What Mouthguards Do Hockey Players Wear?

Hockey Mouthguards

With speeds at around 105 mph and weighing in at 1/4 lbs. a typical hockey puck can incur serious damage if you happen to be in its way. Hockey is an impact sport with elbowing to the face, cross-checking (although illegal can occur), body checking, and spontaneous brawls.

An accidental or deliberate impact of a carbon fiber stick slapped to your face can cause devastating injuries. Over the years, the velocity and intensity of this sport has become faster and harder. Wearing the proper protective equipment is invaluable.

Why Wear A Mouth guard?

A mouth guard has two key protective elements, described in detail below:

• When the body receives an impact, a well fitted mouth guard helps absorb and disperse the energy before it reaches the head and spinal column. Since this energy is partially absorbed by the mouth guard, the intensity of the impact to the brain is substantially reduced, therefore, mitigating your chances of a serious concussion.

• When wearing a mouth guard, your top and bottom teeth are protected by a soft plastic shield which reduces the chances of soft tissue injury and damage to your teeth. 

What Mouth guards Are Best For Hockey Players?

At the end of the day, the right mouth guard is the one that fits you best. That being said, hockey players usually look for mouth guards that include features like breathability, size and comfort, before making a purchase decision.

A mouthpiece that fits well will stay securely in place without having to bite down on it, and should not cause you to gag or inhibit your ability to breath or speak in any way. Look for features such as gel based liners and shock absorbing outer layers to maximize impact resistance.

With a thickness of 3mm and a dual layer shock absorbing frame, the Rush Mouth guard will protect your teeth, jaw and brain by dampening impacts and allowing for less breathing and speaking interference because of its slim fit design.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of the best high-quality hockey mouth guards to help make your decision easier and keep your comfort and protection at high levels during games.

• Best Overall Hockey Mouthguard: Nxtrnd Rush™
• 2nd Best Hockey Mouthpiece: Nxtrnd Zero™
• 3rd Best Hockey Mouthpiece: Nxtrnd Classic™

[BEST HOCKEY MOUTHGUARD - NXTRND RUSH MOUTHPIECE]

Because hockey is a very demanding sport, fatigue sets in rather quickly and has you gasping for air sometimes frequently. The Nxtrnd Rush™ is designed for optimal performance by allowing easy breathing and speech. Featuring a double layer construction and soft moldable interior liner, the Rush also delivers an extremely comfortable custom fit and has become a popular model amongst hockey players of all positions. The front area of the guard features added material in order to mitigate the energy transmitted to the teeth from the possible astray flying elbow, fist or puck.

[2ND BEST HOCKEY MOUTHPIECE - NXTRND ZERO MOUTHPIECE]

The Nxtrnd Zero™ is designed to perform in all contact sports and features our innovative shock absorbant and chew-resistant material blend added only in the important impact zones (under the molars and infront of the teeth). For optimal protection, the mouth guard demands the boil and mold method and has specific easy-to-follow fitting instructions included in every package. Once the fit is secured to your teeth, the guard allows ease of speech and breathability.

[3RD BEST HOCKEY MOUTHGUARD - NXTRND CLASSIC MOUTHPIECE]

The Nxtrnd Classic Mouthguard is one of the more affordable boil-and-bite mouthguards on the market. The Classic Mouthguard offers great protection and comfort as well as an incredible warranty. With a material thickness of 2mm, it allows much more comfort and breathability than any other comparable product. It's gel based liner and "snap-in" fit will tightly wrap around your teeth and absorb impact forces to provide maximum soft tissue coverage and protection.

Click here to learn more about the Best Hockey Mouthguards or click here to visit our Ultimate Mouthguard Buying Guide.