For most of his childhood, Mike skated without a second thought about neck protection. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, he played hockey from ages 6 to 18 and idolized the Islanders during the heyday of their rivalry with Edmonton. After a 30-year break, Mike returned to the game he loved, playing in adult leagues across Southern California – and quickly realized the gear had changed, but the risks hadn’t.
“Back then, we looked like flamingos on the ice,” he joked. “You weren’t just gonna get hurt, you were gonna get it off the bone.”
When his son asked if he’d ever play again, it sparked something. Now empty-nested and with time to spare, Mike pulled the trigger and pulled his skates back on. But this time around, he brought a different mindset. “I’m older. My recovery time’s slower. My reaction time’s not what it used to be,” he said. “If the technology is there, you’re kind of an idiot not to use it.”
That’s what led him to Titan BattleGear.
“Top-notch protection… money well spent.”
Mike first discovered Titan’s BattleGear OG shirt after researching dozens of products that flooded the market after highly-public skate blade tragedies. But most of what he saw didn’t pass the eye test.
“You're inundated with options, but a lot of them? They’re just flimsy. A little strip of fabric. I’d never trust those to stop a blade,” he said. “I read about Titan’s ANSI level 9 cut resistance, and I went down the rabbit hole – watched the cut test videos, looked up the certification process. Everything they claimed? Checked out.”
Mike’s review summed it up best:
“Unlike others that are seemingly there for looks, this actually covers from just under my chin and jaw all the way down. After a month’s worth of uses, not only doesn’t it sag – it seems to be getting more snug each time out.”
A close call that stuck with him
Mike’s commitment to protection didn’t come from fear-mongering headlines. It came from experience. When he was younger, his family hosted billet players from the Portland Winterhawks. One of his players’ friends? Clint Malarchuk, the goalie whose life-threatening neck injury in 1989 made NHL history.
“We knew Clint. We were a billet family. And people act like what happened to him is rare – but cuts like that? They’re not,” Mike said. “He only lived because there was a medic nearby and an ambulance right there. At my rink? If something like that happened during a late-night beer league game… I’d be a dead man.”
On “bubble wrap” and bad takes
When it comes to critics who call modern gear “bubble wrap,” Mike doesn’t mince words:
“We're the one sport where we haul around a duffel bag full of gear – but now adding an undergarment that actually protects your arteries is too much? Come on.”
He laughs off the old-school bravado. “It was the same whining when they made helmets mandatory. Then visors. Same argument, different decade.”
Why he chose Titan over the rest
Mike’s been playing in Titan’s Senior Long Sleeve for months and said the performance holds up better than anything else he’s tried:
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It doesn’t sag. “A lot of shirts lose tension fast. This one still fits right up to my chin.”
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It’s breathable. “Honestly? It feels like one of those moisture-wicking track shirts. I don’t even notice it when I’m playing.”
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It’s durable. “You said it holds up after 50+ washes and from what I’ve seen so far, that’s true.”
And while Mike admits the price may seem high at first, he offers a dose of adult-league reality: “People complain about spending money on this stuff – but if you think Titan’s expensive, try a medical bill. I’ve been to the ER before. Even with insurance, it’s thousands. How many Titan shirts could I buy for that?”
Protect what matters
Now a self-proclaimed Kings fan, Mike suits up several times a week across rinks like El Segundo, Anaheim Ice, and Paramount Ice. And while he plays for the love of the game, he’s dead serious about staying safe.
“I’ll tell guys in the locker room – look at what you're wearing and look at what I’m wearing. Now imagine I come down with a stick or blade. You still think that $10 strip of foam is worth it?”
For Mike, Titan isn’t an optional add-on. It’s part of his core protection, right up there with shin pads and shoulder guards. And when it comes to convincing others, he says it simply:
“If you're gonna protect your elbows for $100, why not protect your arteries?”
Mike, we’re proud to have players like you in the Titan community.
