hiptzech wrote:tomASS wrote:ref and hiptzech - I do think the requirement for neck guards on goalies needs to be reviewed. Last year my son was kicked off the ice and told to change into a players neck guard. Also they did so 5 minutes into the game so the pre-game review and notification did not happen.
He was wearing a certified padded goalie neck guard. Problem according to the rules it didn't completely cover the back of the neck.
A skater's neck guard is typically no more than a thick pc of cloth and offers far less protection for a goalie than what he was forced to take off.
My wife sewed and incorporated the skater neck guard and the goalie neck guard into a one pc unit. We still ended having to bring a skater only neck guard because we had a few referees in D6 that didn't want us using the "new" neck guard because we had altered it.
I know safety is the number one concern but it seemed like common sense in the application to the goalies was not applied
From the District 6 Policy Manual:
13.1.6 Properly fitted, hockey designed, neck/throat protection is required for all players, including goaltenders, except Junior Gold and 16U. Non-compliance with this rule is a 10-minute misconduct penalty. Neck/throat protection must be worn for ALL games, scrimmages and practices.
Although this rule appears to need further definition is does an adequate job of the intent of the guard. The protected area is not just the throat but for the neck as a whole. The padding is not as critical as the fact that there is something in between the skin and the blade. The neck guard is there to prevent lacerations, not padding from pucks or sticks. The guard needs to be an approved piece of equipment, not home made. Liabilities… One additional change to the D6 rule this year. There is a shirt with a built in throat protector that has been approved. At this point I do not know the name of the manufacturer, Canadian Hockey has approved it and apparently that is good enough for D6. I will need to research the name of the manufacturer.
With regard to your comment about the necessity of the rule, I disagree with you. I don’t write the rules, and this is definitely a rule that I would not re-write or eliminate. As with my comment regarding the mouth guard and the hot dog tongs, I am not interested in attempting to save the life of a player with a lacerated neck. A friend of mine that played goalie as a junior was stepped on and had his neck cut open. Fortunately, he is alive today and I will hopefully be drinking beers with him on November 11th that accident happened in 1984. At any rate, again I disagree.
Its real simple D6 has put a couple rules in place in an effort to make the game safer for the player. The cost of these safety measures in minimal in financial cost and performance. The gains far outweigh the losses.
I am surprised a parent of a goalie would be making such a comment. When you look at the position that goalies are in and all of the activity around them they are the ones that need it the most. These guys are focused on nothing but getting the puck under control, they are padded and protected everywhere but the backs of the legs and the neck with bare skin exposed. They will do virtually anything to stop the puck, the last thing they think about is where the padding is. Think about the Gopher vs. Mankato game last year.
Published December 02, 2006 01:19 am - The starting goaltender was gone, and a three-goal lead was lost.
Minnesota State’s starting goalie, Dan Tormey, appeared to be getting some of the mojo from his rookie season back and stopped 17 of 18 shots over the game’s first 30 minutes. But at the 10:31 mark of the second period, with Minnesota on the power play, Gophers forward Blake Wheeler crashed skate-first into Tormey and sliced a long, deep cut above the goalie’s left thumb. A tendon was severed, and he will need surgery.
There is a lot of padding with the glove and arm pads there, good thing he was hit where he was…Just a thought.