TitanG

Back on topic, looks like Vaughn may have, knowingly or not, copied the Factory Mad logo for these pads. I think Dennis from Factory Mad is a former Vaughn employee: Maybe it’s just the way the colours were chosen, but it looks so obvious.

This is the closest clone of a 961 that Pro’s Choice has done to date (even more than Martin Biron’s):

That doesn’t surprise me in the least considering that he worked with Tony from Sportmask a couple of years ago. I don’t recall ever hearing a connecting between Harrison and Warwick, but I could be wrong. Also don’t know about Eddy. Either way, as long as everyone is getting their fair due and we as goalies get a good, protective mask at a fair price, I think some inspiration here and there is alright.

That’s another good point. People can change minor details and claim it’s not patent infringement. I understand the perspective of not buying clones, especially blatant rip-offs, but for me I’m still ok with certain ones. One other thing that this made me think about was whether Harrison ever considered Warwick, Eddy, and other masks of very similar design as infringing on his design. Like others have mentioned, they could be considered clones because of how similar they look. That’s another reason why I’m ok with certain masks looking like other ones.

I think another perspective is looking at the patent/copyright laws. Does Mr. Wright still own any parents related to the 961 design? Did Bauer acquire that? Bauer themselves never really improved on it until 2016 with the XPM, and even then that was a small change. I understand that they are completely within their right to do that, but patent laws are far from perfect. Patents are submitted all of the time for the sole purpose of getting a cash grab whenever someone makes something similar, and while most patents are not, they can be purchased from the original designer and never really improved on (case in point Chevron, General Motors, etc. who purchased patents for automotive batteries to prevent the advancement of electric vehicles). Direct clones are not morally good, though, and I do not agree with them; however, I think it is also good to look at when many of these clones came to market (OTNY, Coveted, Protechsport): once the original 961 was retired and the new, tweaked version (XPM) was released. Maybe people wanted a cheaper option, or a made in Canada option that Bauer and other companies do not normally offer. Again, I understand people being angry when they are a business owner who has their technology stolen, and that occurs all of the time. I think this issue is quite nuanced, just look at the majority of the world; do they abide by patent laws, and if not, what does that mean for the future? tl;dr Don’t copy people’s stuff, but inspiration is alright.

I'm super interested to see what you find out. Almost all other protective equipment have had upgrades over the last 25 years, so why not mask foam (for the most part)?

That would be awesome. I've always thought about building a puck cannon and doing testing on most available pro and retail masks. If only I had the time and money...

I don't think there is any for goalie masks specifically and I wish that information was public (the NHL does their own testing I believe).

Same, I much prefer the original 961 look.

I'm not a Montreal fan but I love the look of this style of mask, the first one a Jerry Wright mask painted by TM Kustoms: And the other a Masked Marvel Assault painted by Fried Designs:

Nice, that really looks like the cage was made for it. I guess if you want the same visibility as a Mage but don't want the look, you can just get a CCM or other mask with a big window (which I've always wondered why some insist on the Mage when other masks have the same size window or bigger with the traditional mask look, but to each their own). Also, I do like the Mage so it's good to know that if I ever get one and want to save even more weight, the Ti CCM cage fits. And I guess this means those who want a flatbar cage or who prefer the Sportmask cage can now get a Mage cage for their CCM masks. I think sometime in 2012-ish they changed the hole placement as well as moving up the forehead ridges on the Mage.

That's interesting to note, I didn't think it would fit perfectly.

The Sportmask chin cups are also quite nice because they hold your chin a lot better than standard chin cups. If you ever need a replacement chin cup, give one a try.

That colour combo actually looks like it matches well. Maybe it's the pants and mask that tie it all together?

Did you ask to make the vent holes closer to the cage? I've noticed he usually puts the triangular holes further out which makes it look strange when compared to the Harrisons, Warwicks, etc. Also, that's a short chin!

What material is it? Some type of composite? It looks translucent.

Or wanted more goalies in the NHL to wear it for marketing.

One day I'll order one, I just don't have the need yet. I also wonder if it's possible to get the length of the shell to be a bit longer? That's my main issue with many off-the-shelf masks, especially the original, stock 961.

What’s the sizing like on the 961s? Is it like the Bauer version or is it a bit more generous?

Does anyone know if the CCM Pro goalie cages fit the 960 XPM? It looks like Reiner has a CCM cage in his Bauer mask since the gaps look different. Just curious if anyone knows.

I wonder if the NME padding kit would work in one of Protechsport's 961 clones? I think the NME padding is mechanically connected though so maybe not, depending on alignment of clips and whatnot. Also, I'm sure there are foam/gel manufacturers who would manufacture the same type of padding, but that may be pricey for a one-time mask.

I wonder if Michel can get a TT style cheater with the wider eye opening (like a cateye) than the original Beaupré style cheater cage?

What are you talking about? That looks like a perfectly normal Wall logo... Wait a minute... Do you, or anyone else, happen to know if Warrior will be getting into the mask game? Or is this just a one-off?

Nice! I wonder if Michel would ever do something like a Mage; after all, he does have a 961 clone so he doesn't only make Lefebvre-style masks.

Whoa, looks like a Mage TT with the cheater and short chin! Awesome!