How to properly fit a hockey helmet

Isn’t it worth a few moments of your time to help protect yourself or your young hockey player from a severe brain injury?

Chris Clark demonstrates the proper fit of a hockey helmet - snug, with the chin strap tight

Now THAT's a nice, tight chin strap. (Photo credit: 5of7)

Hockey helmets are perhaps the single most important piece of protective hockey equipment, but all too often, they aren’t used to the best of their capabilities. They sit too loosely on a player’s head, or the chin strap dangles far lower than necessary, allowing the helmet to fly off in the event of a collision, just when it’s really needed most.

So make sure to review the following video, for a few invaluable tips on how to make sure your hockey helmet fits correctly.

In the following video, longtime NHL forward Rob Ray demonstrates some the basic tips on how you should make sure that a hockey helmet fits correctly. This guy was no stranger to physical play, with over 3,200 penalty minutes in his 900-game NHL career. I like how in here, Ray focuses on a pet peeve of mine: the tendency of some players to let their chin strap hang loose. Sure, it makes you look like you’re too cool for your competition, but it won’t look so cool when the helmet comes off in a big collision, leaving your skull unprotected as it crashes into the ice.

Shop for hockey helmets and helmet accessories at Hockey Monkey

Fortunately, sites like Hockey Monkey offer helmet sizing guides online, which are highly recommended because helmet sizes (Small, Medium, Large, etc.) can vary for a given player, not just from brand to brand but even between different model made by the same manufacturer. For example. if you have a hat size 7 1/2, that translates to a Medium Bauer 4500, but a Large or Extra-Large Easton S19 Z-Shock.

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So no matter which hockey helmet you prefer to use, the most important thing you can do is to make sure it fits comfortably and securely – if it doesn’t, you could be in greater danger than not using a helmet at all. You may feel safe and confident enough to go into the corners and initiate contact, but when push comes to shove, that helmet can get knocked out of place, leaving you at risk for serious injury.

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