NHL Goalie Masks

Major League Baseball catcher Charlie O'Brien for the Toronto Blue Jays was watching a hockey game in Toronto (he was a free-agent from the Atlanta Braves), when he noticed that the goalie got hit in the face by a puck and shook it off. He thought if a goalie could shake off a puck then a catcher can surely shake off a baseball. So he had someone there in Toronto design a mask for him and he took it to the MLB President to get it approved.

Hockey masks are sloped back and the puck bounces right off. Catcher masks are basically flat on the front, so either it goes through your wire cage and hits your face or it gives you a doosy of a headache.

Now, there are severeal catchers using goalie masks in MLB. More coming soon....