Which is heavier, ice
hockey padding or American football
padding? Ice hockey players wear
10 kilograms (22 lbs) of pads, while
goalkeepers carry over 20 kilograms (44
lbs). The gear worn by American football
players weighs at most around 5 kilograms
(11 lbs). Both sports involve head-on
collisions. But unlike football padding,
which mainly protects the upper body, ice
hockey gear protects the entire body from
head to toes. Hockey players carry
weapons, in the form of sticks, and are
at risk from a flying puck that can
inflict cuts on the face. The ensemble
includes headgear, shoulder pads to cover
the shoulders and chest, elbow pads,
gloves with padding from the fingers to
the backs of the hands, protective pants,
and leg guards for the shins. Goalkeepers
wear even more padding because a puck
traveling at almost 200 kilometers per
hour (125 mph) could strike them anywhere
on the body. Their face masks and other
parts of their protective gear need to be
much thicker than those worn by other
players.

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