of the way it is set up. So, the mouthguard is subtle/ not an upper guard.

[strosedefence34 175]

I play in an A/B mens league and wear full gear. I used to wear Bauer Supreme Classic shoulders, but upgraded to CCM RBZ 150s recently, because I wanted more protection. I know guys that wear full gear, and mouth guards I don't see anything wrong with it. My league can get chippy, and refs tend to let things go more in this league so it can turn into a checking game very quickly.

If you wear full cage is a mouthguard necessary?

It can be. If you fall and close your mouth really hard you can chip teeth this would prevent that. Just because you wear a mouth guard with and no cage does not mean you are invisible to loosing teeth when you take a puck or a stick in the face. It may help, but defiantly not invisible.

[psulion22 402]

I'd love to find whatever league guarantees that injuries only happen from intentional body checks (and those checks don't ever happen in a no-check league). How long is the adjustment period to the padded boards and Nerf pucks?

[Buzz_LightBeer 969]

Guys wear what they want to wear, who cares if it's full equipment?

[fatwabbit 93]

Me, I'm the guy that goes with full protection, and tend to customised my gear to add a couple extra protective pieces here and there. I've seen too many people get injured because they thought it wasnt necessary. I've always been the slowest to suit up because of everything, but at least I can play with a peace of mind that I've done all i can to mitigate injury. While I'm only starting back up again after a 3 year hiatus, I'm going to get back to basics. With guys who have never played or have little experience, I know there will be many MANY high sticks to come.

I've played with a visor once, but went back to my cage because I felt it offered much more protection. If I've bought it, I might as well use it.

Beginners League - Non Check and my equipment consists of:

M11 Helmet, with Itech Ti Cage

CCM CL Shoulders

CCM CL Elbows

Mission Pro 5 Roll

Bauer T90 Girdle

Jofa 9060 Shin Pads

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Honestly I'm just surprised anyone finds it odd that people wear full gear to play hockey, regardless of what division we're talking about.

[Stewie 721]

If you wear full cage is a mouthguard necessary?

i was wearing a full cage when my teeth were shattered.

[wrangler 157]

We all know the different names for the different guys on beer league teams but what do you call the guy who is head to toe protected, shoulder pads, mouth guard, the works in a NO CHECK intermediate league?

You're asking for assistance in your name-calling?

[Solo_man11 9]

Lol, labelling somebody who wears full equipment. There are really some insecure people out there and I am not talking about the person wearing full equipment in beer league. Some of us need the protection because the body is not as tough as it used to be and recovery might not be as quick as the younger players.

[BenderHockey 127]

We all know the different names for the different guys on beer league teams but what do you call the guy who is head to toe protected, shoulder pads, mouth guard, the works in a NO CHECK intermediate league?

Maybe the better question is: What do you call the guy who tries to single people out and alienate them?

[Hills 712]

I wear shot blockers too. Which people will point out and laugh, then they get pegged in the foot and hobble off the ice and ask me where I got them.

[Skoda10 14]

I'd call them an adult that can make their own risk assessment. Everybody has their own comfort level.

I don't wear shoulders, and haven't since I got out of competitive checking hockey, but I don't care if others do, and I go back and forth between a cage and half shield

[ibeck 38]

There is always one donkey who crashes into others (purposely) because he can't stop. For this reason I go head to to in full gear, even a cage.

[badger_14 601]

Usually I refer to them as "hockey players" or "my teammates". Things happen - you fall, you run into people, there's a divot in the ice, your skates are a little too sharp, the people you're playing with take things a little too seriously - for example: one of my Saturday guys used to not wear shoulder pads, but apparently he took a hard fall into the boards once and separated his shoulder, and it turns out it's difficult to do advanced physics research with one functional arm. I'm honestly more likely to be concerned about the guy (or gal) wearing nothing but sweatpants, shin pads, and an old-school Jofa helmet. Not because I think something will happen to them, but if something does, it's more likely to be something that will require a trip to the ER.

[Cosmic 178]

i was wearing a full cage when my teeth were shattered.

How'd that happen? Did the cage cave in?

[YesLanges 127]

The main function of an internal mouth guard is just to protect your upper and lower teeth from damaging one another when you take a hit. Unless a stick or puck barely grazes your mouth, about the only difference it makes without a cage is that your teeth all come out neatly in the mouth guard when you pull it out instead of scattering on the ice. I wear one with a visor but I know it's not going to do much if I catch a puck (especially) or a stick in the mouth.