Bauer 960 Senior Certified Straight Bar Goalie Mask [2024 Model]

Bauer 960 Senior Certified Straight Bar Goalie Mask – 2024 Model

The crown jewel of the BAUER goalie masks has returned. Upgraded to include a KRAIBON®
shell and an improved seamless liner, the BAUER 960 Goal Mask was designed to provide the protection, fit, style, and comfort that elite goalies demand from our masks.

The Bauer 960 goalie mask is one of the most iconic and storied goalie masks of all time. The 960 goalie mask shape was originally designed by Jerry Wright which was then carried on to the Itech 961 lines and now the Bauer 960 model.  This mask shape has the distinction of being one of the most used shapes in NHL history.

The Bauer 960 Goalie Mask is a high-level mask. Recommended 5 to 7 uses per week.

Bauer 960 Senior Certified Straight Bar Goalie Mask Features:

• Model Year: 2024
• Defense Cloud Tech (DCT) – Lightweight and durable padding in the crown promotes comfort while reducing sweat and water retention.
• PORON® XRD® – Added comfort-focused materials in the cheeks, forehead, crown, and backplate make this mask easy to wear game after game.
• KRAIBON® Shell – Designed to help you experience less vibration and increased dampening from KRAIBON® — a lightweight, hybrid material engineered to absorb and dissipate impact energy.
• DCT Ergo Chin Cup – A deeper chin cup provides a more comfortable and improved fit.
• Wire Cage – HECC & CSA Certified Straight Bar Cage
• Back Plate – Thermo-Comp with Molded Occipital Support
• Harness – Pro 5 Point Harness
• Hardware – Stainless Steel
• Chin Cup – Elite Chin Cup with Elastic Stretch Strap
• Sweatband – Thermocore Material
• Mask Bag – Includes a Padded Mask Bag & Extra Sweatband
• Sizing:
  • Small 20.5in. to 21.75
  • Medium 21.5in. to 22.75in.
  • Large 22.5 to 23.5

Goalie Mask Construction

Goalies Plus is very particular about the kind of masks we sell; we feel there are good masks on the market today and unsafe masks on the market today. Our pro level masks and high mid-level masks are all glass lay-up shells with either carbon or Kevlar reinforcement. These types of masks are very rigid, when a shot hits the goalies mask – the mask is solid enough to deflect about 90 to 95 percent shots away from the head without any or minimal shell flex. What this means is the mask shell will not flex towards the goalie’s head under impact. Under extreme impact, the mask will actually start to crack and disperse the shock away from the goalie’s head. This dispersion keeps the mask from flexing in towards the goalie’s head. The glass lay-up masks are also very rigid so if you try to squeeze the mask at the ears, it will have very minimal flex. This is very important if a larger player falls on the goalie. The rigidness of the mask helps minimize the risk of a compression concussion. These types of masks start in the price range of $ 350.00 and go up from there based on features. We feel that this is a very sound investment for any goalie. Even at a recreational level, a beginner or low-level player can still get a hold of a shot by dumb luck, better to be safe than sorry in our opinion.

Now for the other type of mask construction – plastic injected masks. You will hear terms like polycarbonate or other fancy terms, but the reality is these masks are built in a mold by plastic injection. There are claims of these shells being crack resistant or holding up better under hammer or puck shooting machine tests. These are actually true; a plastic injected mask generally will not crack; however, the problem of shock transfer to the head is increased dramatically in our opinion. Plastic injected masks do not break – they bend, when it bends the impact is transferred back through the goalie’s head. This is our opinion, and we feel this makes a very dangerous situation for a goalie has the impact transfers from the shell through the foam and onto the head. Also, when you squeeze the ear areas together, there is a huge amount of flex. If a larger player falls on a goalie, this can create a compression concussion. Sometimes at a youth or junior level, there may not be an option for a higher-level mask so a goalie may have to choose a plastic injected mask. However, at the senior sizes, there are plenty of safer options. Again, these are our opinions about goalie masks, and we feel confident that our customers are being given the proper information to make an educated decision on their head protection.