Not wearing a cup to play ice hockey is about as smart as not wearing a parachute to jump out of an airplane. The ice itself can make for a hard and harmful fall, and you also have the threat of swinging sticks, intentionally nasty players, a misplaced skate blade and that high-velocity projectile called a puck.
Cups and Sports
Any contact sport, such as ice hockey, is one in which you'd be safest wearing a protective cup to reduce your risk of injury. The Nemours Foundation also recommends wearing a protective cup for baseball, football, basketball, rugby and soccer. Although a protective cup does not guarantee you won't get hit below the belt, it does lessen your chance of a severe injury.
Injury Examples
Two groin injuries in National Hockey League games exemplify the need to wear a protective cup. Vancouver Canuck defenseman Sami Salo was hit in the groin with a puck while blocking a shot in a May 2010 game against the Chicago Blackhawks, reported "The Vancouver Sun." The hit landed Salo in the hospital with a testicular injury, although the article did not disclose the exact nature or severity of his injury. Detroit Red Wing player Niklas Lidstrom suffered an injury that required testicular surgery after being hit in the groin during a Blackhawk game the previous year.
Cup Choices
Specialized ice hockey cups are available at hockey gear and sports retailers. Ice hockey cups are generally contoured to fit the area with the least amount of bulk to allow freedom of movement. Material options include carbon, synthetics or, if you're exceptionally worried about getting hit, stainless steel. Most have air vents, comfort padding around the cup perimeter and are still flexible despite their durability. Ice hockey athletic supporters are available to specifically fit the specialized cups. Another choice is going with a pair of ice hockey compression pants or compression shorts that have a protective cup built in.
Considerations
Even a friendly game of ice hockey on the backyard pond has enough potential hazards to require a cup, especially if you happen to be in the goal. Since the goalie's job is to block the puck, you can end up using whatever works at that particular split second, even if it means throwing your body between the puck and the goal and letting the puck hit where it may. Goalie protective gear includes heavy duty athletic supporters to hold the cup, including supporters with built-in air bladders to absorb and disperse the shock, padded front panels and a double cup system that features a harder, synthetic cup sandwiched between two layers of a foam cup.
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