Hockey mask not required?

by Whisp on Nov 5, 2009 10:16 AM EST

Not that I get my hockey news from Time magazine, but someone sent this article about the history of the mask to me yesterday - http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1934325,00.html

The last sentence of the article: "While the NHL has required all players wear helmets beginning with the draft class of 1979, there's still no rule forcing goalies to wear masks."

I'm not a rules maven, but this seems hard to believe (esp. when you know play is halted when a goalie loses his mask in the course of the action). Can anyone straighten this out?

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Section 3, rule 11.7, if memory serves:

Protective masks of a design approved by the League may be worn by goalkeepers. Protective masks deemed to be worn only to increase stopping area will be considered illegal.

Oh, and your grandfather’s work was doodoo.

"I'm just doing karate and trying to get females pregnant."

by Bald Pollack on Nov 5, 2009 11:33 AM EST reply actions

It might just be that way. If any goalie was dumb enough to want to play without a mask, there isn’t a rule to stop them, just common sense and coaches.

The mask falling off rule is only for goalies that wear a mask. If a goalie decided to start a game without one, nothing to fall off.

by Bman21212 on Nov 5, 2009 11:37 AM EST reply actions

Oh, and your grandfather’s work was doodoo.

Excellent work, sir. Put the candle BECK.

The mask falling off rule is only for goalies that wear a mask. If a goalie decided to start a game without one, nothing to fall off.

I hear ya, but it seems illogical. If a mask is optional to begin with, what’s the idea behind enforcing the choice (i.e., stopping play)? Players could play without gloves, too (I assume gloves are optional), but no one stops play if someone loses one. If you argue that play is stopped for safety reasons, that presumes there’s a rule governing a goalie’s safety…which we’re saying there isn’t. Maybe an overdue update to the rules?

by Whisp on Nov 5, 2009 11:58 AM EST reply actions

The major difference between a mask coming off and a glove coming off is that a player losing a glove could get a hand injury. A goalie can lose his mask and end up hurt badly without it if the puck hits his head.

Personally, I do like the international rule about helmets, in that if your helmet comes off, you must go directly to the bench. You cannot continue play. What that does is force players to tighten their helmet straps…

Let's go Caps!

by MikeL-Pivonka on Nov 5, 2009 12:20 PM EST up reply actions

I’m not totally opposed to that rule, but I think you’d see a lot more D trying to dislodge a helmet from a guy.

If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...

by Rob Parker on Nov 5, 2009 1:25 PM EST up reply actions

I used to skate behind guys and tip their helmet down over their face as I went by. The the league went to full face cages and it wasn’t as much fun.

by FFSEnough on Nov 5, 2009 3:37 PM EST up reply actions

Classic move. It was a staple of Ulf Samuelsson’s arsenal.

If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...

by Rob Parker on Nov 5, 2009 5:30 PM EST up reply actions

And Sean Avery’s

"My face is my mask."

by Jake Shapiro on Nov 9, 2009 12:35 PM EST up reply actions

I understand the inherent difference between the danger of losing a glove vs. losing a mask. The rules seems to indicate that both are optional, which I’m pointing out is weird.

If the League cares enough about goalie safety to stop play when a mask come off, why not change the rules to require goalies wear one?

It’s just a semantic issue, but you’d think that they woulda penned that in when they changed the rules to require players to wear a helmet, too.

by Whisp on Nov 5, 2009 6:03 PM EST up reply actions

Even if the NHL doesn’t technically require goalie masks, I imagine its mandated at ever other level. If you’ve played your whole life with a mask, are you suddenly going to stop using it when you make it to the NHL? Not likely.

by RedBirdie on Nov 5, 2009 3:55 PM EST reply actions

If you’ve played your whole life with a mask, are you suddenly going to stop using it when you make it to the NHL?

Unfortunately yes. You have to wear a full cage/shield through NCAA and yet as soon as those guys are allowed to remove the cage, they do. You have to wear a half shield through Juniors, and yet as soon as the players are allowed to remove them, they do. You have to wear a neck guard at least until you are 18 (I’m not sure what the NCAA or Jrs rules are) and yet as soon as players are allowed to drop them, they do. Logic doesn’t play much into equipment decisions for hockey players, unfortunately. Lidstrom didn’t wear a shield until he got hit in the eye. Sundin briefly wore a shield when his eye was injured but dropped it right after he healed.

If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...

by Rob Parker on Nov 5, 2009 5:33 PM EST up reply actions

I don’t think goalies would ever consider that, I’m just saying in a general sense the players don’t look at it that way.

If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...

by Rob Parker on Nov 5, 2009 5:33 PM EST up reply actions

Makes you wonder if that would change should a high profile player loose a career (or more important things) by not having a half-shield.

After reading that article about the linesman, it makes you wonder how it hasn’t managed to happen to a player yet (I would have thought Jamie Heward’s incident would have changed some of the Caps minds), but alas, pro athletes are a stubborn and superstitious group… and add to that the fact that yes, there is some obstruction of vision and it becomes a tough sell. It’s too bad because I really do fear for the eyes of players without a half-shield.

God kills a kitten every time Sidney whines.

by Chris meet Alex on Nov 6, 2009 11:50 AM EST up reply actions

At least we have good role models

Ovie is doing what he can to make the half shield come into style

by Bman21212 on Nov 5, 2009 11:24 PM EST up reply actions

Can you imagine it for real though? I bet if a goalie tried to start a game without a mask, the refs wouldn’t blow the whistle until he put one on. They’d find some general rule that lets them ensure the safety of the players. And then Marty Brodeur and the rules committee would pass a rule the next day making them mandatory.

Atta dinnin stick a who!

by Gould Old Days on Nov 6, 2009 5:34 AM EST reply actions

I think the coach would pull the goalie for being bat shit insane before it even got to that point.

One guy just drove his semi as a float. I guess semis are cool.

by zephyr on Nov 8, 2009 2:43 PM EST up reply actions

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