Hockey Goalie Helmets
Hockey goalie helmets and facemasks have been worn by hockey goaltenders since the late 1950s in an effort to prevent serious head injury and trauma. In 1959, National Hockey League (Montreal Canadiens) goaltender Jacques Plante was the first goaltender to wear a helmet during a NHL game, although his mask looked much different than the masks used today.
These days, all hockey goalies - from juniors, amateurs, college, and professional - are required to wear special hockey goalie helmets to prevent injury. Today, goalie helmets are made from a variety of high tech, low weight materials, including fiberglass, kevlar, carbon, and other composite materials. These are more protective since some hockey slapshots are fired at well over 100 miles per hour.
There are different types of helmets and different brands of hockey helmets a goalie can wear. In addition, many goaltenders like to create custom helmets with special designs on them, reflecting their personalities, superstitions, team nicknames, or other special meaning. Depending on the league, these masks may or may not be permitted.
Hockey goalies are a special breed and require special equipment. Many goalies attend hockey goalie camps during vacations and summers to work on their skills and to train to take their game to the next level.
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