Dan wrote:
 
>Penalties
>---------
>1522 C Auger (misconduct - 10) (playing without mouthguard)
 
>        First, I always thought that playing without pieces of equipment
>was a 2:00 penality and not a misconduct, so was there a misconduct on top
>of the equipment violation or is there a rule specifically for
>mouthguards?
 
I believe this is a rule specifically related to mouthguards (see below...)
 
>        Secondly, why is there a rule about mouthguards? - after all if he
>wore the standard college helmet with face length visor/cage, he shouldn't
>need a mouthguard. However, if his helmet was "defective"
>because it lacked such a face protection, but that shouldn't be labelled
>as a "mouthguard" violation, right?
 
USA Hockey has what must be the same rule...any player without a mouthguard
gets a misconduct.  A mouthguard does not protect the teeth from being
removed so much as it protects the player from concussions.  It keeps the
lower jaw from striking the upper jaw and transferring the force to the
brain.
 
I found an article in the 12/30-1/7 issue of Sports Illustrated
that covers a lot of both the helmet discussion and this question.  If
anyone wants to read more, it is an excellent summary. In it, there was
a note about a (former?) NHL player that is so prone to concussions, he
wears TWO mouth guards.
 
Karl
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