Matt Hendricks of the Edmonton Oilers is definitely not afraid to take one for the team. In Thursday’s loss against the Dallas Stars, the Edmonton center successfully blocked a slap shot, with his groin.
The impact of the shot was so severe that Hendricks’ athletic cup was broken. Hendricks himself provided visual proof.
https://twitter.com/MattHendy26/status/690406573521424384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Close call, indeed.
Even with the cup, Hendricks collapsed in pain once on the ice, and again as he was being taken off.
While the cup couldn’t prevent Hendricks from feeling any pain, this injury definitely points to why it’s a good idea for athletes to wear them. If the puck did that much damage to an athletic cup, could you imagine what the picture would look like if Hendricks wasn’t wearing one?