2 Minutes for Improper Mouthguard Use

                                                                                      Get in the penalty box…

"But none of the other guys actually have their
mouthguards in their mouths"
-Martin St Louis
Photo Credit

Anyone who has watched and/or played hockey, you know 99.9% of the players have mouthguards. Whether they actually use them properly, is another question.

I’m not sure why, but guys earn extra swoon points when I catch them chewing on their mouthguard.  I often find myself the victim of a blank stare, and possibly some drooling, when they pan the bench during a game and I see a player improperly using this device.  While I understand the boredom one may experience on the bench during shifts and the incessant need to chew on something, what I don’t get is how they do that while skating?  I'd be afraid of losing a chiclet or two.

What I also find intriguing is the logos on the mouth pieces. Especially yellow logos on the front of the mouth guard. Honestly, I do a double take each time I see it thinking the player has ungodly yellow coloured teeth. I, personally, would be all for a blinged out sparkly mouthpiece.

Here are some of the biggest offenders:

John-Michael Liles (or #JML as I like to call him):

Sweet fancy moses... once you get past the blue eyes (I'll give you a moment.....) watching him chomp down on his mouthguard... Need another moment?

Mouthguards need to be in the
mouth to be functional, #JML
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Mark Stuart:

Good gravy, this calls for not one, but TWO photos. Just cause he's that awesome.

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Wearing your mouthguard
properly is so overrated.
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Jeff Woywitka:

Yet another one that beckons multiple photographical proof.  

Bonus Swoon points for the cele
mouthguard chomp.
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Bad Ass
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Another cele mouthguard!
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Sweetfancymoses
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Stu Bickel:

Sadly, his antics have only been caught on TV. I have no photographical proof. Well, at least not until I saw this. 

Prepare yourselves. There are not one, but TWO mouthguard infractions here. See if you can find 'em.

Bickel AND Woywitka with the infractions. Two minutes boys... Photo Credit

Alex Ovechkin:
Now, I find A-Ovary to be hideous. But give the guy props for playing with his mouthguard not in its proper place. Kinda takes some talent.

"In former Soviet Russia, we chew on guard of mouth as we stare at Girardi."
Photo Credit: Flickr

Brad Richards:
While he's not big on the chewing, he does sport an UnderArmour mouthguard that has made me take several double takes.  Now, he doesn't really need to draw more attention to his large teeth, so I'm perplexed about why he would choose a mouthguard that does just that.  I couldn't find a photo of his yellow one, which almost gave me a minor bout of cardiac arrest, but I did find this snazzy blue one.

" 'scuse me, Mr Richards? You got somethin' on your teeth..."
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My bad... no sooner did I type that I could not find a photo of said yellow mouthpiece when GoogleImages surprised me with this gem:

Not sure if the scowl is because he played for
Dallas, or if he's trying to scare off a defender
with the glow of his yellow teeth?
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Seriously boys, keep your chiclets safe. Wear your mouthguard properly.
Because, frankly, this is scary....

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