Face Shields
There are two kinds of face
shields. One is the half shield or visor and the other is the full cage.
Both are attached to the front of the helmet and reduce the potential for
injuries to the face. The half shield, as the name implies, covers the
top half of the face. It is made of a high impact-resistant clear plastic.
It is better than the cage for overall vision but it can fog up during play.
Peripheral and straight ahead vision are excellent but the air flow is not
good, causing the fog. There are antifog sprays available.
The wire cage
is made of a metal or composite mesh and covers the whole face. There is a
variation of this type of face mask which has the clear plastic top for
better vision and the mesh lower half. The bars or cage of mesh are spaced
close enough together to stop a puck or stick but wide enough apart to see
the action on the ice.
Half shield Wire cage
mask
Mouth Guards
The purpose of a mouth guard
is to protect the mouth and teeth in case the player is hit by a stick or
the puck. The guard may have a strap attached to the outside center so the
mouthpiece can be hooked to the helmet. At the beginning of the season team
members visit the team dentist to have their mouth guards fitted. Fans
usually see these mouth guards when they are half in and half out of the
player’s mouth as players chew on them.
Clear mouthguard
Black mouthguard Colored mouthguards
to match team colors
|
|